Morning Rush

     Let's face it.  Mornings can be rough.  Getting everyone out the door with breakfast in the belly and all of the day's needed attachments is often no small feat.  Simple, grab it from the bag and go breakfasts help ease the morning stress.  Muffins are perfect.  Make a double batch.  Freeze or bag some and have breakfast for the week.  Last Fall my friend Bonnie Chase shared her granola bar recipe.  It's perfect, even easier than muffins and amazingly versatile to whatever I happen to have on hand.  It's an instant hit every time I've share them (always with a bit of grumbling on the home-front that the pan is empty already!).  These granola bars are great for wherever your wanderings may take you! Enjoy!

Granola Bars

Tastes much like Woodstock Cookie Company Granola Bars.
From Bonnie Chase, Adapted by Jessica Bickford

Mix together dry ingredients:
2 C oats
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C wheat germ or wheat bran
1 t cinnamon
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C whatever (chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans, etc., etc., etc...) (I often use 1 cup ground nuts and ½-1 cup chocolate chips)
3/4 t salt

Optional Nutritional Additives: 1/4 C soy lecithin; 1 T gelatin; hemp, chia, or flax seeds (I use ¼ to ½ cup ground flax seeds.) ; steel cuts oats...use your nutritional imagination! 

Now mix in wet ingredients:

1/2 C oil
1/2 C honey or maple syrup
2 eggs
2 t vanilla (I’ve been known to omit this without any major disruptions)

Mix well and press into a well-greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 5 minutes and cut bars, but do not remove them from the pan or eat them until they've cooled COMPLETELY.