Energy/Granola Bars

Hi!! So today I want to share some energy/granola bar info with ya. I eat lots of em... they're just easy! Easy snack... easy fuel... easy. But I do wonder how many of them are "good for you"... and how many are just pure sugar. I have found a brand that is sooo totally cool... they're made of like 5 ingredients... nothing else! Now, you might freak out... the #1 ingredient is usually always "dates". I believe that's what they use to make the bar "stick" together! The 1st bite is always a little scary for me... but by the end I love 'em!! Lots of flavors (Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cashew Cookie). They are called LARABAR... check em out...

And now onto my own creation......
Yes, I attempted to make a homemade granola bar... and we love them! They are fantastic!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat and barley nugget cereal (e.g. Grape-Nuts™)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (7 ounce) bag chopped dried mixed fruit

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cereal, and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and oil. Mix well. Stir in the sunflower seeds, walnuts, and dried fruit. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
3. Bake 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool. Use the foil to lift from the pan. Cut into bars or squares, and store in the refrigerator.

You can really be creative with these. I forgot to buy sunflower seeds, so I just used some pecans instead. You can pick what kind of fruit you like... or add chocolate chips. Mmm... they're good. I made a double recipe and stored them in snack size Ziplocs... easy to grab on the go! :)