Mommy's Energy Bars

Hi!  A friend made these and emailed the recipe to me (I modified slightly).  They were great and easy to grab when I needed a quick snack between feedings/diaper changes/etc.  I wanted to be able to put it on my pinterest board so I thought I'd add it here. These are simple and yummy!  You'll have to ask M for her "Crack Cookies" which are also blog worthy... but I don't want to steal her thunder.

Ingredients
1/4 c brown rice syrup
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 c old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 c ground flaxseed

Directions
1 - Heat the peanut butter, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup over low heat and stir until combined.  The purpose of this step is to combine the ingredients, not cook them/bring to a boil.
2 - Remove from heat and let cool until warm (not hot).
3 - Add vanilla and stir.
4 - Add oats, flaxseed, salt, and cinnamon; stir.
5 - Put into a 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.  Wet hands or back of spoon and press firmly into pan.
6 - Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until edges are slightly browned)
7 - Remove from oven, cool slightly, cut into squares or whatever shape suits your mood.
8 - YUM!

NOTE: I tripled this and it worked great in a jelly-roll pan (see pic).

Aloha Granola

Ever since I began baking for STC in OB, I've been playing around with different granola recipes. I created this one for my little sister who spent a summer interning in Hawaii and fell in love with the place and the food there. This recipe makes a TON, but you could easily halve or quarter this for a more reasonable amount.

2 lbs 10 oz. old-fashioned oats

3 cups coconut

2 cups macadamia nuts, chopped to desired size

2 cups dried pineapple, chopped to desired size

1 1/2 cup honey

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp cinnamon

In a large bowl combine oats, nuts and coconut. Mix thoroughly. Add in honey and oil and stir to combine. Be sure that all oats are coated with liquid. Add vanilla, ginger and cinnamon and stir until entire bowl is coated with spices. Put into a 350 degree oven for about an hour (this might vary depending on your oven) in a cake pan or sheet pan depending on how much you are making. Stir every ten minutes or so to prevent burning. With about 20 minutes remaining, add brown sugar and stir to combine. Bake until evenly browned and delicious. Upon removing pan from the oven, mix in dried pineapple and allow granola to cool completely before storing in ziploc bags or airtight containers.