Thursday, April 20, 2006

Mother Earth No Bake Treats

A few years ago when when I was learning how to manage a rotational diet with my son and me, I formed a "support" group by inviting several people over for supper who wanted to learn a little about what I knew about cooking. Although the group I invited over didn't offer a foodie like me much knowledge, they did give me the inspiration to keep seeking new ways to wow them using all sorts of unique meals using a wide variety of ingredients, like a gluten free, yeast free buckwheat flour and tapioca flour bread that actually sliced and toasted.

I did this because my son has a diagnosis that places him on the autistic scale, as well as asthma/ restricted lung disorder, food allergies to 38 common foods... he is not vegan, nor vegetarian and could not be. He is highly allergic to soy, peanuts, several legumes, pineapple, asparagus and brocolli, all cow and goat dairy products, eggs, pork, beef, wheat, corn, rice... yeah, the list goes on. He is not allergic to chicken, turkey and fish .... nor buckwheat, romaine lettuce, millet, etc. During these dinners my son would cook the meat for himself and I would make everything else during these friendly dinners and when my guests would RAVE about my dishes, he was willing to try the new foods and I could then offer them to him on a rotational diet.

A pastor friend came to one of my dinners. He used to be a hippy/ druggy/ bumb living in California in the early 70's (and says so himself) and loved to buy something called Mother Earth bars at a health food store during that time. He told me what they were like and asked me if I could try to make them for him. I gave it a shot and when I was done he was very happy with the result. I share that result on my blog today.

Dori's Mother Earth Bars
In a large bowl mix the DRY INGREDIENTS (I usually quadruple this recipe)
1 1/2 C organic millet puff cereal
1 1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C english walnuts
1/4 C sesame seeds
1/2 C whole buckwheat groats (toasted or not - you choose)
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/2 C pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds (ground)
WET MIX:
Melt together. This does not need to boil, but the unrefined sugar granules do need to melt. I have tried to reduce the sugar and even to cut it out. The bars will not hold together without adding alot more syrup, which I did not want. I make this using organic sucanat and it works equally well with an unrefined sugar in the raw or turbinado sugar.
1/2 C sorghum
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/3 C sugar in the raw
Add the syrup to the dry mix. Press solidly into a lightly oiled 1/3 C measuring cup. I place a muffin wrapper in the measuring cup and then press the mix in, very tightly packed. Set aside. Let set in a cool place overnight. These need to kept cool to store and will keep in the freezer. If not stored in a cool palce the bars will crumble... sure it's tastey still, but then it wouldn't be a bar.

NOTES: You can use whatever mix of nuts or even dried fruits in the dry mix, just have 2 1/3 cups of goods. In the recipe pictured I used english walnuts, sunflower seeds, thick shredded coconut, and almond slices. I would have used some dried fruits, but these were for my son and he doesn't like dried fruit ... just nuts and lots of them.

**The SORGHUM I use is grown and made on a farm 30 miles from me. I have visited there and watched them harvest their crop as well as make the syrup.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

These look yummy, but I don't have half of the stuff required to make them. I think a shopping trip is in order. :D

Thank you for sharing info about your son. You are a wonderful mother to take seriously his health issues and healthy foods. Not many moms would do what you are doing. *hugs* for you. :)

Eat Peace Please said...

These are wonderful (especially for me- no oven). I can't get over how many foods your son is allergic to, and I thought I've heard it all...

Your treats look a lot like the kinds I make.

Eat Peace Please said...

One more thing... I saw on Catherine's site that you make cupcakes and sell them near her. Do you have any in Arizona? If not, is there a way I can personally order from you? Possibly weekly or bi-monthly!? I've never tried anything you've made but I have complete trust in your taste buds and cooking.

spiceislandvegan said...

Dori,

You are a wonderful mother and a wonderful cook! Your son is so lucky to have you prepare food for him.

This treats will be good to bring for travelling in a cooler. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

XOXOX

SIV

Dori said...

Oh no - you misunderstood. I told catherine that I was impressed with the beet colored pink frosting on the vegan cupcake that she bought... she didn't buy it fom me!

Currently the only thing I sell is vegan organic granola at a small coffee house in a small college town near me. I have a shelf there and replenish stock weekly. During the summer I sell at the farmer's market in one small college town --- that's all, however I sell alot at my booth there (muffins, mustrads, jellies, breads, dry soup mixes, etc). I don't ship and I don't take orders anymore (well with one exception... twice a year I cook up for a $350 order for a professor at the college).

I used to do alot more a few years ago (even sold over theinternet and shipped), but realized I enjoyed working with people and teaching than I did operating a small factory. So in order to still be able to garden and do what I enjoy (and make money) I decided to get my teaching certification so that I could become a support teacher for other homeschooling families, use my bakehouse and garden as a teaching resource to other families, and still sell at the summer markets as a small time vendor.

If you are into cooking ...I encourage you to do some more research to see what your state will allow you to cook from your home kitchen to sell to the public. I started doing that before we set up the bakehouse as a state registered kitchen with a commerical oven (the registeration allowed me to increase my selling area (as well as sell at the coffeehouse).

If you can get into a good market place (diversity and a well edcuated population is best).. you can sell most any handcrafted item... jewelery, food (depending on state reg's), artwork... might be a great way to advertise other things you know about or do... you can even sell dog biscuits!! It takes time, and work... won't bless you with a truckload of money, but if you love what you do and you make enough to do it ... and your needs are met (DH makes the big bucks, I just stretch them as far as we possibly can) , what more can you ask for to achieve a satisfying life!

Michelle said...

wow, that's alot of allergies. my son is allergic to all dairy (the casein, not the lactose), and he's the reason we decided to raise our kids vegan instead of lacto-veg like originally planned. we have friends who's child is allergic to dairy, soy and wheat, and i thought that would be challenging! i would love to hear more about what kinds of foods you feed your son.

those treats look yummy too! i wish you did still ship your goods out, but it would probably be crazy expensive for a canadian gal like me (we get charged for the order, the shipping, then duty on top of that to go across the boarder :( )

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

WoW, oh WoW! These look amazingly delicious. Your son is so lucky to have you for a mom. I imagine that his diet would be quite a challenge.
I've been thinking how I can use my teaching certificate more creatively and possibly your idea of becoming a support teacher for homeschooling families would be a good fit for me? Interesting thought.