Grandma’s Nanaimo Bars: A treat worth the indulgence

Emotional eating during the holidays is not ALL bad.

When I allow myself one (or two) indulgences at a time, I enjoy the experience of the food and better remember it later. Most of the time I try to mindfully eat only what my body needs for nourishment. I really do enjoy eating so it is important to relish the times I choose to indulge in an extra special treat. Last week our Weight Watchers leader gave us a great tip for holiday treats. Her advice was: Keep a mental list of all the foods you have an emotional connection with, and as you go through the holiday season enjoy the foods you love — once — then check them off your list. For instance, if Aunt Annie’s Pumpkin Pie is your absolute favorite and she always makes it for St. Nicholas Day. Look forward to having it then and say, “No, thank you very much” to offers of any other Pumpkin Pie that isn’t Aunt Annie’s. This technique may include saying “no, thank you very much” to foods not already on the list.

On Christmas Eve I will have an opportunity to eat several of the treats on my list and believe me, I will savor them. One of those treats are the Nanaimo Bars my Grandma is finishing up today. These are a staple on our family’s dessert table at Christmas. Throughout my childhood I thought Nanaimo Bars were my Grandma’s unique creation. I later learned that these decadent bars originated in the town of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in Canada. There is a fun little article on Wikipedia if you’d like to read the history of Nanaimo Bars.

These bars are chocolatey-creamy-ooey-gooey-sticky-yummy goodness. I absolutely have an emotional association with eating them. The great thing is I can have a warm, fuzzy feeling with just a few bites, then I am good for another year. It is completely normal and okay to have nostalgic happy feelings tied to food, especially foods that only come out at certain times during the year. I simply make these foods part of my plan and practice moderation.

If we shutter ourselves away from tempting foods we may miss out on wonderful opportunities to enjoy our family and friends. As you go through this week of celebrations, be present in each moment. Choose what you will enjoy and enjoy what you choose!

Nanaimo Bars

From Our Lady of Second Helpings’ Grandma’s Recipe Card

Servings: 25 dainty squares

Prep &cooking time: 30 minutes plus time to chill between base and middle layers.

Base layer:

½ C. butter, softened

¼ C. white sugar

5 tbsp. Cocoa

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 egg

2 C. graham cracker crumbs

1 C. coconut

½ chopped walnuts

1. Place softened butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and egg into a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.

2. Stir well until butter is melted and mixture looks like a custard.

3. In a large bowl, combine crumbs, nuts, and coconut.

4. Add cooked ingredients to crumb mixture folding together until blended.

5. Press combined ingredients into a 9-inch pan

6. Chill 15 minutes to overnight.

Middle layer

¼ C. butter

3 tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla instant pudding

2 C. powdered sugar

1. Mix together first three ingredients and fold in powdered sugar until completely blended.

2. Spread over chilled base and chill an additional 15 to 30 minutes.

Top layer:

1. When first two layers are chilled: Melt 4 squares of semi-sweet (or unsweetened) baking chocolate with 1 tbs butter.

2. Spread melted chocolate over the chilled layers.

3. Fully chill completed bars before cutting into squares.

Keep the bars cool until ready to serve.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.