granola bars

so i had my first experience with homemade granola bars at my mom's house. she found a recipe in a magazine, and modified it to be gluten free so my dad could enjoy them also. the recipe was on a page that had recipes for an "anti aging diet." one bite of these granola bars and i was begging for her to share the recipe. since matt and i do not need to worry about them being gluten free, i figured i would just follow the original recipe. i've made them so many times now, i can't remember if i ever did follow the recipe in it's published form, but the modifications i have made are a big hit with matt and others that have tried them.

my homemade granola bars:

• 2 cups of old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• heaping 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed
• scant 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup of toasted wheat germ (i use raw wheat germ and toast myself)
• 1/2 cup of craisins
• 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

they are really as simple as mixing all the dry ingredients in a big bowl, and then whisking the oil, honey, egg, and vanilla in a 2 cup measuring cup. pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture, and stir until well combined. sometimes i add a splash more of oil and honey if it seems too dry. then spread the mixture in a parchment paper lined 13x9 pan, bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. they should be nice and golden brown, set the pan on a wire rack and cool for an hour, then cut into 24 bars, and store in airtight containers and enjoy!