Granola Bars

All I have to say is YUM! This is another recipe from one of my favorite blogs. From this blog I'm sure I've saved our family hundreds of dollars!
Often times I buy granola bars from the store, since with a good sale and some coupons I can get them for $1 or less for a box. I actually just stocked up, but decided to give this recipe a try and love it! I love the fact that this recipe is so versatile. I was able to use up cereal that I bought for under a dollar that is more adult cereal, and since I haven't been eating cereal very often for breakfast we haven't been going through it as fast.

Granola Bars

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. corn syrup
2/3 c. honey
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. peanut butter
1 Tbs. vanilla

3 c. rice krispies (I didn't have any so I used chex)
3 c. other cereal ( I used raisin bran and oatmeal raisin crisp)
3 c. quick cooking oats (I didn't have any so I used regular oatmeal)
4 Tbs. flax (I didn't have this but I had some wheat germ)
1 1/2 c. raisins, craisins, etc. (I didn't add this much since I had some raisins in my cereal)
3/4 c. chocolate chips (I used 1/4 c. each of chocolate chips, white chips, and butterscotch chips)

In a large bowl combine the bottom group of ingredients, rice krispies through raisins, leave the chocolate chips out. Line a cookie sheet with foil and then spray lightly with cooking spray.
Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, honey and salt in a saucepan. Heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until smooth.
Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal. Mix together until well combined. By the time you do this it should be cool enough to add chocolate chips so they won't melt.
Once mixed well pour onto cookie sheet. Spread evenly and press firmly. This is important so they won't crumble when you take them out. You can put a plastic baggie on your hand and spray it with cooking spray and then press it down. Cool completely. You can stick the tray in the freezer for an hour to two and then cut them. I put them in individual baggies, then put them in a large ziplock bag and have them in my freezer.
I hope you enjoy these as much we do!

Monkey Bars

Recently a local store had bananas on sale for $0.18 a pound, so I bought about 10 pounds (the max you could buy). Well I still had several on my counter starting to brown and decided to give this recipe a try from one of my favorite blogs to read. I also did like she said and froze them since I didn't need a cookie sheet full of treats around, and it also makes it very easy for packing lunch. I love the fact that this recipe using whole wheat flour! You can also make this with pumpkin instead of banana which I think would be super yummy too.

Monkey Bars

1 2/3 c. mashed bananas (about 5)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. chocolate chips (I actually did 1/2 c. chocolate chips and 1/2 c. mini butterscotch chips)

Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Wisk together all the ingredients except flour and chocolate chips. Gradually add flour until just blended. Mix in half of the chocolate chips. Spread batter into cookie sheet and the sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Granola Bars

So if you know me well, there are two things you probably know about me, if you don't I'll inform you...1) I love a good deal and telling people about them. So here is my bragging for today, boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal for $0.40 and jars of Skippy peanut butter for under a dollar. 2) I enjoy making things from scratch. I haven't bought bread from the store in who knows how long. I got into canning this past summer, and enjoy having the end product. I like making homemade treats for my kids, it often brings the neighbor kids running. Two of my favorites are fruit leather and granola bars. That being said, I'll share with you my granola bar recipe I got years ago as a youth, when someone made them for girls camp.



Granola Bars

8 c. oats
2 c. chopped nuts
2 c. chocolate chips
4 c. rice crispies
3 c. other (butterscotch chips, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, coconut, raisins, craisin, etc. you decide)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 1/3 c. corn syrup
1 c. & 4 Tbs. butter
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350
Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats through salt). Melt butter and peanut butter. Stir in the rest of the wet ingredients, make sure the butter and peanut butter isn't too warm so it doesn't scramble your eggs. Pour wet ingredients over everything in your big bowl and mix well. Press granola mix into 2 greased cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and cut. I wrap the granola bars in tin foil and store them in my freezer in a ziplock bag.
I hope you enjoy these as much as our family does.