[2] Cherry, chocolate and cashew granola bars from Love And Zest. Here’s the recipe (photo © Love And Zest).

[3] Use Old Fashioned Oats, not quick oats, for granola bar recipes (photo © Quaker Oats).

It’s National Granola Bar Day. Even if you’re happy with the bars you buy, it’s the day to make your own custom recipe (ours is dark chocolate chunks, dried cherries and pistachio nuts, sometimes with a bit of coconut).

A delicious recipe and history of granola bars follow.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 90 snack holidays.

> The year’s 14 cereal holidays.
 
 
HISTORY OF THE GRANOLA BAR

Here’s the history of granola breakfast cereal, which was invented in the 19th century by Dr. James Caleb Jackson for his sanitarium patients. It was the first dry breakfast cereal, and the first to be eaten cold.

He actually invented “granula.” In 1881, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, proprietor of another sanitarium, copied his recipe; when Jackson brought a lawsuit, Kellogg changed the name of his product to granola.

Granola bars did not appear until much later, as a better-for-you snack. Most sources credit Stanley Mason (1921-2006) as the innovator. Mason was a tireless inventor. His more than 100 inventions also included the squeezable ketchup bottle, dental floss dispensers and disposable diapers.

He invented the granola bar in the 1970s by pressing loose granola to create a bar. This claim is disputed by Henry Kimball, who has a copy of a letter he allegedly sent in 1975 to an organization called the Idea Marketplace describing his granola bar invention [source].

Granola bars are dense, chewy cereal bars made from granola ingredients—oats, honey and inclusions like dried fruits and nuts. These days, chocolate baking chips, peanut butter and other ingredients not imagined by either Jackson or Mason, are often added.

Beyond the U.S., the granola bar goes by different names. It’s known as a flapjack in the U.K and Ireland, a muesli bar or cereal bar in Australia and New Zealand.

There are no “wrong” additions to a granola bar, although M&Ms and marshmallows seem to defeat the purpose of a nutritious snack. Here’s a basic recipe:
 
 
RECIPE: GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients

 
_________________

*If you don’t like these ingredients, use more oats. For gluten-free bars, use gluten-free rolled oats.

 
More Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper or foil, leaving “handles” on two sides for lifting. Set aside.

2. COMBINE the oats, seeds and nuts and spread onto a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

3. STIR in the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the oat mixture, toss until the mixture is well coated, then add the dried fruit.

[5] Apple pie granola bars from The Baker Chick. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Baker Chick).

5. COOL for 2 hours before slicing into bars. Use a serrated knife. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week, using parchment or wax paper to keep the bars from sticking. You can also freezer them for up to 6 months.
 
 

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Top: Mixed greens with apples and pecans.
Second: Shaved Brussels sprouts,
watermelon radishes on greens, topped with
feta from Good Eggs. Third: Edamame, diced
red bell pepper and black beans top greens
at Betty Crocker. Bottom: Thai celery salad
with sliced hot chiles and peanuts. Photo
courtesy Bon Appetit.

These were not free salads; they were overpriced sides. When we mentioned our disappointment to the servers, both mentioned the “limited selection” in winter.

Limited choices, NO. Lack of imagination or sheer laziness, YES.

There’s just as much opportunity to pack green salads with color and texture as any other time of the year.

It’s just as easy to balance the flavors and textures with something bright-colored, something crunchy, something tangy, something peppery and something sweet.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to sprinkle with colorful, crunchy pomegranate seeds or some mandarin segments.

And it doesn’t have to cost more: Use pricier ingredients sparingly and they’ll still add interest.

Here’s how to add interest to winter salads while Mother Nature is taking a nap.

 
START HERE TO BUILD YOUR WINTER SALAD

Pick something from each group, and no one will find your salads boring.

Salad Greens: Beyond Everyday Lettuce

 
Other Vegetables

You don’t have to add fruit to every green salad, although most people will enjoy the touch of sweetness.

Diced, sliced or segmented, you’ve got great choices:

 
Garnishes

 
Plus A Touch Of…

 
For The Dressing

We’re fans of vinaigrettes rather than heavier dressings (although we do have a weakness for a great blue cheese dressing).

Vinaigrettes are lighter, lower in calories (in that you use less), and most importantly, offer so much variety in terms of which oils and which vinegars you use.

Top: Quinoa, arugula, red onion and sundried tomato at California Pizza Kitchen. Second: Mesclun and burrata atop beets, garnished with cherry tomatoes and a jumbo garlic crouton, at Duplex On Third. Third: Spinach salad with apples, beets and sliced almonds from Butterball.

 
These options should keep you busy…until the spring veggies arrive, and beyond.
 
  

Top: Be sure that herbs are absolutely dry
before you chop them. Photo courtesy
Williams-Sonoma. Bottom: Remove the
woody stems but keep the green portions.
Photo of cilantro courtesy Good Eggs | San
Francisco.

The emphasis is on fresh. While dried herb are a fine stand-by, they don’t deliver the same flavor—and the flavor fades as they age. First…

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HERBS & SPICES

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but that’s inaccurate. There are important differences.

 
It’s possible for one plant to contain both herb and spice. For example:

 
SWEET & SAVORY HERBS

Most herbs can be used in savory dishes. Think dill, garlic, thyme, oregano, parsley. In addition, there are the so-called sweet herbs, that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes:

Here’s what you should know before you grab a sharp chef’s knife and the cutting board:

1. Be sure the washed herbs are fully dry.

If they’re just a bit damp, they’ll get mushy when you chop them.

 
Next up: Different herbs require different chopping techniques.

2. Herbs with edible stems.

When you throw away the slender stems of herbs like cilantro, dill and parsley, you’re throwing away money. They are just as edible as the leaves.

 
3. Herbs with big leaves and woody stems.

You don’t need an herb keeper. To make fresh herbs last longer, use a water glass instead. Add the herbs and cover the glass with a plastic bag.

 
3. Herbs with small leaves and woody stems.

This group includes oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme. The leaves need to be stripped from the stems, but the stems are too woody to use.

 
4. Chopping or mincing chives.

Chives, long and stem-free, are in their own category.

HOW TO STORE FRESH HERBS

You don’t need an “herb keeper” to store herbs. Simply fill a tall glass with a few inches of fresh water, insert the herbs and cover with a plastic produce bag.

It’s that easy!