Whip Up a Batch of YUM!

After #1 and I were having a conversation the other day about "the really good stuff we made at VBS in the baggie with peanut butter, honey and raisins", I decided for the first time ever to make homemade granola. I know the two foods aren't really the same, but I felt like breaking out the tie-dye shirt and getting in touch with my inner-hippie by making some homemade granola (because that's what hippies do, right?).

Well, God smiled on me with this recipe from the Food Network because I could not keep my hands off the granola last night. It is absolutely delicious and I seriously doubt there will any left when everyone returns home from school/work today. I'm sharing the recipe, but I did make a modification. For the sake of making them more nutritious, I put dark chocolate chips in them instead of pumpkin seeds (dark chocolate is the new health food, it's true!). The recipe almost scared me off because I prefer to cook things that have about 3-4 ingredients and 2 steps, but it was easy! And, definitely worth the 3 pans it made dirty! I will make these again, and again and again.....

Emeril's Peanut Butter Granola Bars

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I used sliced)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/4 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.

In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and salt. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)

Cool the granola in the pan on top of the stove and stir in the raisins. When the granola is completely cooled, place in a large bowl.

Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is at a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the granola, stirring to coat well. Cool slightly and press into the prepared baking dish and let cool completely and harden. Cut the mixture into ten 1 1/4 by 4-inch bars and serve at room temperature. (The bars may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)