March 2026 Slice of Life No. 14
Two dates.
Take one slice of rustic bread. Cut it in half so it fits into the toaster.
While the bread is toasting, split open two dried dates. Remove the pits. With your fingers, work the dates until they are spread flat and thin like fruit leather. Wash off the stickiness.
Remove both halves from the toaster just before their edges begin to smoke.
Slather with butter (no artificial stuff) while still hot. Don’t worry about the butter that drips through the holes in the rustic bread.
Place the thinned dates on the toast.
Serve with your favorite morning beverage. Make mine bold coffee with cream (heavy whipping cream) and a scoop of collagen (Yonder).
As you ponder dates, consider the following information. “Think more about nutritional values than calories or carbs” — that was my take-away from a recent pod-cast with a microbiome doctor. Apply that to the dates versus a “healthy” low calorie berry jam. What is the nutritional value of each? The jam has fewer calories and less sugar but its nutritional value is zero, while the dates offer fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Enjoy two dates.
Two Medjool dates (46 g) (package label):
One tablespoon Smucker’s Simply Fruit blackberry jam (jar label):
-
- calories: 40
- total fat: 0 grams (g)
- total carbohydrates: 10 g
- dietary fiber: 0 g
- sugar: 9 g
- protein: 0 g
- vitamin B-6: 0 milligrams (mg)
- iron: 0 mg
- magnesium: 0 mg
- potassium: 0 mg
Writing about My Writing
Did you notice that all of the sentences are imperatives? It is deliberate, by writer’s choice. It is intentional crafting of the structure of each sentence.
Thank you Two Writing Teachers
for hosting Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge
where Alice Nine teaches language lessons that
Empower Students to Read and Write
LIke/Follow Alice Nine Academy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.nine.academy
I’m so glad you visited today,
and I do enjoy hearing from you!
Please share below.
Your comment will appear as soon as Alice Nine reads it.
Yum! The imperative really works here – which would make this a great mentor text – especially because so many sentences are loaded with imagery. No persuasion necessary: this makes me long for warm rustic bread, melted butter and dates.
I can see the writing teacher in you activates as you read. There’s reading as a reader and as a writer, and then for a few of us, it’s reading through the eyes of a writing teacher.
You had me at ‘slather hot toast with butter!’ And dates spread on top…now my mouth is watering. Guess what’s on my grocery list for tomorrow? Thank you!
People shy away from certain foods because of the carbs and miss the nutrients their body craves. I read that we should look at those artificially reduced carb foods as toxic and as having zero nutrients. To be honest, I’ve NEVER been suckered into the “low carb” buying.
I like dates, but never ate them this way. OK, I’ll admit I like them in Michigan rocks.
Well, the non-alcoholic option, with a blend pitted dates with soy milk, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom sounds like a warm winter beverage. I hear there are cookies that are call Michigan rocks… not an attractive cookie name but people say they are very good.
I was referring to soft Michigan Rock cookies which we really enjoy with a cup of coffee.
As a date user and lover in my paleo recipes, I was shocked by the calories and sugar content. But then again that Is why we use it as a sweetner in baked goods. At least we get some vitamins from it. I’ll take the dates over Smucker’s any day. I look forward to using it as a spread this morning. Thank you for the tip.
You are welcome… and enjoy!
I love how you gave us a breakfast slice this morning. Those dates look fabulous! I’m back on Optavia trying to drop some pounds so I am lighter in my shoes, so let’s be real: those dates look fabulousER to me. Why does all the good stuff have to be so calorie-rich?? And rustic bread…..oh, now don’t even get me started. I’m going for my morning fueling in a few minutes, and it’ll be a lemon tart bar that is as big as a slice of hotel soap in a tiny wrapper……I’d rather have rustic bread and dates.
I’m changing my thinking about calorie counting after listening to that pod-cast: focus on the nutrients first and foremost.
I just came from another post that was related to food content. (Note to self: food and our eating habits and memories make for great slices!) I make my own jam yearly, but there is still A LOT of sugar in it (even using a lower sugar recipe). I love dates and am intrigued by this idea, and am wondering if there are other fruits that I could use the same way. Unfortunately, dates make my tongue go numb now. It goes away, but it still weirds me out, so I’m no longer eating them. Figs, maybe?
Oh! Nothing better than homemade jam. Hard to pass it up even if it has too much sugar.
I had been eating dates regularly but stopped. I may have to add them back in!
Yes! I like to chop them (a sticky job) and add to a salad.
I never liked dates until I visited Morocco. Now I know I only like good dates!
There is nothing better than the freshest of the fresh! I never knew how heavenly mangoes are until I ate freshly picked ones in Thailand.
Alice,
Admittedly, I expected two different kinds of dates when I approached this slice. And I do have two problems I’m confronted w/ after reading: I don’t like putting that much work into preparing breakfast, and I don’t like dates, the fruit kind, that is. Yes, I did notice the imperative sentences, which were signaled by the fact you’re sharing a recipe, the directions of which rely on imperatives.
I love when the meaning in a slice is disguised with multiple meaning words … 🙂
2 dates are 140 calories! I often have 4 dates as a late night snack! I’m going to have to cut my portion in half. My mouth watered as I read your instructions. I have Celiac so no rustic wheat bread for me! The gluten free bread is not worth it! I have not yet found a GF bread that is as yummy as rustic wheat bread.
I love dates! They are so underrated but when you get a good one, they’re hard to beat! I’ve never tried them on toast before but I definitely will now!
Let me know how you like it.
I like Canyon Bakehouse Ancient Grain, 7-Grain, or Whole grains. also, they have bagels. But I keep them in the freezer, then microwave for 20-30 seconds before toasting. Then they taste pretty much like rustic wheats.
Oh! Keep enjoying your dates. Think nutrients more than calories. These are not zero value calories.