Hey all!

How's your week been? I'm happy to say that, for me, things have been running a little smoother this week. Not to say that I haven't had my share of challenges thrown my way, but I think that I've just been better at accepting and working with things... This way I'm only dealing with the external struggles, rather than compounding them with internal ones. There's no point in being doubly frustrated, am I right? Easier said than done, usually, but I'm slowly learning to take a step back and stop internalizing things I cannot control.

That said, this week, I'm happy to say, I've found the time to do some tinkering with some creative ideas I've been mulling over. I haven't got much to show for it, but it's been a learning experience, which, at the end of the day, is definitely worth something.

PLUS I've managed to pull together this little food blog post for you guys!

That makes me pretty happy too.

If any of you are new to my blog (or don't remember since it's been forever), my food blog posts tend to be quite image heavy, so please be patient while the photos load.

With that said, I hope you enjoy today's offering!

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When you’re a parent there are certain inevitabilities in life… If you don’t remind them to go potty before leaving the house, they’re going to start whining that they need to go at the most inconvenient time (like when you’re stuck in traffic), or if you are out for more than a half hour, or up to your elbows in some project, they’re going to start whining that they’re hungry. And believe me, no one wants to deal with a hangry child. That’s when you’re thankful to have something easy and quick to grab for a snack. But, I’m sure a lot of you have noticed, most “convenience” snacks you buy at the store are:
A. Filled with excessive amounts of sugar and/or salt.
B. Processed beyond recognition of any actual nutrition.
C. Wrapped in excessive amounts of packaging.

Yes, fresh fruit is easy and convenient, and doesn’t have any of these drawbacks. Yes, I always have a bowl full ready and waiting. Yes, they often are happy with said nutritious snack, but not always. That’s when I’m thankful to have something like these on hand!

They’re super chewy, loaded with whole foods, and while they do contain some sugar, it’s not a ton. Plus, I can pronounce all the ingredients. 😉 Oh, and the other great thing about these is that they’re really customizable! Don’t like pecans? Throw in some almonds! Allergic to nuts? Add some seeds instead. Don’t like either of those things? Don’t use them! Same with the dried fruit: use whichever varieties match your palate. I’ve made so many different varieties of these granola bars over the last couple years, and honestly, none of them have gone to waste. I just use whatever seeds/nuts/fruit I happen to have in the pantry at the time, and they’re always delicious.

No matter your choice, it always starts the same way - chop up your nuts/seeds.

^{(In this instance I used a combination of pecans and pistachios)}

Then put them on a baking sheet, along with shredded coconut and old fashioned oats.

You’re going to put that pan into the oven and let everything get nice and toasty, for around 6-8 min. Don’t forget about them and walk away, because, trust me, burnt nuts do not smell or taste good. Set a timer for 4 or 5 min, give them a little stir, since the outside edges toast faster, and then set it back in for a few minutes longer.

While your nuts and oats are toasting, you’re going to want to get your wet ingredients all melty. I do this by running them through the microwave, but you could of course use a pot on the stove. This is also somewhat customizable - I use coconut oil, because of its yum health factor, but if you’re allergic, don’t like it, or don’t have any on hand, you could always use butter, or margarine. Whatever fat you use, it must be solid when cold, or else the bars won’t set up.

^{(This is a combination of coconut oil, brown sugar, and honey. Once they’re melted, stir in a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla extract.)}

Next, give your dried fruit a rough chop. I sometimes skip this step, depending on the size of the morsels I have on hand.

^{(I used a combination of raisins and dried cranberries)}

By now your oats and nuts should be nicely toasted.

Pour the hot oats, the fruit, and some dark or semisweet chocolate chips into the bowl with the wet ingredients.

Then fold them together, until everything is coated, and the chocolate is melted. You can also customize the flavor of these by using a different type of chocolate chips and/or adding some cinnamon to the mix. Of course, the darker the chocolate, the less sugar there is.

Once everything is thoroughly mixed, pour the whole lot into a greased, foil-lined 8”x8” pan. Press it down firmly with your spatula, so that the bars stay together. If you don’t press it, they’ll just crumble when you try to lift them.

Pop the pan into the fridge for a couple hours, so the chocolate and oil/butter has time to solidify. Then, when they’re set, you can easily lift the whole thing out of the pan, using the overhang of the foil. (You could, of course, use parchment paper in place of the foil, if you prefer.) Once they’re lifted out, use a good sharp knife to cut them into bars. I suggest leaving them at room temp for around 15-30 min before cutting, as they can be quite tough to push a knife through when they’re fully solid.

Keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, and they should last for a good week or 2. Not that they ever seem to stay around that long around here.

Here's the recipe!

2 1/2 c Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 c Nuts/Seeds
1/4 c Shredded Coconut (optional)
1/2 c chopped Dried Fruit
1/4 c Coconut Oil
1/4 c packed Brown Sugar
1/3 c Honey
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8"x8" pan with foil, grease with non-stick cooking spray. Pour oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut onto rimmed cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 6-8 min, stirring after 4 min. Pour sugar, honey, and oil into large bowl, and melt together in microwave, approx 1 1/2 to 2 min. Stir in vanilla and salt. Chop dried fruit. Once oat mixture is toasted, pour it, the dried fruit, and the chocolate chips into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir thoroughly, until everything is coated, and chocolate is melted. Pour into prepared foil-lined pan, and press down. Set pan into fridge for approx 2 hours, to set. Pull pan out of the fridge and allow to sit at room temp for 15-30 min (depending on the warmth of your house) to soften slightly before cutting into squares. You may need to use some elbow grease, just the same, so make sure you use a large, sturdy knife that you can press down on. 😄Store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

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I hope you guys enjoy the post today, and give the recipe a shot! They really hit the spot when you're feeling a little snacky, and even help curb my sweet tooth when I'm having chocolate cravings... plus, with these, I don't have to deal with the guilt of indulging! lol

Hope you all have a great weekend! This evening I'm headed off to visit my bestie, who I haven't seen since the summer. To say we are excited is a slight understatement. haha She's a bit of a baker herself, so who knows, maybe we'll put something together that I can use in a future post!

See you next time!