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. I like doing my "humming bee breath" yoga practice in the chair in the corner next to the small snake plant, but that's a story for another day.
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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
Adapted from Genevieve Ko via NYT Cooking (Jan. 2, 2024)
Time:
I rejiggered the original recipe to swap out 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for almond butter; replace the whole wheat flour with almond flour; and swap out ½ cup of dried fruit for pumpkin and sunflower seeds. That makes them gluten free, cuts the added sugar in half, and increases the protein content, so that each of these bars now has about 7 grams of protein by my reckoning, which is good for something with only normal ingredients.
2 large eggs (~57 grams each unshelled)
40 grams (2 tablespoons) maple syrup
32 grams (2 tablespoons) almond, cashew, or hazelnut butter
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
32 grams almond flour (⅓ cup) or whole wheat flour (¼ cup)
150 grams (1½ cups) coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or cashews, or a combination
150 grams (1 cup) coarsely chopped (or snipped) Medjool dates, dried apricots, dried cranberries, or a combination
32 grams (¼ cup) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
32 grams (¼ cup) raw sunflower 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, nut butter, salt, and cinnamon until smooth. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the nuts, dried fruit, and seeds until evenly coated. Scrape into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
3. Bake until golden brown and the top feels set and firm when you press on it, about 27 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
4. 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.
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