Howdy there Darlin's,

I kin see the weather's a'changin' some, but we's still feelin them mighty hot an' sticky summer days a-comin' one after 'nother an makin' me think 'bout past times-- I mean a fur way back in history when folks was travelin' across them hot desert sands in Egypt by camel caravans. Whew! them were mighty hot days, too, an' they didn't have no air conditionin' or eeee-lectric fans like we do today. We's luckier today in many ways.

I got ta thinkin' 'bout what those folks mighta been eatin' along the way. They would have ta carry foods that wouldn't spoil in that awful heat and foods that could give 'em 'nuff energy ta keep 'em goin' till they settled down ta camp fer the night at somethin' they called oasis.

Why, there weren't no kitchens fer choppin' an' slicin' up a nice cool summer salad. There was just desert sand, an' a mighty hot desert it surely was. Well, just thinkin' 'bout the foods that grow natural in them desert countries I guessed they had a purty good supply o' date trees and walnut trees. So that makes a mighty fine combination already.

Then thinkin' a-way back in history, I remembered readin' they also had some mighty nice spices from other camel caravans that would travel all the way ta China and bring back such spices like folks had never seen before.

So I collected all them good fixin's in my kitchen an' used my very modern stove ta mix up some deeeelicious sweet date treats I'm callin' Caravan Confections.

Now in them way back old days, they woulda soaked them dates in water an' woulda pounded them spices in a mortar an' pestle before mixin' 'em together. They might-a used bread 'cause there weren't no rolled oats in them parts, an' I knows they didn't have chocolate in Egypt in them days neither. 'Stead o' puttin' 'em in the oven ta bake, they probly woulda baked 'em in the sun fer a day or two. But, these days we kin git ever'thing from ever'where. Guess you could say this sweet treat has ancient roots and modern leaves.

I surely hopes you enjoy these darlin' l'il ole sweets.

Yer ever lovin' Aunt Nettie

You'll need an inexpensive, hand-crank nut mill to coarsely grind the walnuts and a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet in which to combine the ingredients. Prepare these delicious treats two or three days in advance and allow the confections to "cure."

Yield: about 30 to 35 confections

2 cups (240 ml) pitted dates, snipped in half
6 tablespoons water

1/2 cup (120 ml) plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/3 cup (80 ml) coarsely ground walnuts
1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Gas Mark 4) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Lightly oil the parchment and set it aside.
2. Put the dates and water in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-low heat. Use a potato masher to mash the dates into a thick puree. If the dates are very dry, add 1 or more tablespoons of water if needed.
3. Turn off the heat and transfer the dates to a large bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
4. Add the rolled oats, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom and knead the mixture with your hands until all the ingredients are incorporated.
5. Spoon the date dough onto the oiled parchment and use your fingers to spread the mixture into an 8-inch (20 m) square.
6. Sprinkle half with the walnuts and the other half with sesame seeds. Press them into the surface and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. When cool cut into 1 1/2-inch (3.8 cm) squares and serve. Covered, the leftovers will keep for about a week at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate.

Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.