Alternative Energy Granola Bars

After a glorious day at the beach, I just returned to my third floor apartment in Wisconsin to find that it's roughly 105 degrees in my normally temperate and cozy home. I had to resort to putting ice cubes in my fish tank and carefully arranging a series of fans in a specific geometric pattern so I don't collapse of heatstroke. I can almost hear your internal monologue asking my sweaty arse why we don't have air conditioning in this joint, and the reason is that this apartment is about a thousand square feet long, and twenty feet wide, so it does virtually nothing if it's not contained in one room, so we keep it in the bedroom. ( these are theoretical measurements, since my tape measure won't go far enough for me to get them exact, but it sounds right...)
         
This unique attic apartment  used to be a servants quarters when it was originally built, and there is a large serving window at the top of the stairs where foodstuffs were probably handed through the door, and brought to the higher castes downstairs, where the other thirty servants they kept up here fanned the rich people with large leaves whilst they laid on their couches. That's how it was in this building a hundred years ago, in my imagination anyway, and I bet its pretty close... If my hypothesis is correct, the servants sweating to death up here cooking meals for their bosses wasn't much of a priority, and I will honor the ghosts of this place by not turning on my oven on when it's this blazing hot.                         
            
  Anywho, When I got up today, three things became  abundantly clear:

1 .I needed to go for a run

2.  I also needed to  go to the beach, so I should probably run there.

3.  I needed to make something creative to munch on  because we were gone all weekend and have no groceries. 

    
Clearly something portable with a lot of protein was in order. Also something healthy, because I consumed mostly sugar and wine this weekend, and that's not necessarily a balanced diet, and much to my chargrin cannot continue. So I managed to find all the fixings for a granola bar that I made up that was inspired by an old recipe I found on Epicurious years ago for Peanutty Energy bars. I call them Alternative Energy Bars, and they're awesome to take on a run  because they're loaded with protein and carbohydrates, and lightweight enough to carry.

  

Alternative Energy Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup  salted  pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup peanuts, almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or apricots
• 2 cups  uncooked oatmeal, old-fashioned or instant
• 2 cups  toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies ( I use Ewehorn crispy brown rice cereal)
• 1/2 cup  peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
• 1/2 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup syrup ( or light corn syrup if you prefer)
• 2 T. agave nectar or honey(optional, but gives a nice sweet flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
•  1/4 cup ground flax seeds

Directions:  

Mix together the first six ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine peanut butter, brown sugar and brown rice or corn syrup in a large pan and melt together on low heat, or  microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and flax seeds and stir until blended. Add dry ingredients from medium bowl. Stir until coated. I use my hands to mix it together well. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square pan coated with non-stick spray. Press down firmly (It helps to spray fingers with nonstick spray). Keep in fridge 1 hour. Cut into bars. This can be doubled and put in a half- sheet pan for thinner bars, or in a 9 by 13 pan too.

They're quite lovely, healthy and delicious. I offered several suggestions for nuts and dried fruits, as long as you keep the basic components and amounts of this recipe the same, you can add whatever nuts or dried fruit suit your fancy, or whatever you may  happen to have in the cupboard. I've also used white and dark chocolate chips in place of the nuts, and it turned out just brilliant. making these Alternative Energy Bars  gives you a baking fix without having to turn your oven on if its sweltering in your historic apartment as well.

This recipe  can also be made gluten free by substituting the oats for more crispy rice cereal or more nuts, so no one needs be left out of the granola bar circle of love. This is also scores cheaper and cleaner than buying commercial granola bars, if you're into saving money and not eating things you can't pronounce.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peanutty-Energy-Bars-353549#ixzz1RpvA0bd7