DATE, FIG, AND ORANGE ZEST BARS

The orange zest in this recipe caught my eye as I was searching for a way to use up some overly-dried figs. These make a great snack for children and adults...wrap them individually and store in the refrigerator or freezer for weeks. Citrus peels are packed with nutrients and their abundant flavonoids have been shown to help fight cancer in addition to other health benefits. Citrus peels are also great for making your own surface cleaners so you can avoid toxic chemicals.

You can find the recipe at “Little Figgy Food” blog: Date and Fig Bars

Here’s a good video about various ways to make citrus zest: How to Zest Citrus

I use orange, lemon, and lime peels to make my own citrus cleaner. Here’s a recipe but there are many online: Homemade Citrus Cleaner

What I did differently:

-Used dried Turkish figs because it is what I had

-Used 1 cup of dried Deglet Noor dates because it is what I had (I usually use Medjool dates)

-Because my figs and dates were a bit too dry, I soaked them in hot water for 10 minutes first then drained the water (you can save the water and use it to sweeten other things)

-Used peanut butter made with ground roasted nuts only, reduced amount to 2 TBSP (I was out of almond butter)

-Did not add salt or pepper

-Since I had leftover homemade granola I used 2 cups of that instead of almond meal and oatmeal. I have made these bars several more times and follow the recipe.