TWD/BCM: Granola Energy Bars

For once, I didn't follow the recipe the first time.

I could have.

Had the right ingredients.

But a chocolate and peanut craving won out.

These bars can be made with any combination of oats, nuts, and dried fruit. I believe there is very little you could do wrong. 

 Here's the secret ingredient.

Thank you, Dorie, for expanding my world. It took two trips around a very large grocery store to find the brown rice syrup. Wouldn't have had the heart to go back and search the second time if I hadn't been waiting for a prescription to be filled. I hope Kroger appreciates its pharmacists as much as I do. 

Got distracted and also picked up some nice cheese while I was over on that side of the store. Heard a little story on NPR this week about a time when a woman first discovered that "some people spend money on really good cheese". That phrase stuck with me and for once I couldn't resist inspecting all the interesting selections at the cheese counter. Three tiny pieces for about $20. Looking forward to savoring them. 

Back to the granola bars. Oh so easy. I may never buy commercial granola bars again. Can't wait to try a variety of different ingredients. I can report that peanuts, raisins, coconut, and dark chocolate make a dynamite combination. The chocolate melted and made the whole thing reminiscent of no-bake oatmeal cookies. But somehow they seem healthier. I'm trying not to think of the carb count. At least this is real food. I know what's in it. My goal for the year is to stop eating food-like products. I don't eat that much junk to begin with, but after consuming "prepared" and "fast" food for a few days on the road, it's obvious how different my body feels. 

The other Tuesdays With Dorie bakers are here. Let's see what kind of granola bars they all made. 

Just for fun, here's an interesting story I found while looking for the NPR story mentioned above (which I did not find). I LOVE Norwegian brown cheese. Sliced extremely thin and piled on top of crispbread. With an apple. Makes an amazing snack. Sometimes you can find it at the regular grocery store. I'ts always available at the farmer's market. Treat yourself. Trust me.

And now a shoe. I was actually in a funeral procession when I first saw this one. Couldn't exactly pull over and take a picture. But after the cemetery and a dinner with long-lost cousins, the shoe was still there waiting. Life is short. Eat well. That's my unsolicited advice for today.