Homemade Granola Bars

These are easy to make and are a great grab-and-go. Oh, I forgot delicious. Totally delicious. And addictive.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

3/4 cup wheat germ

3/4 cup ground flax seed

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp butter

vanilla to taste

approx 8 oz. chopped dates (I buy whole and chop myself)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Stir the oats, wheat germ, flax seed, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned. Line a baking pan with wax paper and spray with nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, and vanilla into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Combine the toasted grains, honey mixture, dates, and sesame seeds and mix very well. Put the mixture into the lined pan, cover with a second piece of sprayed wax paper, and use a rolling pin to flatten the mixture into a sheet. Once it cools, carefully peel away the wax paper and cut the sheet into bars. You may wrap them individually (I reuse the sheets of wax paper for this) or you can store them in a container. Just make sure there is something between them so they don't stick together.