Whatcha' Cookin' Wednesday - "Super Bars"

We love a good energy bar.

They have all the necessary qualities that we look for in "quickie food" these days:

1 - Easy to eat (we're always looking for good "car food")
2 - Gives a quick boost
3 - Must be yummy tasting

The problem is that most of the store-bought ones are full of sugar and fat and hydrogenated something or another and calories and crap. Sometimes even caffeine. Blech.

So, we make our own. We affectionately call them "Super Bars."



They take less then 10 minutes to throw together and just an hour to bake. Customize the ingredients depending on your mood or the contents of your pantry. A big bonus is that this is a recipe that kids can help make. Let them measure the dry ingredients and stir them all the together with a big, wooden spoon.

Funny how they *always* want to scarf down the stuff they help create... :)

Super Bars keep for at least two weeks in a sealed container. (We keep 'em on the kitchen counter for quick snacks.)

SUPER BARS

Ingredients:


1 cup nuts, chopped (you can use almonds, walnuts or a mix)
1 ½ cup oats, quick-cooking kind
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 ½ cup dried berries (I use a mixture of raisins, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, etc. – whatever I have on hand…)
1 t. cinnamon
1 cup honey
1t. vanilla (optional)

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13" baking pan. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl and mix. Add honey and mix in thoroughly. (I use my hands.) Using wet spatula or fingers, press mixture firmly into pan, making sure it’s pressed into all corners and very evenly distributed. Bake for one hour. Allow bars to fully cool before cutting.