Date Bar Burnout
"Will you make date bars for the August book club meeting?" a woman asked yesterday at the book club picnic.
"I'm signed up to bring the food," she continued. "I'm thinking cheese and crackers."
I looked at her numbly. She didn't realize I made date bars three times in the past three weeks for different events. Date bars were disappearing from the table as we spoke.
"You want date bars again?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. Like an idiot, I said okay.
"Bring fresh fruit and vegetables, too," I added. "People expect you to provide a light lunch."
Arriving home, I gave leftover date bars to my neighbors.
For August, I'll make healthy peach-blueberry crumble instead.
5
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Date Bars - Cooking Light
Filling
1-1/2 cups chopped dates (14 large dates, preferably Medjool)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Crust and topping
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons chilled light butter (I use regular unsalted butter)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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To make the filling, combine dates and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until the water is absorbed (about 20 minutes.) Mash dates until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts. To prevent a soggy crust, cool the date mixture to room temperature.
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To make the crust and topping: combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until mixed. Shred butter with a cheese grater and add to oat mixture. Pulse until crumbly.
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To assemble, put half of the crust mixture in prepared pan and press with fingertips into a thin, smooth layer. Spoon date filling on top. Gently smooth evenly with the tip of a rubber spatula. Add remaining oat mixture and gently press on top of date mixture.
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Bake 22-25 minutes or until browned lightly around the edges. Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
Per serving: 150 calories; 2.9 grams fat; 6 mg cholesterol.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
July 18, 2019
1
Thanks for the post....but I'll never make them....I'm a micro wave cook.
Funny....I thought a Date Bar was a bar where you went to find a date.
nicknotes
Level 8
July 18, 2019
4
@nicknote
Except @TomMcGivern, men who replied thought I was talking about going to a bar for a date.
Tom immediately realized date bars are a dessert.
Interesting....I've never eaten a date bar in my lifetime....is it something like a fig newton? @LiterateHiker
See the recipe I posted, above.
Your posts somehow manage to be both banal and interesting at the same time! 
Gareth
Level 7
July 18, 2019
3
Ouch. Your reply had a hurtful jab with a compliment.
Banal (adjective)
"devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite." (dictionary.com)
@LiterateHiker No harm intended. I try to steer that fine line between the kind and the truthful, but most people only focus on the negatives.
Somehow I gained 162 followers. Many people like my posts.
Saying hurtful things is mean.
@LiterateHiker This one post caused you to gain 162 followers?! 
Or since you have signed up for this site? 
Make whatever you want. They should just be grateful to have any treats that taste better than cardboard, but then again, my standards are low when it comes to free food.....
TomMcGiverin
Level 8
July 18, 2019
2
Thank you. Most people are too busy/lazy/uncaring to make healthy, delicious food for a group.
Instead they bring processed crap. Yesterday the dessert table had:
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Dry, white sheet cake from a grocery store. I don't touch any cake unless it's chocolate.
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Processed chocolate candies.
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My homemade date bars from Cooking Light.
Guess what disappeared the fastest?
@LiterateHiker The first treat sounds hideous. I wouldn't have touched it either, and the chocolate candies would have only taken a couple.
Reading your post topic line, my first thought was " She's got to stop going to bars looking for a date"....
bigpawbullets
Level 9
July 18, 2019
2
I don't like alcohol. It dehydrates me and gives me a headache. Not worth it.
And never go to bars. Never pick up men.
"That's funny!" Bill replied.
"When I glanced at your text before I actually read it, I thought you said that you went to a date bar, and I was wondering what kind of place that was LOL."
LiterateHiker
Level 9
July 18, 2019
2
In Australia, 'date' has another meaning. Think chocolate starfish. Rusty sheriff's badge. Ring piece.
So, delicious though I'm sure they are, I'm sniggering at your date fingers.
MrBeelzeebubbles
Level 7
July 18, 2019
1
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