LaraBars

[Carly]

I saw today that my health food store does carry these. I've never had them before, but I see that a lot of people here use them. I saw that they only had 2 or 3 ingredients. Are they really good and worth buying or could I just make the same thing in my dehydrator for less money? Sometimes I see all these raw convenience foods at the store and I want to buy them all just to 'vote' with my dollar for raw food; to show the store there is a market for it and there are raw foodists in the area, KWIM? There is a local company that makes raw snacks and desserts but they are very expensive too and not very good IMO. I can't really afford to buy everything of course and it seems silly anyway when I can make the same thing at home.

[revdrcyn]

Hi Carly!

The Cashew Cookie is absolutely delicious. I keep them in my purse, car, etc. just in case I get in a bind.

Be sure to read individual labels, as not all Lara Bars are raw. I know what you mean about "voting" with your $$. Any time I see raw organic food in a grocery store, I buy it whether I need/want it or not.

[spicyfull]

Its Great to want to help everyone, but Impossible, so buy what you like and if they fail......its not your fault.
Sure you can make lots of things including Desserts at home, cheaper and taste better.

I will check My Files and see if there are any Bar Recipes. There use to be Plenty on this Forum but "The SEARCH" IS NOT Working.

[buffalogal]

Hi!

How is it going? You sure can make raw bars like Lara Bars in your dehydrator! There's been a few posts on this website with many recipes for some yummy stuff!:) Try doing a search. I usually do keep a little stash of Lara Bars around though for those quick snacks when there's nothing else to grab!! Love most of them - especially cashew cookie, pecan pie, lemon pie (Yummy!) (I don't think all Lara Bars are 100% raw though - some are, some aren't.) Sorry I didn't answer your P.M. - I haven't figured out how to do that yet:(:( Bet you're enjoying the book and DVDs!! That Alissa is one smart (raw!) cookie about the raw food lifestyle! I did go to the Fair last week, watched the Vita Mix demo and ordered one (a reconditioned one), so I'm still waiting for it to get here. It was $70.00 cheaper than the new one, plus still had all the "freebies" and an 8-year warranty. I figured I might as well save myself the $70.00! Are you going to the screening of "Food, Inc." downtown tonight? I'm gonna try, but I'm heading over to Gowanda today with my church for some more cleaning up - what a mess it is over there with all that mud, water, muck, dust and heaps of things out for the trash at every house (furniture, TVs, mattresses, appliances, etc., etc. - so sad for all those people). What a mess. Yuck! They sure need alot of help - it reminds me of the clean up after Hurricane Katrina. Well - take care and have a good day!

[spicyfull]

Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups pecans , almonds or walnuts ground into flour (I use almonds)
1 cup raw oats - ground into flour (can be gotten here: Oatflakes
dash of cinnamon
4 tablespoons maple syrup (yes I know it isn't raw)
Raisins - as many as you like

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until combined. Add raisins & mix by hand. Form into balls & flatten. Refrigerate & ENJOY!

[spicyfull]

Recipes from MY Files..........

Ginger Stars:
2 cups gound oat groats
1 cup cashew "flour" (cashews gound in a coffee grinder)
1/4 cup agave
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. ginger
6 dates, 1 cup raisins--soaked and pureed
--roll out dough on a non-stick surface (I used wax paper)
--use cookie cutters for shapes, then dehydrate until "hard"

Chocolate chip cookies
1 3/4 cups cashew "flour"
3/4 cup ground oat groats (or use all cashew flour for a much sweeter dough)
1/4 cup agave
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil
chocolate chips (blend 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup carob, 1/2 cup cacao
put mixture in freezer, then chop into chunks)
--form into balls, roll in cashew "flour" and refrigerate

Pumkin Seed cookies:
1/2 cup pumpkin seed butter
1 cup pepitas
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave
1 cup ground oat groats
1/4 cup carob
---form into balls, roll in carob and dehydrate until firm (I left in overnight)

Coconut macaroon candy canes:
2 cups cashew "flour"
3/4 cup ground oat groats
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
2 cups dried shredded coconut
water and meat from one young coconut
--mix in food processor, shape into balls or candy canes, and dehydrate
--for the red stripe, I mixed a handful of strawberries with about 1/2 cup coconut oil in a blender. I used a pastry bag to pipe in on cookies. The chocolate swirls are made with the chocolate chip mixture (noted above) in a pastry bag. Use shredded coconut for "snow". Gogi berries are the snowman's nose and scarf!!

Raw Christmas cookies can be as fun to make as SAD cookies!
Feel free to change the amounts of ingredients to how you like them!
__________________
"Peace to all"




#12 12-05-2005, 04:23 PM
Mysticat
Seed Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: the Ocean State
Posts: 49



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Here is one more....for all you "lemon" fans!!!
Lemon coconut cookies:
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup cashew "flour"
juice from 3 lemons
--mix together, shape into balls, refrigerate!!
Attached Thumbnails

__________________
"Peace to all"

[zinny]

I saw today that my health food store does carry these. I've never had them before, but I see that a lot of people here use them. I saw that they only had 2 or 3 ingredients. Are they really good and worth buying or could I just make the same thing in my dehydrator for less money? Sometimes I see all these raw convenience foods at the store and I want to buy them all just to 'vote' with my dollar for raw food; to show the store there is a market for it and there are raw foodists in the area, KWIM? There is a local company that makes raw snacks and desserts but they are very expensive too and not very good IMO. I can't really afford to buy everything of course and it seems silly anyway when I can make the same thing at home.

I think that the Larabars are wildly different in flavor--some are divine and some I would not eat even if quite hungry. I especially like cherry and apple pie, and the chocolate ones aren't bad either...

[sport]

I think that lara bars are very cheap to buy and I am not sure that you could make them cheaper.
The advantage of making them yourself is that you could make them organic.
I always have a few in my purse. I think that they are a godsend.

[gritsnla]

When I juice apples and pears for fresh juice I use the pulp that comes out the other end as a binder for dehydrated cookies. To the pulp I add some ground flax, sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cranberries - into the dehydrator about all day and I store them in the fridge, just to be on the safe side.
Enjoy!

[qfmother]

I like Larabars and a couple of the other raw bars from my health food store - but to preserve my food budget I only use them when I'm out and about and needing something to sustain me. I rely on them for convenience, and I enjoy them a lot because I don't eat one very often! I like to eat a Larabar and an apple and it's pretty much a full meal or at least a big snack.

[Mary Kay]

I think you should try a couple Lara Bars, just so you know what they taste like. This will give you ideas on making your own. I make them for myself and my kids and do not use a dehydrator.

they're mostly dates and nuts. You can grind these in your food processor. Add dried cherries, raw cacao, vanilla, whatever suits you. I'll even add a touch of spirulina, or spinach......Very easy and you're being more eco-friendly by not usng any packaging.

I also sometimes use date paste, which I purchased in bulk. IMO it is controversial as a raw food because they put it at 140 for two hours. Most dates are heated slightly to be softened, but can still be considered raw. David Wolfe has "approved" of Oasis Medjool dates that are heated to 120 for 40 minutes. So, some may and some may not consider the date paste raw.

Nevertheless, it a great convenience thing for me, and is already the consistency of a LaraBar, practically.

Let us know which flavors you like if you try them, and how your own experiments work out!

Mary Kay