No-Bake Granola

In 2012 during Lent I tried out a no-processed snack food diet. This meant no potato chips, no ice cream, no brownies, cookies or cupcakes that I didn't make myself. It was challenging, but I loved reconsidering what we ate every day and learning what was possible within my kitchen. The pretzels and ice cream have entered back in a little, but our awareness of labels, our buying habits, and our tastes have absolutely changed.

During that time I tried a no-bake granola, and it was a delicious mixture of oats, craisins, nuts and sometimes chocolate. It was nothing like chewy store bought granola bars - you kept it in the fridge to keep them together, and it made it so hard it was almost impossible to cut. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/homemade-granola-bars/

Wanting to see what else is out there, I went back to the alter that is Google and was delivered to this recipe: www.culinarycoutureblog.com/2013/06/no-bake-chewy-granola-bars.html 

It was super easy (about 15 minutes between getting everything out and cleaning everything up + 2 hours cooling) - and seriously tasty. Hello, do you see that 1/4 cup butter melting into a 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey? Two flubs I made: 1) I added a little too much vanilla. 2) They don't stay together really. You do need to put them in the fridge before eating - if you're going to serve it up as a hand-held snack.

The crumbly nature didn't bother me for this though - because most of the granola bars I use get mashed up right into my morning yogurt (1 c. one-ingredient plain greek yogurt + 2 tbsp lime juice + 2 tsp sugar).