Nutty Grain and Oat Bars

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 - Soaking in those words today as the realization of Ryan's final semester of high school begins to sink in.  It's gets harder for me to wrap my head around the fact that he's finishing up this chapter of his life and moving on to college, every day.  Wasn't it just yesterday that we were celebrating the fact that he could hold up his head by himself? 

We've celebrated all sorts of achievements in Ryan's life.  We celebrated the little things like when he learned to ride a bicycle and when he learned to feed himself pasta.  We celebrated the big things like when he helped his team place 3d in the state wrestling tournament and when he got his first college acceptance letter.

So here I am - preparing to celebrate another one of Ryan's accomplishments - high school graduation.  Now you understand why, now more than ever, I need to rest in the knowledge that God is in control - of the big stuff AND the little stuff.

I'm already starting to think about things in the house that will change when Ryan moves into a dorm room next Fall.  The granola bar consumption for this family is going to take a drastic decline, for one thing.  Don't get me wrong, we all like granola bars and we all eat them occasionally but Ryan eats at least 4-6 bars EVERY DAY!

I made a batch of healthy granola bars last month from a recipe that was in my Bon Appetit magazine.  The ingredient list was simple - which is one of my requirements for a homemade granola bar.  (I could pronounce every ingredient without a phonetic spelling!)  I really loved these healthy bars but the true test was Ryan.  (Our granola bar connoisseur.)  And ... he loved them.

Nutty Grain and Oat Bars
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat an 81/2 x4 inch pan with cooking spray.  Line bottom with parchment paper and spray again.








Bring dates and maple syrup to a boil in saucepan.


 










Reduce heat to medium and dimmer until dates are soft and syrup is reduced slightly.













Remove from heat and stir in butter.









Use an immersion blender to chop date mixture.










Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir in syrup.

Press tightly into prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes.

Cool in pan.  Turn out onto a cutting board and slice into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife.  (I put my loaf into the refrigerator so that it would harden slightly before slicing.)

Toast slices in oven 8-10 minutes for crispier bars if you like. 

Any guesses as to where you think Ryan has chosen to attend college in the Fall?   I am holding out for a big reveal on his decision but I would love to know your thoughts.

Ciao!