Breakfast Bars

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup dried apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries or 1/2 cup other dried fruit or 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup honey (buy 16 oz. of dark local honey)
• 1/2 cup unsalted creamy peanut butter (organic)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• 2 lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.
• 3 in a large bowl, combine oats, flour, wheat germ, almonds, apples, and raisins or other dried fruit.
• 4 stir well and set aside.
• 5 in a small saucepan, stir together honey, peanut butter, and olive oil over medium-low heat until well blended. do not boil.
• 6 stir in vanilla extract.
• 7 add the warmed mixture to the dry ingredients and stir quickly until well combined.
• 8 pat the mixture into the baking pan and use the bottom of a moistened drinking glass to press firmly to remove air pockets.
• 9 bake for 20-25 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown.
• 10 let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• 11 cut into 16 bars (halve lengthwise, then cut into 8 lengths).
• 12 when just cool enough to handle, remove bars from pan and cool completely on rack.
• 13 place any crumbs that fall into the baking pan and add to turned off oven and later, enjoy as cereal with the milk of your choice.
• 14 store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.