better than storebought

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

found this recipe a while back and it's so good I thought I'd post a link.  I put more nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts) and added flax and coconut, dried cherries and cranberries.  Better make two batches because they won't last long!
http://www.joyfulabode.com/2008/04/11/homemade-granola-bar-recipe-no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-in-these-bars/

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

by the way, I've also made them substituting crushed sunflower seeds for the peanuts when I was out f peanuts

[Whitlock]

I might add this is a wonderful way to make breakfast cereal also

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

I started hunting for a recipe for actual granola bars because when I'd make homemade granola, I couldn't ever get it to be sticky enough to make it into bars.  A few of the different attempts were scorched (because I put the fruit in the bars before the toasting process) or they just fell to pieces when I tried to pick them up.  The good news is that all the failures were really tasty.  The girls like the crumbly granola with yogurt or milk, or just take it with them in the car in a ziplock bag (which I'm not so thrilled about because now there's a dusting of honey-coated wheat germ floating around the back seat.)  These are really delicious.  I like the combination of sweet/salty or sweet/hot, so I was thinking about adding some cayenne spiced toasted pumpkin seeds to the recipe to see what they turn out like.  Anyway, they're really good.  (Oh, if you add the coconut, toast it with the nuts and seeds.)

[Whitlock]

After looking at the recipe you might not want to cook the vanilla with the sugar, honey, butter and salt.
You do this in order to keep it's full flavor. Vanilla is mostly alcohol and it burns off.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

You know something funny?  I don't think I've ever even put the vanilla in there!  I am sure I didn't this last time I made them.  Think I got busy doing other stuff and completely forgot about it.  They taste fine without it, though.

[glenn kangiser]

I think you were sipping the vanilla for it's alcohol content, Homey...

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

   Hmmm...maybe that's where all the vanilla went!

[StinkerBell]

My MIL makes a wonderful homemade Baileys......