In fact, you need to make EVERYTHING. Not just muesli bars. You absolutely cannot depend on anything you buy from the supermarket being safe for you, or your family. If it's not certified organic, and you've bought muesli or muesli bars from the supermarket, or any kind of rice or grain, chances are you've unwittingly ingested poison. Yay. Big Agriculture's grand, innit?
Bayer, the owner of Monsanto, argues that their studies show Roundup is safe - yet the WHO argue it's "possibly carcinogenic to humans.". Possibly is enough for most of us - and most of us know that weedkillers are dangerous. We don't use them ourselves, and would be mad as hell if our neighbours used them and it drifted over and killed our garden. We know it has ingredients that amplifies toxic effects on human cells - causing pregancy problems with hormone production, abnormal fetal development, low birth weights and miscarriages.
A report this week that found 21 oat-based cereal and snack products contain traces of glyphosate - above what is safe for children in the majority of those products. This is a plea for anyone reading this and buying cereals to check which products they're talking about. Oh, and it's also been found in beer and wine. Eek. Given even small amounts of it has been thought to lead to breast cancer, amongst other cancers, I find it incredible that Big Ag and it's associated industries still use the stuff - oh wait. No I don't. It doesn't suprise me at all. Because money. That old chestnut.
Before you panic about the wine and beer thing (because hey, I can go without cereal), it's worth noting that it's a teeny, almost homepathic amount:
But a trace of a trace still terrifies me.
What comforts me is all this stuff in the news again - big time, because of court rulings that ruled that it was a cause of one guys cancer, has created dialogue here in Australia about it again - and there's going to be more research with many, many councils banning it. I'm currently trying to find out what my shire uses - we're kinda okay out here in the sticks and they don't spray round us, but that doesn't mean it's okay.
Not just because it has the potential to cause illness, but because I'm really, really bad at making muesli bars. Sure, I can make sure all the ingredients I buy are organic and hope to hell that they are (and I do buy organic, whereever possible) but that still doesn't solve my muesli bar problem. And we NEED muesli bars, because we're going on a road trip, and having quick, nutritious snacks in the van is important - I can't have the man getting hangry, and we need fuel as much as our wheels do.
So today, as Jamie checks off the list of all the companies that sell products in Australia shores that use ingredients from agriculture that uses Round Up, I'm ignoring him and focussing on what I can do - making a sweet treat that is nutritious, easy to make, and doesn't crumble apart in my hands. I love this recipe because it's just a matter of throwing it all in a pan, waiting for the psyllium to absorb the water, baking it, and you're done. You can slice as you go, or slice and individually wrap them - I'll slice as we go to save on the wrappers, thanks.
So here's my new version of the 'Life Changing Loaf' - sweet, packed full of protein and as organic as I could make it. Hopefully only a trace of a trace of a trace of a trace of glycophosphates. We'll be taking this one on our road trip, to snack on when we go on long beach and bush walks, and to eat on lazy afternoons either before or after hopefully glycophospate free wine.
Life Changing Sweet Loaf
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup pecans and almonds
½ cup hempflour (hello #weedcash, you don't just smoke it)
½ brown rice flour
½ coconut flour
½ cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
5 tbsp psyllium seed husks
1 tsp fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup maple syrup or honey (I used maple syrup - you can taste the mix to see if it's sweet enough)
1 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
½ cacao nibs
3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
1½ cups (350 ml) water
Mix and add to pan lined with baking paper or greased with oil and a sprinkle of seeds.
Leave til set.. usually between 2 and 4 hours. Bake at 200C for about 40 - 60 minutes or until knife exits clean. Wait til cool and slice into muesli bar sized portions. Freezes well.
Verdict? Delish.
I'll DEFINITELY be trying different versions of this. Fig and walnut? Pear and chai spice? Orange and dark chocolate? Rhubarb and coconut? I'll let you know!
Yummy snack for real foodies yumyumyum
Looks fantastic ! Just eating these days is a battlefield. These delicious treats are one small victory for @riverflows and your family. Way to be a warrior in the resistance!
Trying our BEST. You should try it..it's yum. PLUS you can substitute flours for whatever you have eg almond, quinoa, banana flours...
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F**k these look amazing! 😂
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Oh MAN @plantstoplanks you would LOVE this recipe. You can substitute any of ingredients... its totally forgiving. Basically the plantain (psyllium husks) holds it altogether. Let me know if you try it.. you can do a savoury loaf too. Just google 'life changing loaf' ... my new roots.
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I'll definitely keep this in mind to try soon! I've never worked with psyllium husks before, but I know I've eaten a few things with them. I'll keep you posted when I try it!
Congratulations @riverflows!
You raised your level and are now a Dolphin!
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Roundup is very dangerous! It’s a big issue on my country! There was big struggle between groups of farmers and educated people putting pressure on the government, with lots of evidence of its harmful effects, to stop selling Roundup and make it illegal to import into the country. During the last few minutes of the official debate, civil servants, respectable academics and researchers asked for two years’ delay in enacting the law! So, sellers still push roundup to be used by farmers!
I guess these people got a lot of funds and research scholarships from the chemical companies!! And people continue to die from cancer like flies!
Very bad karma indeed!
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Its AWFUL karma!!! I can never understand why they delay these things. Yet two years is better than nothing i suppose.. at least they are goung to stop! Monsanto have been totallt responsible for a lot of deaths... not just round up. They are absolutely demons from hell!
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My aunt makes these, they are a meal by themselves, i used to call them powerbars.
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Oh yeah they are SO filling, especially with the psyllium!!!!
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Good survival food for camping.
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definitely need to be making our own, there are some things that I but ready made like wraps or pita bread, I really should make it myself, but I don't always have the time. Never buy biscuits or cereal bars or anything like that. That loaf looks and sounds amazing, I will be saving this to try xx
Make it! Make it! And tell me when you do! Seriously delish. You could sub out maple syrup for honey or any other ingredients.. your local almonds!!!
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And this is QUICK to prepare.. seriously.
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Your version looks so much more yummy.
Resteeming for when I have all these ingredients :)
Thanks...!!! Yes the ingredient list is big BUT you can sub ingredients eg 1.5 cups of oats can replace all the various flours.
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oh man, that looks tasty and the ideas you've got for variations also sound really, really tasty!
What gets me is that they claim that there is a safe amount YET they are not factoring in that people aren't just exposed to it once a day, this crap is in everything. It is terrifying that just a few companies have such a widespread impact on global food supply.
I think you are onto a good thing with your life changing loaf!
+1 for fig/walnut and orange/chocolate! That sounds super good.
Your number 1 source of dietary glyphosate is going to be wheat. Sunflower is another big one that folks don't suspect. It is used in the harvesting process for both of those because it dries the plants out to make harvest easier.
USDA certified organic facilities can still use glyphosate in the soil (source).
It's hard to escape. Damn near impossible, actually. I heard someone on a podcast cite a study that showed that organic options had comparable levels in all foods tested.
I've come to the conclusion that certified organic food should be considered the absolute lowest acceptable quality food a person should consume. The best option is to grow or raise it yourself or to know the person that did and the process they use.
More and more, I'm adopting the idea that "if I buy it at the store, it's not fit to eat." Small progressive changes.
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I think its even worse in America than here.... i do hope they get on it quickly now. We dont eat alot of wheat and i use biodynamic flour to make my own bread. You are right though.. as much as you can grow yourself is best way to go.
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I agree 100% with every single statement you made and those bars look delicious and are perfect for the trail. I don't think I've seen such a great snack as dense as this.
Bookmarked to try the recipe in the near future. Thanks for sharing😀 This is a 💎
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Thanks!!! Its PERFECT for the trail.. you will love it!
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The supermarket here only offers a limited amount of produce that's organic. I see kale go from $6 to a $1.80 a week later and it still looks fresh. A hour into town finds a farmers market for much more of a variety and range of produce but travelling can appear a bit much
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Can't fault you on your ingredients looks great would Def add some fig and wallnuts
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Where do you live, fellow Aussie?
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Its a big country. You must live rurally?
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That's so true, it is so difficult to trust stuff from supermarkets and so much is out there it just kind of tempts you. But it is a conscious decision one needs to make. Thankfully these days the social media outspread increased a lot of awareness in people. The recipe is loaded with nutrition I am sure it will be super tasty.
It really is. Super high protein. Yes i think people are more aware now!!!
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