Granola Bars

Happy St. Patty's day! William and I are decked out in as much green as we can be without being "too much." And, yes, you know what "too much" looks like. It's garish and frightening. And although it has nothing to do with St. Patrick, I'm posting on these amazing granola bars--they're made with rolled oats and that's cousin to steel cut oats which you can get in a snazzy can with the label "Irish Steel Cut Oats"--so, maybe it could be related to St. Patty's Day. My friend up in Duluth sent me the recipe and I tried them out last weekend. Delicious! You'll never want to buy another box of store brand again. I wrapped them up in wax paper and put them in a ziplock bag for lunches. And snacks. And dessert after dinner.

Dry
3 C old fashioned oats
1 C crushed nuts
3/4 C seeds
1 C dried fruit

Wet
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C honey
1/2 t cinnamon
dash salt
4 T butter

Toast oats, nuts, and seeds in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. You'll need to stir a time or two! Move dry ingredients to a bowl and mix in dried fruit. Add wet ingredients to a small pot. Heat over medium heat until the mixture boils for 2 minutes. You'll have to keep stirring it to avoid burning. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp vanilla. Mix in sauce w/ dry ingredients. Coat a 9 x 13 pan w/ oil (I used a 8x8 pan and it worked just as well). Spread granola with spatula. Cover and let sit for one hour. Cut into bars and wrap in plastic wrap to keep soft.

PS. I really, really appreciated your thoughts on my blog Identity Crisis the other day. I can't tell you how affirming and encouraging it was. I have a few ideas up my sleeve--they just need a little more time! Thank you again!

XOXO,
Jewels