Groovy Granola Bars

I love packing lunches for my kids. Ok. That's a lie. But I do love sneaking healthy snacks into their lunches. I could say that they prefer nutritious salads and lots of veggies in their lunch, but that would be a lie as well. Come on, they're kids... and this is what I usually pack them:

* A sandwich, either peanut butter & honey, jelly, or banana OR a tasty muffin.
* Sliced apples or grapes.
* Something salty, like stick pretzels & peanuts or Sun Chips.
* And... something in the "goodie" category. This usually consists of some homemade "healthy" cookie or bar- which at times is not so healthy - because it contains a considerable amount of Earth Balance.
Side note: If I put carrot sticks in their lunch they don't eat them - so I feed them their veggies at home where I can make sure they don't wind up in the bottom of the trash can. (Which at times they do anyways!)

A friend of mine gave me this fun lunch box granola bar recipe. It originally called for 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup brown sugar. I adapted it by using 1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer, 1/4 cup natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

The result? Mmmm... you decide!!

This is a fun recipe to tweak and find your favorite variation. You can use coconut, different dried fruits and nuts, the combinations are endless. Substituting the peanut butter for the oil creates the perfect "glue" for all the little extras you add.

Groovy Granola Bars

• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• ½ cup golden raisins, or equivalent

In large bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and egg replacer. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Stir in oats, cereal, and raisins. Spray 9 X 13 inch pan with oil spray. Press mixture into pan. For chewy bars, bake 20 min -for crunchier bars bake 30 min, both at 350 degrees. Let cool and then slice into 16 bars.

You can reduce the sugar to your liking as well. Experiment to find your families favorite. My kids love them with chocolate chips, of course!