Homemade Granola/Cereal Bars

  So I needed a treat for my toddler's nursery group at church.  I wanted to make something tasty yet semi-healthy and didn't want to go to the store.  I found a super easy crispy treat recipe using corn syrup (no marshmallows on hand), peanut butter, and sugar.  I had all the ingredients and had some nasty WowButter (soy butter) that needed using up and it would be safe for anyone with nut allergies at church.
  This has been life changing... so much so I actually hopped online to make a blog post :o)... so I can share it more easily with friends.

This is a half batch in a 7x11" pan.  The full batch makes much more squares.

Now I'm making these regularly and I'm playing around with different ingredients.  I just follow the same basic formula and it's so easy I don't even have to look up the recipe (which I'm terrible with numbers).

• 1 cup corn syrup (or honey works too. Going to try pure maple syrup next time and cook a little longer)
• 1 cup sugar (or granulated/dry sweetener I used powdered honey last time)
• 1 cup peanut butter (WowButter works and I bet almond or Nutella or anything similar consistency)
• 6 cups cereal (all one kind or a combo. I've used all of these in different batches: quick oats, rice crispies, cheerios, wheat puffs, (these are just the boring cereals I buy (I don't buy sugary cereals for my kiddos... they are content with the boring stuff).
• optional stir-ins: (maybe just 2 cups or less of these things... so they hold together) peanuts, sunflower seeds, craisins, raisins, mini choc. chips, or any flavor baking chips*, gummies, mini-Reese's pieces, 

Butter a 9x13 pan.  Combine corn syrup and sugar in a bigger pot (so you can stir all the cereal in later). Stir and melt the sugar in the syrup and bring to a simmer (cooking longer will make a stiffer bar, less will make them soft and gooier-but fall apart easier) .  Stir in the peanut butter.  Add cereal(s).  Stir in any add ins*.  If too gooey add a little more cereal or oats (they seem to be more absorbent) Press into baking pan.  Cool 20 min or so. Cut into squares.

I like to wrap them in plastic wrap once completely cool and hide them in the pantry with other kids snacks to put into lunches (if made without peanuts).  It is also good to free up my baking pan and to keep me from snitching on them all day.

*For melty chips I press a layer of 1/2 the cereal goo in the pan, sprinkle a layer of chips and then press the rest of the cereal on top so it sandwiches the melty, messy chips in the middle.

My kids love these.  All the kids at church loved them.  Let me know what you think.  Let me know what combinations of ingredients you try. 

 Happy Snacking!

Move Over McDonald's: My New Favorite Breakfast

(Not that my favorite breakfast was ever from McDonalds this dish just reminds me of the McGriddle--although it's so much better.)

Okay so recently I discovered this ingenious idea of putting precooked crumbled sausage (which I keep in a ziploc bag in my freezer) in my pancake batter. They are so much tastier and better than chocolate chips...plus I love syrup on my breakfast meats.  Today I took it to the next level... Adding cheese.

SAUSAGE CAKES WITH CHEESE

The process goes like so... take a bowl of your favorite pancake batter (like my new favorite: Whole Wheat Pancakes).  Add a few handfuls of crumbled breakfast sausage (I've used venison and turkey and they are both tasty).  Fold in.  Spoon onto hot griddle (300-350 degrees F). 

Turn with a spatula once bubbles start popping on the surface of the pancakes.

Add some cheese to half of the pancakes (I used Colby Jack because I have it and it's super gooey).

When cheese is all melty and pancakes are fully cooked stack a non-cheesed sausage cake on top of the cheesy one and drizzle with syrup.  If you want a less messy version (for the kiddos or for on the go) add the cheese right after removing from griddle and dip into syrup on the side. This is how Caleb prefers to eat his pancakes, although he was a little wary of the cheese concept.  You can also just let the hot gooey sandwich set for a minute and eat it by hand when the cheese sets up.

I first tried my maple/molasses syrup but decided that chokecherry syrup was much tastier.  I live in the chokecherry capital of the world, so I have my own but a friend of mine sells it.  Check out her FB business page Vintage Delights.  Her Chokecherry Chocolate syrup is also amazing on almost anything you can think to put it on.

The variations are endless... you could use any breakfast meat (like cubed ham or bacon pieces)  any cheese (like medium cheddar or even feta) and top it with anything you like (any flavor of syrup or even a chile sauce or salsa for a southwest kick).

ENJOY! 


Tips on making the Pancakes:  I whisk the egg, add the milk and vinegar, and then whisk in the warm melted butter (don't add the hot butter straight to the egg or else it will cook it).  I've made these enough that I have the batter ready by the time the griddle is hot. The recipe makes enough to feed 2 hungry adults.  I usually double the batch and have some for me and my kiddos with quite a few extras to keep in the fridge.  My husband is not a big breakfast or pancake fan but he snitches them (since I've been making them with sausage) out of the fridge and eats them cold.  If he doesn't devour them for lunch or a late night snack we zap them in the microwave (about 10 seconds/pancake) and have them for breakfast another day.

You could also cook up like 3 batches and freeze them (wait til they're cooled or the steam will cause them to freeze together.)  Then you can have a super tasty easy breakfast in a flash any day of the week (no need to buy those pre-packaged over-priced breakfast sandwiches).