My life is about to drastically change in 118 days.
(Yes, I counted.)
On August 10th, Brett and I will be moving to CHINA!
We just booked our one-way plane tickets this weekend and we’re preeeeeetty excited. The fact that we know the exact date we’ll be moving has made it all the more real. Soon I’ll be living in a country where I’ll stand out like a sore thumb, be unable to read signs or ingredient labels (let alone communicate with people), have no assurance of western toilets, have to make my own milk, and be unsuccessful at finding pre-made hummus at the grocery store. Some people might think that scenario sounds down-right awful, but I couldn’t be more pumped to take on the challenge. Traveling and being in different cultures is when I thrive.
BUT I would be dishonest if I didn’t share some of the thoughts, questions, and emotions I have swirling around in my head. What should we bring with us? What will we regret bringing with us? How many months or years will I go without seeing my family members? Do they sell cup measurers or tampons there? Will I pick up Chinese quickly? Will China ever feel like home? How long will I be there before I have a major meltdown and ask, “What the heck were we thinking moving to a foreign country!?”
I don’t know what the answers are to most of those questions, but if you keep reading along on this little space of mine, I’ll share with you what I find out…along with (hopefully) lots of yummy authentic and plant-based Chinese food:) Many of you might not know this, but our move to China is one of the reasons I started this blog. I knew that I would need to learn how to make a lot of food from scratch if we wanted to still enjoy things like non-dairy milk, fig newtons, natural almond butter, hummus, clif bars, and healthier sweets such as peanut butter cups and almond joys. I figured starting a blog would be a fun way of documenting my progress. And as you can see from some of my older posts, I’ve come a long way, not only in my blogging and photography, but also in my cooking skills, which is encouraging!
One super helpful website that I heard about is Taobao, which is basically the Amazon of China. I can practically find anything I need on there. Praises! So far Brett and I don’t plan on bringing much with us except for essentials such as clothes, certain kitchenware items that we know are hard to find in China, and a few sentimental things like pictures of our family and trinkets from our dating/married life so far.
If any of you have moved or lived overseas I would love to hear any words of advice you have! Brett and I have some friends and contacts who live in China that we bombarding with specific, practical questions, and it’s been so helpful to hear what worked or didn’t work for them. I’m all ears y’all.
I don’t exactly know how to segue to these Easy Homemade Oatmeal Date Granola Bars, but I can say that I’ll be making these in China for sure. I’ll have access to all of the ingredients in my new home (except for the almond butter which I’ll make from scratch) and I know Brett and I will be doing a lot of walking around, during which we’ll need easy grab-and-go snacks. These recipe makes 16 large or 32 small-sized granola bars so you can easily halve the recipe if you don’t need as many. However, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and they last for a long time in the fridge. They’re sweet and chewy and full of whole-food fiber and protein. I’ve shared them with a lot of my friends already and everyone gives them two thumbs up.
I hope you enjoy these lil’ bites of goodness! Happy Monday!
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder* (optional)
- ½ cup almond butter
- 2½ cups packed, pitted Medjool dates (about 30)**
- 1-2 tablespoons water (or more if necessary)
- In a food processor, pulse the oats, coconut and cacao powder a few times until combined.
- Add in the almond butter and pitted dates and process until everything is incorporated and is the same consistency. Add in water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary to make everything sticky (I needed 2 tablespoons). The dough should stick together when pressed together between your fingers.
- Press the mixture firmly into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish until flat. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Cut into rectangles or squares.
**I have only tried these bars with sticky Medjool dates!
I love to wrap my bars in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for easy grab-and-go snacks. They'll last for quite some time in the fridge!
Losi
Just wondering how long does it last in the room temperature as i’ll be travelling and love to make nutritious snacks for the trip.
Faith
Hey Losi!! I may push the limits, but since there’s no egg or dairy, these usually last me two weeks while traveling!
Losi
wow that’s amazing. Thanks again for the great recipes! Therefore, i just brought the ingredients yesterday, I’ll definitely try it out this week.. yay!! xxx
ps. love the pictures, nice simple and clear.
Faith
Great Lori!! Let me know how they work out for you! Enjoy your travels:D
Leigha @ The Yooper Girl
I seriously can’t wait to hear about your life in China!! But hopefully not before I come to NYC:) I think I’ve almost got Mom convinced to go!!
These look so so so yummy and I feel so awesome that I finally made granola bars with dates 🙂 AND a healthy crust with dates, walnuts, and almonds! It’s amazing how good you feel after eating things like that!
Leigha @ The Yooper Girl recently posted…Dome Meet
Faith
And I can’t wait to share about it! It still seems surreal:)
Let me know what she says! Our summer in NYC just got shorter too because we realized we have to move overseas a couple weeks earlier than we thought. Whoops! Just keep me posted. We may be moving mid-July now…wow. So soon!
And I love crusts made with dates and nuts! I just made some mini vegan chocolate cheesecakes with that same crust that I’ll be posting soon. Ah-maze-ing.
Suzanne
Congratulations Faith – that is so exciting! You will have a remarkable time there and grow and change in ways you cannot imagine now. It is where you are meant to be next and this is a phenomenal time in your life to take an opportunity like this.
I lived in India with my family for 6 mths….we had a wonderful experience, though it was also the most challenging thing we have ever done. My boyz were 10 and the most rewarding thing was to hear them tell their friends (after returning home) that is was the hardest thing they have ever done but that they grew from it and were glad they lived there. My guys are in high school now and would NOT be happy if we took them away from home now….hubby and I plan to go back again once we are on our own again.
It is surprising how much they do have – America has spread itself across the globe in many ways (skippy PB anyone?!)..specialty items may not be there so if there is anything you are attached to having, keep that in mind…but most necessities/or something similar can be found- esp if you are in a town with a walmart!
So enjoy the planning, the prep and know that you will learn to cope with whatever they do /don’t have.
Faith
Thanks so much Suzanne!! I know I’ve grown so much on just the short term overseas trips I’ve been on, so I have know doubt living overseas for long-term will be life changing…and sanctifying haha!
That is such an encouragement to me that your boys had great experiences living in India! We’re not quite ready to have kids, but we would love to raise our children overseas…but we’d want them to enjoy it too! That’s awesome you and your husband want to move back after your boys are grown. My parents did the same thing, but they moved to Ireland! It’s hard for them to be away from grandkids, but they love it.
I really am amazed how far American items/culture has spread! Unfortunately it’s mostly American junk food like snickers and white bread that ended up in our city, but overall I’m feeling like we’ll have plenty of options. Considering I eat mostly plants, I should be okay…they have markets on every street practically!
Thanks for the words of encouragement! I’m excited to share the journey with you all:)
Natalie
So cool that you are moving to China!! That is going to be the best experience!!
These bars look yummy! Pinning it! 🙂
Natalie recently posted…Almond Hot Toddy
Faith
Thanks Natalie! We’re excited! I hope you like these bars:)
Salima
What a great opportunity! I am excited to read about your experience and to see what interesting creations you come up with!
Faith
Thanks Salima!! I’m excited to share the journey (and food!) with you all! Thanks for saying hi…it was great hearing from you!
Oreltl
I can buy some soft ones. Next time I will try with soft ones or dried (rehydrated in water) and I will tell you the result..thx:)
Faith
Okay great! I hope they work out!
Oreltl
In thinking, I have my answer..;)I used dried dates so maybe, next time I will use soft date or soak them in water few hours and add more water in my mixture if it is too crumbly..
Faith
That’s awesome you tried them so quickly! I’m sorry yours turned out crumbly. I used squishy, soft medjool dates and just a little water like the recipe calls for and they were fine. Do you have access to soft dates or just dry? I hope you try them again with soft dates cause their delicious! Thanks for the feedback! I’ll make sure to clarify in the recipe which dates work best:)
Oreltl
HI!
I was reactive and i did the recipe yesterday, because I was looking for this kind of recipe. They taste so good. But they are crumbly. I added 2 T of coconut oil to compact them, but still crumbly. Maybe, I did them too thin? I see some other recipe where they add more cocout oil, but this ingredient that make them “solid” is replace by almond butter in your recipe, right? I will retry..:)thx
Sydni Jackson
I know you’ve been off cereal for awhile now, but my number one recommendation for you, as a fellow cereal lover myself, is to bring a box or two of your absolute favorite (childhood) cereal. When you just want something to feel familiar, you can eat a bowl and remember being at home with your mom and dad 🙂 Oh and bring a favorite candle or soap with a familiar smell!
Sydni Jackson recently posted…Love the Earth: Climate
Faith
Great Advice Sydni!! And we’ve been told to bring candles by lots of other people too. I wouldn’t have thought of those, but when I think about it, it’s such good advice! Thankfully I’ve also been told about a website where I can order things like cereal etc, but who knows how long it would take to get to us…and when you have a craving…you have a craving!
Leah M @ love me, feed me
Whoa!!! That is so so so soooo exciting! I look forward to following along with your move and settling in there.
And these look amazing! I’m always looking for easy delicious snacks and these are perfect!
Leah M @ love me, feed me recently posted…Almond Cacao Nib Cookie Crisp
Faith
Thanks Leah!! We’re really excited about it…and I’m excited to be honest about the journey on the blog! I’m thinking my posts are going to get a lot more interesting…and vulnerable haha!
Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl
Congratulations and bonne chance with the move! I went to college in England, so I don’t know much about the Chinese visa process, but I will say even for the (one would think fairly routine) UK, the visa took a long time to get. And they were VERY specific, i.e.: my Oxford acceptance letter said it was conditioned on my graduating high school, so when I brought it to the visa office they wouldn’t take my transcript as proof of graduating, they wanted my diploma in its holder! I ended up going back a second time.
Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…Liebster Award Q&A
Faith
Thanks Alyssa! And can I just say that you’re introducing me to a lot of new vocabulary! I’m always googling words you use and I LOVE it!! Yeah, visas can definitely be super tricky. My husband is the details guys and he’s been working on getting our visas this week, etc. I just had to order my college transcript and pull out my dusty diploma haha. That’s good to know about the holder!! And also it’s super cool that you studied in England:)
Meg Bollenback
So first off, congrats on your new move!! I am honestly jealous of you! I think I mentioned that I studied abroad in China for a summer during college and loved it. I would happily move back there for a few years just to experience it more – it’s so different in many ways, but at the same time, I think you’ll find that some of the comforts you’re used to in the US can be found there as well. Almond butter, maybe not so much, but other foods and just life staples I’m sure you’ll find. Which city are you moving to?
Secondly – this recipe is what I needed as I have dates in my fridge to use up and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Thank you for the inspiration!
Meg Bollenback recently posted…Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cheese Toast
Faith
Thanks Meg! You did mention that and that’s encouraging to hear you loved living there. We loved the month+ that we got to spend in China last summer and the culture suits us, so I’m praying it will be a good fit. We were shocked at all the American items we could find. There’s even a Walmart in our city…and it’s not that large! We’ll be in a small city in Southwest China.
I hope this recipe helps you with your date situation:)
Dietitan Jess
Wow China!! That’s amazing and super interesting- checking out your international cuisine tab now 🙂
Faith
Thanks Jess! Sometimes it’s still surreal and not many people can relate…but we’re excited!
Melissa
Wow – congrats on the move and good luck!!! You are certainly off to an adventure and for that I’m somewhat jealous.
I just spent some vacation in Asia (Hong Kong, Macau) but didn’t get to mainland China. Wishing you the best! (Oh and of course those bars look so good)
Melissa recently posted…Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Bean Chili
Faith
Thanks Melissa! That’s awesome you’ve been to Hong Kong and Macau! We hope to travel quite a bit from China so maybe I’ll get to go to those places too one day. Thanks for saying hi:)
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner
Wow those look great! So simple too. Moving to China sounds like quite the adventure. I can’t help you with the toilets but making your own hummus is super easy right?! LOl Thanks for linking up with us again today. Your pics always look so good that’s my struggle
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Fa-Waffles! Meatless Monday
Faith
Haha yes, at least I can make hummus:) Thanks for hosting! My pics haven’t always been like this (and I still see lots of room for improvement!), but it’s fun when they turn out well. Thanks Deborah!
tina muir
CHINA!!! Amazing! WOW! Faith thats amazing! My sister lived there for a few months, and she LOVED it. I am sure you will too! That is so exciting! I hope we still keep in touch though, that blog better not go ANYWHERE 😉 Thsese bars sound delicious. I am actually looking for a recipe just like this, one that actually stays together as mine always crumble and fall apart. I am pinning for when I am home, these will be on my list!
tina muir recently posted…Meatless Monday- Enchilada Quinoa Bake
Faith
Thanks Tina! That’s so cool that your sister lived there! I loved every minute (well mostly) of our visit, so I’m looking forward to settling down officially. I plan on keeping up the blog so no worries there! I hope you make these bars…there super easy and delicious!