SUPER EASY - no bake Granola bars

A great sweet healthy treat, my kids LOVE these!  They are also perfect to add to your food storage ingredients.

2 1/2 c. Rice krispies
2 c. quick cooking oats
6 T. Flax meal, hemp seed or other ground seeds or wheat germ (for added protein)
1/2 c. dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raisins, whatever you like)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, whatever you like)
1/2 c. sweetener, liquid (brown rice syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses) I like brown rice syrup it gives it a caramel taste and texture.
4 T. sucanate or dark brown sugar
2/3 c. nut butter (almond, cashew, soynut, peanut or whatever you like) I like almond butter it has a deeper flavor and taste then peanut butter.
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon

mix the rice krispies, quick oats, flaxseed meal (or other), dried fruit and nuts in a large bowl.

Over med high heat bring liquid sweetener of choice and brown sugar or sucanat to a boil, stir constantly.  Remove from heat, and stir in nut butter and vanilla until blended.

Pour warm nut butter mixture over cereal mixture and stir until coated.  Press mixture firmly into a 9x13 pan that has been lightly oiled.  Let cool in pan.  cut into 24 bars, wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


There are other variations you can make up your own favorites:

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BAR: Add chocolate chips or carob chips, with coconut flakes

CHERRY CHOCOLATE BAR: Add Chocolate chips or carob chips with dried cherries.

PEANUT BUTTER BAR: Add roasted peanuts with peanut butter and use honey as sweetener.

CHERRY ALMOND: Add dried cherries, almond butter and chopped almonds and use almond extract in place of vanilla, if you like.

APPLE PIE: Add chopped dried apples and rice syrup or honey with walnuts or pecans and cinnamon.

PECAN PIE: Add pecans, almond butter, rice syrup, dates and cinnamon.

TROPICAL BAR: add pineapple and mangos, with brazil nuts or macadamia nuts and Almond butter or macadamia butter. use almond extract.

Coconut Oil instead of Shortening or butter!

COCONUT OIL

After searching for an alternative way to store oil/shortening and butter, I came across Coconut oil. I have been using Coconut oil in my bath salts and bath products for a few years now and I love the smell and feel it gives my skin.  Coconut Oil has a lot of benefits for the skin and hair. It protects it from the environment against damage, promotes healing and gives a more youthful healthy appearance. It is also wonderful for your body as well. When taken internally it can help lower cholesterol, helps with weight loss, digestion and immunity. There is a large amount of research done on coconut oil and it's benefits for certain diseases as well.

But the biggest reason I have decided to add Coconut Oil to my families diet as well as our food storage is because of how long it stores. Just as Shortening stores indefinitely on your food storage shelves, so does Coconut oil. You can use it in place of all recipes calling for shortening, butter or oil and it cooks up perfectly and the best part is your not feeding your body the hydrogenated oils and fats that are contained in shortening and butter.

We have been using coconut oil in our cooking for over a year now and I love how my cookies come out so perfectly soft.  We also use it regularly for cooking eggs, it adds such a wonderful flavor.  I have purchased coconut oil from the health food store (it's a little pricey), and ordered it online from a few resources but I have to say the coconut oil from Tropical Traditions is definitely the best (and I don't get paid to say this), their coconut oil is does not have the distinct flavor of coconut like so many other brands that can sometimes over power your food.  It melts perfectly and I use it in place of butter, oils and shortening in all of my recipes.  My breads and rolls always come out soft and fluffy and I feel so much better not giving my family hydrogenated oils.

A new year

It's a new year and I've decided I need to get back to blogging. I never knew I had so many people following my food storage cooking blog but while I was away, I received many emails and comments from those of you who felt some how that this site has been helpful. So to those of you who wrote and it has taken me some time to write back, I apologize. Like many it has been one crazy year for our family. I enjoy sharing information that I find to help build a healthy, variety but especially great tasting food storage, that our family can enjoy (not just store). We have 3 very picky eaters all under the age of 3, a semi-picky 8 year old and 2 healthy minded adults, and it has become a challenge in our home to build our food storage around items that we will actually eat. Everything that is posted on this site are our family loved recipes and items we actually use and have in our food storage. I am looking forward to posting more, I have lots more information, ideas and fun things to share and I am hopeful that those of you who use this blog might share information with me as well! Thanks for the comments and emails. I appreciate all of the information, ideas and encouragement.