"Bu Qi" Bars
I love making my own granola and energy bars. They are super easy and have so much more flavor than a store bought box packaged bar. Plus you know exactly what is in them!
Bu Qi Bars ("Bu"=tonify or strengthen) ("Qi"= our bodies energy)
Makes 4 bars
Ingredients: (You can add and subtract any of these foods as long as it has a good mixture of wet and dry ingredients.)
1 cup dates
1/3 cup dried apples
1/3 cup Almonds
2 TBS Pumpkin Seeds
Directions:
- Set out four pieces of plastic wrap for shaping and wrapping the bars. Do this first; you'll have sticky fingers when you need it.
- Place the dates and dried fruits in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste. Transfer paste to a medium bowl (don't clean processor).
- Add the nuts and seeds to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the nuts, to the bowl with the fruit paste. Use your fingers to knead the nuts into the paste.
- Divide mixture into quarters. Place each quarter on each of one of the sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around each bar and start squishing into a bar shape form, 3 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 3/4-inch thick); press against countertop to flatten bottom side, flattening top side and ends with flat of hand. Tightly wrap the plastic around each bar and store in the refrigerator.
·*Always be sure you have a little more wet/sticky than dry ingredients so the bar sticks together. When making four bars the ratio is generally 1 cup sticky fruits and 2/3 cup nuts and seeds or very dry fruits.
Good additions: flax seeds, raisins or crasins, dried coconut, shredded ginger.
Benefits of the ingredients in Chinese medicine
Dates: sweet: Supplements blood and body fluids.
Apples: sweet,sour,cool: supplment our digestion and lung energy.
Almonds: Moistens the lungs and intestines.
Pumpkin Seed: sweet: Benefits the digestion and overall energy.
