"Make Your Own Monday": Granola Bars

If you have met my oldest child, Samuel, you may be aware that he is one of the worst eaters on the face of earth. I'd buy the kid a fresh lobster if he would only try it. Just one BITE. But No.

"Granola bars" are an entire food group for him. Or maybe the food group is actually the cereal group, but anyway....he eats a lot of granola bars.

I've been making my own fresh granola for quite some time now, so I don't know why it took so long for me to realize that I could, in fact, make granola bars as well.

Especially considering that the type he favors, the chewy kind with chocolate chips and what have you, are LOADED with sugar and artificial ingredients. Once I realized how easy it was to make them, I felt guilty for letting him eat so many garbage ones.

I googled "chewy granola bar recipes" and looked at several recipes to determine the best way to go about making some of my own.

First I melt just a little butter in a large bowl. I then added peanut butter and honey. Add a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, whatever you like. For the kids' bars, I use oatmeal, rice crispies cereal, and wheat germ. Stir. Spread. Bake. Cool. Cut. Eat. You might want to try some different combos to get your preferred texture and thickness. My husband and I like the crunchy granola bars...so...I spread them thinner and bake them a bit longer when I make them for us. The trick to this is to find what works for you. If you like the chewy granola bars, you will want your mixture to be moist going into the oven, put in a smaller pan, and perhaps baked for a bit less. (Hint: add more goop for moisture and sweetness.) I feel like each time I make these they are different but still good.

YOU control the mix-ins. The boys love chocolate on theirs, so after baking, I sprinkle some semi sweet chips over the top of the hot granola and then spread thinly over the top. I think that cuts down on the actual chocolate but makes them seem very fancy. Christian and I are currently on a coconut kick, so the last batch I made for us were a lot like the crunchy oats and honey variety available in stores, but with some coconut and craisins.

Oh look, here they are:

Left is the "kids" granola bars before chocolate chips (I LOVE them too) and the right is the grown up version. They are both on cookie sheets, but the peanut butter ones are thicker :-)

If they are crumbly, which sometimes happens to me, I bag them up and put the crumbs in Greek yogurt.

Yes, there is still sugar. You may or may not use chocolate or nuts. But it's totally in your control.

My entire family is just crazy for these. And considering the main ingredient is oatmeal, I feel like I'm probably saving money, because you can get 9 pounds of oatmeal for less than 5 dollars if you buy in bulk. More importantly, they are DEFINITELY healthier than the kind I used to buy.

If anyone is interested, I will measure out my next batch and publish a more specific recipe. Or you can be brave and try it! Anyone?