Day 185 - Great for Back-to-School Lunches - Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

I was ready to slap someone at dinner tonight.
And it wasn't one of my children.
Mr. 365 was pushing everyone to the limit.
And if you know him personally, you know what I'm talking about.
When he is in one of his giddy, silly moods he has a tendency to go just one step too far.
Like when I tell him to stop (which I did multiple times at dinner), he always has to say one more thing - just to get that last word in.
Used to be when we were living in Rhode Island we would have monthly get-togethers with four other couples.  Things would get silly, and inevitably, Mr. 365 would end up saying something to someone leaving people, especially me, shaking my head.
The next morning, he'd be doing his famed "Apology Walk" around our neighborhood.

Tonight though he'd been making comments to the kids, trying to lighten things up and be a "cool dad", but everyone (mostly our daughters) was becoming a little agitated at his antics, so I told him to knock it off.
Dinner was finished (or at least everyone else was and I was just eating the remainder of my salad because I'm ALWAYS the last one eating).
One child removed herself having had enough of both dinner and dad and retreated to her room.
Mr. 36.5 then proceeded to take a sip of water, and pretending to be a water fountain, sprayed it onto himself and part of the table.
"That's it!  I'm done!!"
I picked up my plate (as I was still eating) and glass and moved into the other room to sit on the couch.
Good Grief!!
He is the biggest child I've got.
And of course, the one left laughing at the table was our son.
Two peas in a pod those two.

Recipe adapted from The New Doubleday Cookbook

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars - makes 36 bars

1/2 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped raw almonds
1 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup liquid brown sugar (directions below)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Liquid Brown Sugar - combine 1/3 cup water and 1 cup brown sugar (1 part water to 3 parts brown sugar) in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 7-10 minutes.  Do not boil.  The Domino Sugar Company used to make liquid brown sugar years ago, but have since discontinued it - guess there wasn't such a high demand for liquid brown sugar.  Go figure.
I'm wondering if Agave Syrup would be a good substitution.  I'll be trying that the next time I make these.

Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by generously spraying it with cooking spray; set aside.
Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and add oatmeal and flaxseed meal.
Using tips of fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients until well blended.

Mix in all remaining ingredients.  Combine thoroughly.

Place mixture into prepared baking dish and using a rubber spatula, press firmly into pan.
Bake for 30 minutes until pale brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Cut into bars.

Know what?
These were SO healthy and the whole family LOVED them!!!
Who needs sugar, and sweets and yucky, delicious carbohydrates??!!

Ok, I do.
But these are definitely something I am making again and again and again!!
I will be trying the Agave Syrup next time.  I've been interested in trying it out anyway.
If any of you use it before I do, please leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Cranberry Almond Granola Bars earned....Da da da DAH!!!!!  4 rolling pins!!

Who knew something so healthy could taste so darn good?!

These are going in the kids' lunches tomorrow!
Happy Baking!!