No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

I feel like this sort of recipe warrants the stamp of "mom approved." But saying that makes me feel really matronly so I will forego such usage. (If you use "mom approved" I'm sure you do it in only the most acceptable ways).

But the thing is - it is mom approved. As in - I am a mom and I feel very comfortable eating these delicious little bars under the category of 'snack' and not 'treat.' This means that I can also feed them to my little guy during snack time and not feel guilty about it. They have oats and rice krispies (an iron fortified cereal!) and therefore are basically little morsels of whole grain goodness with only the most moderate addition of brown sugar and honey. And anyway, I feel that anything homemade is good for you. Imagine a chewy granola bar from the store, injected with preservatives and other mystery ingredients. Now imagine making your own granola bars in a matter of minutes and you will feel oh so wholesome. See what I mean?

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 cups quick cooking oats (make sure they are actually quick cooking and not just rolled oats!)

1 cup rice krispies cereal

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate chips or dried fruit for topping

1. Grease a 9x11 inch pan with cooking spray. I don't have a 9x11 so used a 9x13 and just packed the granola into a smaller portion of the pan, which worked great.

2. Combine butter, honey and brown sugar in medium a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is slightly simmering, about 2 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent the butter from burning. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

3. Add the oats and rice krispies and stir until combined. 

4. Press the mixture into the pan and press down very firmly to ensure that the bars don't crumble. Sprinkle the chocolate chips or fruit on top. 

5. Let the bars cool for 2 hours at room temperature or about 30 minutes in the fridge. Cut into rectangles.

Yum!

Recipe source: melskitchencafe.com via Rachel Ray

Breakfast Cookies

Sweet breakfasts go down in history as one of my favorite things. Nutella French Toast, Strawberry Crepes - I don't know when somebody snagged these items from the dessert menu and placed them on the breakfast menu, but I salute that somebody.

Here is a breakfast that is not only a cookie, but a hearty and healthy one! It is loaded with oats, fruits and nuts, to create a homemade granola quality that is fresh and filling.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 TBSP vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried mango

Cream butter and sugar. And eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in oats, pecans, coconut, cranberries and mango. Drop into heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 16 cookies.

Now when I said "healthy" I used the term rather loosely. They are healthy in the sense that they have a good deal of nutrients, but they also have a good deal of butter. To create an even healthier version, I replaced half of the butter with applesauce and it wasn't half bad! Obviously not as buttery and crispy (it makes them a little more cake-like) but still tasty. And I did in fact eat one for breakfast with a glass of milk and felt quite good about it.

Recipe adapted from Red Barn Bakery