Fruity Chewy Granola Bars

One of my favorite things to make is homemade granola. My 7 year old loves eating it mixed in yogurt after school. I like making it myself because I can control the ingredients. I find that most pre-made varieties, or even recipes for that matter, call for far too much sugar & fat. The same can be said for granola bars. I came across this recipe on another site I like to look at. I decided to make them, but I definitely added my own variations.....they sounded more like cookies, if not worse, and I wanted them to be somewhat healthy. My kids are super excited about them and it was fun to make them. Enjoy!

3-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (I used 1 1/2 c. quick-cooking, 1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats, and 1/2 c. puffed millet)
1/2 cup whole almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup butter, melted (WHOA, way too much butter so I used 1/3 c. butter, 3 TBS. canola oil, and 2 TBS. unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sunflower kernels (didn't have any, so omitted)
1/2 cup shaved sweetened coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)
1/2 cup chopped dried apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries (didn't have any and don't really like, so I just used dried apricots, peaches and pears)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (totally omitted)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
(I also added about 2 TBS. ground flax seed for some more added nutrition - beautiful thing with that stuff is you can't even taste it)

Spray a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan (I don't have a pan this size. I have plenty of 9X13 and jelly roll pans,which are about 12X17, so I just went with the jelly roll pan) with cooking non-stick cooking spray. Add oats and almonds to the pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, mix the egg, butter, honey and vanilla together. Then add the sunflower kernels, coconut, apples, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to coat.

Then stir in oat mixture and press into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray (I was worried since I lessened the amount of honey that it wasn't going to hold together, so I did add about 2 TBS. maple syrup). Bake at 350° for 13-18 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Nutty Granola

I just love homemade granola mixed in some yogurt, and so do my kids. I almost always have some on hand. When I became pregnant and all cooking ceased, we turned to the store for an alternative. Unfortunately the store-bought stuff contains wheat and gluten so Logan can't eat it; and quite frankly I don't think it is as good. Below are two recipes that I make. I really prefer the first as I'm not really into dried fruits, but both are good!

2 c. almonds, chopped
2 c. pecans, chopped
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. sesame seeds (I usually omit these)
1 c. wheat germ (I omit this when making some for Logan)
5 c. old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 TBS. cinnamon
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. maple syrup (the REAL stuff)
3/4 c. molasses (I'm not a huge molasses fan, so I usually add about 1/2 cup instead)
3/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 large baking sheets. Stir together nuts, seeds, wheat germ, oats, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a saucepan, heat together honey, syrup, molasses, and oil just until warm. Pour honey mixture over nut mixture and mix well. Divide evenly between the two sheet pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown. Stir occasionally while cooling to break up clumps. Store in airtight container for up to 8 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.

OPTION #2:

3 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. toasted wheat germ (I omit when trying to be gluten free)
3/4 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. dried cherries, raisins, or other dried fruit, halved or chopped if large (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. Lightly coat a 9 X 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Add oats, wheat germ, and walnuts, stirring to combine. Bake until oats are lightly toasted, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Raise oven temperature to 350. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together apple juice, sugar, and oil. Pour over oat mixture; stir to combine. Return to oven, and bake until oats are crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool in pan, about 25 minutes (toss with cherries, if desired). Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Pretzels

1 1/2 T. yeast
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 1/4 c. warm water
4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400. Mix first 3 ingredients together well, add flour. Knead 15 times or so. Make balls and roll out like a snake. Form into pretzel. Boil water with 2 tablespoons baking soda. Drop pretzels on cookie sheet. Beat 2 eggs brush pretzel tops with egg and salt. Bake 12 minutes or until golden.

Granola Bars

7 c. any combination of chopped nuts, flaked coconut, rolled oats, chocolate chips, Rice Krispies and raisins
1 c. dark Karo syrup
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
3/4 c. crunchy peanut butter

Melt over low heat and stir together Karo syrup, sugar and honey until dissolved. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Pour over 7 cups of mixture in a large bowl. Stir quickly before it cools. Flatten out quickly in a jelly-roll pan. Cut "Before" the mixture completely cools.

Beef Jerky

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs. sirloin, cut into 1/8 inch slices

Combine the salt, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce. Worcestershire sauce and ground pepper. Place mixture and meat into a sealable container and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Preheat oven to 200. Place meat slices onto 2 (11 X 17-inch) baking pans in a single layer. Bake 6-8 hours. Jerky should bend, not snap. Have the meat counter slice the meat for you.

Beef Jerky

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs. sirloin, cut into 1/8 inch slices

Combine the salt, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce. Worcestershire sauce and ground pepper. Place mixture and meat into a sealable container and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Preheat oven to 200. Place meat slices onto 2 (11 X 17-inch) baking pans in a single layer. Bake 6-8 hours. Jerky should bend, not snap. Have the meat counter slice the meat for you.