How to make Mom happy

I just read Drop Dead Healthy, which is a fun book by A.J. Jacobs, who used to write a humor column for Esquire magazine. Jacobs spent two years trying all sorts of different things to try to live healthier and ultimately achieve "bodily perfection." One thing he mentioned early in the book was filling his apartment with plants he called "mother-in-law's tongue," which he says "got their name because of the sharpness of the leaves." (JC would obviously never find this humorous.) They're better known as snake plants (Sansevieria). Jacobs mentioned a NASA study finding that snake plants effectively clean the air in indoor spaces.

 

That got my attention, so I looked it up and the "NASA Clean Air Study" from 1989 actually did find that snake plants (and some others) remove certain toxic chemicals from the air, including benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. Then I continued my research on Healthline, which says that, in addition to removing pollutants, snake plants are "one of the few plants that can convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into oxygen at night," which makes them "an ideal plant for bedroom decor, since it can help regulate healthy airflow." They're also very easy to care for and cool looking (IMO), so I was sold! 

 

I let Mom know and she was all in. Having me be excited about plants was her dream come true! She had some Snow Dough so we immediately made a beeline for Snow's Garden Center and picked ourselves out a couple of snake plants and put them in our bedroom to start the air filtration. And they look amazing. I think this is my favorite spot in the house now.

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This was a discovery as exciting to me as my newfound appreciation for snake plants was to Mom: a simple recipe for homemade energy bars that tastes great and comes together quickly, with just a little chopping and mixing. I made some changes to the original recipe to cut the added sugar in half and bump up the protein. These are much healthier than store-bought bars (except maybe RXBAR®, but these taste better and don't stick to your teeth), so Brad is planning on making these as part of the weekend baking for school-lunch treats.

DIY Energy Bars 1.5

Adapted from Genevieve Ko via NYT Cooking (Jan. 2, 2024)

Time: ~45 minutes (18 minutes of prep; 14 if you use a mini food processor to chop the nuts and dried fruit)

[Edited March 8, 2025: I did the math on the nutritional makeup of these bars and decided they were light on the carbs from a runner's perspective. If you use brown rice protein powder instead of flour, and cut the block into 10 bars, each of them has about: 26 grams of carbs (~45% of the total calories); 9 grams of protein (15%); and 10 grams of healthy fat (40%). That's still not ideal for a runner looking to recover/refuel after a run, but it's better than it was. And these are way tastier, and with a better consistency, than anything you can buy pre-made.]

2 large eggs (~57 grams each unshelled)

80 grams (¼ cup) maple syrup

¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
40 grams (¼ cup) brown rice protein powder; or 32 grams almond flour (⅓ cup) or whole wheat flour (¼ cup)

150 grams (~1½ cups) coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, cashews, or almonds, or a combination
250 grams (~1½ cups) coarsely chopped dates, dried apricots, dried cranberries, or a combination
32 grams (¼ cup) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, syrup, salt, and cinnamon until smooth. 

    3. Whisk in the protein powder or flour until smooth. 

    4. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the nuts, dried fruit, and pepitas until evenly coated. Scrape into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
    5. Bake until golden brown and the top feels set and firm when you press on it, about 27 to 30 minutes.
    6. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely in the pan. Use the foil to remove the slab to a cutting board. Place another cutting board on top to flip the slab over. Remove the foil. Cut in half, then cut each half into 5 pieces. Makes 10 bars, which can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or in the fridge (better choice) for a couple of weeks.