Emily Walker
A friend of mine was flying down from the UK in December ’08 & she asked if I wanted anything from there. Me? Yes, of course! I never let a good offer go by & asked her to ‘please’ get me some dried cranberries, blueberries etc. Don’t know if she’ll ask me again in a hurry, but she got me lots of bags of dehydrated blueberries, dried cherries & a couple of beautiful baking books too. One thing I do miss not getting here are fresh berries, & the only local dried ‘berries’ we get here are tiny black currants & raisins. The imported dried berries available here are way too expensive.
Granola got popular as a health food popular with the hippie movement in the 1960’s. I made these granola bars using the blueberries after googling for ideas. They are quite the tastiest ones I could have ever made. The kids loved them, & I am finally posting them after the 2 batches have been devoured.
When the son heard I made granola bars, he looked a trifle worried because he doesn’t like the granola bars which we buy from the store…he said they’re too ‘honeyish‘! Well, these were a rocking good success…& very popular in school too! They are bursting with goodness, healthy, vegetarian, vegan…& above all CRISP & DELICIOUS!
About blueberries; my daughter’s favourite berry… There aren’t many blue foods in nature, but more blue-colored foods are appearing on grocery store shelves. Blue gelatin and cereal that colors the milk blue are especially popular with kids.
Artificial colorants are safe food additives, but they do not provide the health benefits linked with naturally occurring pigments. According to researchers, adding more natural colorants to your diet is good for your health.
Blueberries in particular are linked with health benefits. According to a USDA study of more than 40 fruits and vegetables, blueberries ranked highest in antioxidant activity. A half-cup serving of blueberries had as much “antioxidant power” as five servings of other fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize the damaging effects of “free radicals,” substances which damage DNA and cell membranes. The damage caused by free radicals is linked with cancer, heart disease and the aging process. Source: Julie Garden-Robinson
recipe from North American Blueberry Council
Ingredients:
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. firmly-packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats (I used Quakers)
1 packet dehydrated sweetened blueberries (70gms)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped raisins (optional)
- Preheat oven to 180C degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan. (I lined the tin as well, but found that the lining got stuck to the bottom by the time it had cooled. The second time around, I flipped the whole thing over gently, & peeled the lining off while the granola was still warm. Also scoured the top with lines when it was warm, to make it easier to cut later.)
- In a medium saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, oil and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes; do not stir.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats + blueberries + walnuts + raisins. Stir in honey mixture until thoroughly blended. Spread into prepared pan, gently pressing mixture flat. Bake until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 1 1/2 x 3-inch bars. (Mine were ready in about 30 minutes)
- They begin to get crisp as they cool.
- I made another batch using dried winter berries that my niece brought for me from Dubai. Those were very yummy bars too.
This recipe is en route to “Cinnamon Celebration“ to Grace @ Southern Grace who is celebrating her love for cinnamon.
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