Answer to the Question: How do you make Simple, Quick-Energy Bars?

Now, this is a very simple, easy and quick free recipe for high energy fruit bars that could be kept for an emergency or for snacking.

What goes into the bug-out-bag or the emergency rations? This quick and simple recipe for a very high energy fruit and bar might be the answer! It is great, also, for a quick, Nutritious and wholesome snack.

This recipe is very simple, containing four basic ingredients. These are the chocolate bar or almond bark, vegetable shortening, peanuts and dried fruit. The recipe that will be listed here contains white almond bark, honey roasted peanuts, raisins, dried cranberries and dried pomegranate.

The following ingredients are desirable to make the high energy bar.

1) CHOCOLATE BAR (EITHER WHITE ALMOND OR DARK CHOCOLATE BARK WILL WORK)

2) PEANUTS (THIS RECIPE USED HONEY ROASTED PEANUTS)

3) DRIED FRUIT (THIS RECIPE USED DRIED RAISINS, DRIED CHERRIES AND DRIED CRANBERRIES.

4) VEGETABLE SHORTENING

See, even the ingredients are simple and easy for these high energy bars.

First, you will need a double boiler to melt the white or dark chocolate bar (bark). If you do not have a double boiler specifically made for this, one can put one pot inside the other to melt the chocolate. The top pot must fit inside the top pot with some room around the sides so that the steam can escape. Test a smaller pot to see if it will sit on the bottom of the lower pan. If so, the two pot should work together to form a double boiler. The bottom pot will serve to have boiling water in it while the top pot will serve to melt the chocolate bark. To keep the bottom pot from getting too close to the heat and to stabilize the top pot, put a jar ring in the bottom of the lower pot. Put some water in the lower pot, enough to cover the jar ring and bring the water to boiling. Make sure that the two pots are stable before continuing.

To begin with, the chocolate bark must be melted slowly to achieve the desired consistency in the top pot. After bringing the water in the bottom pot to boiling, reduce the heat to a very hot water, usually on medium heat, but not enough to produce steam.

NOTE: IF WATER OR STEAM GETS INTO THE CHOCOLATE, IT WILL GET SUDDENLY THICK

NOTE: DO NOT USE BUTTER OR MARGERINE TO THIN CHOCOLATE- CONSULT INSTUCTIONS OF THE CHOCOLATE BAR OR BARK TO SEE HOW TO THIN

Put about a table spoon of vegetable shortening into the top pot, till it melts. When this happens, take a small block of chocolate one at time into the top pot, stirring it until it melts completely. Continue doing this to each block until enough chocolate is obtained. More vegetable shortening may be added to achieve the desired consistency of the chocolate. The chocolate should completely coat the spoon when the spoon is dipped into the chocolate. Different people like thicker and some people like a thicker coating on the nut and fruit mixture.

The next step is to add the peanuts and dried fruit to the chocolate, constantly stirring the mixture. Make sure that all the nuts and dried fruit are covered. When all the nut and fruit mixture are covered with the chocolate, it can be spread on a sheet of waxed paper that has been laid on a cookie sheet. It is best to start with about an inch high mound and then use a spoon to push to the edges to keep it about 3/4 to an inch high. If there is any chocolate left in the pan, you can use a spatula to scrape it out of the pan and drizzle it onto the peanut and fruit mixture.

There, you have a free recipe for really quick and easy energy bars that can be used for snacks, desserts, tailgate parties, bug out bags, school lunches, after school snacks, get out of dodge bags, or just a relaxing pick me up item that you can keep in your lunch-bag without refrigeration. Note: you might keep these in the refrigerator in hot, humid climates because the chocolate does melt at higher temperatures, just like regular chocolate.

If the power grid goes out or down for any reasons, such as an EMP attack or Solar Storms, these would be a fantastic energy booster and survival bar for the upcoming years of 2012 and 2013.