Yummy, Healthy, Frugal Snack Idea

My super-wonderful IRLF, Shawna recently made some of the BEST healthy granola bars and my kiddos LOVED them!  She passed along the recipe (thanks, Shawna) which I thought your children (and you) might love too!  Double the recipe if you have a big family - these will be eaten up very quickly.

Super Great Granola Squares

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned or instant)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup slivered almonds

4 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup raisins

2 tsp. vanilla extract

While your oven preheats to 300*F, spread the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ and almonds evenly on a 9"x 12" baking sheet.  Bake dry ingredients for 20 minutes, stirring them occasionally.

Heat the butter, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan, allow to simmer until the dry mixture is ready to come out of the oven.  Add the raisins and stir into dry ingredients.  

Remove honey mixture from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir until coated well.

Press the mixture firmly into a 8"x8" pan or pyrex dish and place it back in the 300*F oven for 20 minutes.  If you want thinner bars, use a larger pan (my kids like the inch thick granola "squares" created by the use of the smaller pan).

Allow it to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Allow to cool COMPLETELY before removing it from pan.

Now, of course, I can't follow any recipe exactly, so you CAN (like I do) use a little less sugar or  a little more vanilla - but don't fudge too much b/c they won't hold together as well.  You can also try some other 

variations

add diced, dried fruits such as figs, dates, apples, mangoes with or in place of raisins

add 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter to the honey mixture

add 1/2 cup poppy seeds, seven grain cereal, or bran to the dry mixture

substitute a cup of rolled wheat or rye for one of the cups of oats

use carob chips or nuts in the dry ingredients and/or leave out the almonds

substitute molasses in place of part of the honey

add cinnamon with diced dried apples 

add shredded orange peel and a little orange juice

the possibilities are numerous. . . 

These taste great and cost a whole lot less than the sugar and preservative laden bars you buy in the store!  Please leave a comment if you try these and agree!