(music).
I'm sure we can all relate to this.
We get so busy we forget to take care of ourselves.
We are derailing a healthy lifestyle, and that's why finding healthy snacks is so essential.
Our guest has some delicious solutions this morning.
Meet Erin Muths of the Bard Valley Date Growers.
Good morning.
Such a pleasure to be here.
This -- gorgeous spread.
Absolutely.
I've never seen so many dates used in so many ways.
Tell me about these dates.
Well, these are medjool dates.
These are Natural Delights Medjool Dates.
They're grown in a very special part of the country, right where Mexico, California, and
Arizona kind of collide.
And that makes a difference?
It does make a difference.
You need lots of heat, no humidity, and lots of water.
And that's what makes these beautiful medjool dates.
And beautiful they are.
I actually want to talk about this right here.
Tell me about these two.
So, this is a medjool date paste.
This is a perfect substitute for processed sugars.
You can use it in baking, you can use it as a spread on your toast in the morning.
It is fantastic and it's just medjool dates and water that you blend together.
And this looks fabulous for breakfast.
And these are so nutritious.
These are using dates as a topping, but then we've also made a date syrup.
Oh, that's really great.
Which is perfect, natural, very sweet, but no added sugar.
Very delicious.
And you can substitute it and use it for your baking products?
Absolutely.
You can use it in your coffee as a sweetener in the morning.
These are really good for you.
I mean it's a healthy food.
It is a healthy food.
Two dates, which is one serving size, gives you 50% more potassium than a banana.
Wow.
Right.
They contain a natural sugar and very very important dietary fiber which gives you a
perfect energy boost, but it's long-lasting.
You don't get that crash that you get with processed sugar foods.
And during the holidays, I'll share a quick story, my parents, they always have thousands
of dates and they spend hours upon hours stuffing them with walnuts.
Then, they coat them with sugar and they make these little baskets, and I can't begin to
tell you how everybody in the neighborhood and the business owners that they go visit,
they are waiting for those dates.
They just love them.
And everybody's just saying, "Great!"
Yes.
And dates are delicious.
They're not the prettiest fruit.
I'll be honest with you.
But once you bite into them, you'll see how creamy and sweet and the texture is really
really nice.
Let's talk about this one.
So, this is one of the favorites from my family.
This is a date that we've removed the pit.
We've stuffed it with a marzipan and we've put a pecan on it or an orange.
And so you get that delicious sweet very creamy flavor.
It's a like a natural candy.
Or you can use it as is like a little sample platter.
Exactly.
This is a really great way to combine medjool dates with a cheese, nuts, and berries, strawberries.
It's really, you know, it's open.
Any kind of cheese you want to use, it's really up to you.
And it's a great snack at the end of the day or maybe when you're just kind of feeling
that crash.
Normally, I go for the cuban coffee, but this is a good pick-me-up, isn't it?
This is a great pick-me-up.
It's great for when you're headed out the door in the morning.
It's great for when you're getting ready for your workout or after your workout because
that potassium has that healing, you know, when our muscles get so sore.
It's portable, you can throw it in your lunch box, your kid's soccer bag.
Great energy source.
Take it with you.
Now tell me about this.
So, let's say you're going to have a party with your girlfriends.
You're going to have some wine, you're going to have a great evening.
This is perfect.
You take some dates, some pears here, and we've got from brie cheese.
Oh, that's beautiful!
And this is a rosemary sprig.
And so easy to make.
So easy to make, but a beautiful presentation and really really delicious.
Okay, walk me through this one and this one because I can't get enough of this.
So, this is where we've taken medjool dates, chicken -- it's kind of like a lettuce wrap/lettuce
cup.
So what you're getting here is you'll get the savory of the chicken but you get the
sweet chewy texture of the date.
And it's really a nice flavor combination.
And you don't need to saturate it with so much dressing.
Exactly.
And the thing that's important about Natural Delight's Medjool Dates is they're non-GMO,
certified by the Non-GMO Project, and they're also heart healthy, certified by the American
Heart Association.
So you're getting really really great benefits with this product but they're very delicious.
And something that you noted about them not being so beautiful, but this and this certainly
look gorgeous.
What's that?
So these are medjool date rolls.
So these are our Natural Delight's Coconut Date Rolls and Natural Delight's Almond Date
Rolls.
These are simply the dates that have been ground up and then rolled in either coconut
or almond.
No processed sugar, nothing added.
So if you don't like the way they look, well there you go and there you have it.
And these are great, I'm telling you, kids love these.
So if you want to pop two sweet things into their lunch box.
Without them knowing.
Exactly, without them knowing they're healthy for them, that's a great way to get a healthy
sweet snack in there.
You can tell she's a mom.
She's like sneaky like me.
I love that.
Okay, finally, tell me about this.
So these are Medjool Date Powerballs.
Okay.
Okay, this is a great great pre-workout post-workout or just a great pick-me-up.
These are made with medjool dates, coconut, almonds, almond butter, cinnamon, and a touch
of unsweetened cocoa.
And you'll notice when I mentioned all those ingredients, there's nothing in there that's
processed.
Nothing at all.
And fun to make?
They are fun to make.
You make them in the food processor, you store them in the refrigerator in a closed container,
and off you go.
Okay, so I'm in the grocery store.
Where can I find these fabulous dates?
You're going to look for these in the fresh produce section of your grocery store.
When you see them, they're very well marked and green means organic.
So if you see that, that's what it is.
Alright, and I don't know where to start.
So, I'm just going to -- eenie meanie miney mo -- Powerball.
Good?
Excellent.
Do I take a piece with my finger or do I bite into it?
Just bite it.
Just bite into it.
Okay okay.
Mmmm.
This is a good.
Oh, this is tasty.
My kids will love making this.
Alright, so for our viewers who would love all these recipes and more information on
the dates, where can they go?
Go to NaturalDelights.com.
And you have a been a delight.
Thank you so much for being here.
And if you'd like more information, again, on these recipes or these dates, NaturalDelights.com
or go to our website, this is really good, TheBalancingAct.com.
Ooh.
Tasty!