Great Granola Bars

Because my son has nut allergies he can't eat most commercially prepared granola bars. And because most of those contain chemical preservatives, I'm not wild about him eating the ones that are nut-safe. So I found this recipe on-line and have tweaked it some. If you're going to be doing any hiking, these are great. They do 'shed' some of the stuff as you eat them (they're crumbly), so they're great OUTSIDE or where a dog lives. ;-)

GRANOLA BARS

4 cups oatmeal (dry)

2 cups flour

1 cup coconut, shredded

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup honey (or 1/2 cup honey and 1/4 cup molasses)

1/2 - 3/4 cup add ins (raisins, craisins, mini-choc chips, graham cracker pieces, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Mix dry ingredients together well
2. Add oil and honey
3. Mix really well (best done by sticking your clean hands in there and smooshing* around)
4. Mix in add-ins
5. Firmly press into jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides - I also use parchment paper)
6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.  They will look puffy and soft when you take them out.
7. DO NOT let them brown or they'll be teeth-breakers
8. Cut into squares while still warm

I wanted them to be "bars" so I cut them into 30 servings.  Here is why you need to go hiking if you're going to eat these:  With craisins as the add-in (what I did today) they're 170 calories each.

This is a very flexible recipe.  You can cut back on the honey and use applesauce instead, add cinnamon and see how that tastes.  For grown-ups who need to be more disciplined, you can substitute wheat germ for the coconut (although they won't taste as sweet).  Of course, different add-ins change the calorie count - but I doubt it'll be going down...

*smooshing is a technical cooking term.  It refers to what you do with your hands in a great big bowl of batter that gets out all frustrations you might be carrying around.  If the stuff you're mixing isn't under your fingernails by the time you finish, you're not finished. Smile.

I'd post a photo but my camera battery is recharging. Sigh.