Granola Bars

I recently got this recipe from a friend. It has become a family favorite for our lunch boxes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large jelly roll pan with non-stick spray. Put 5 cups of Whole oats (not quick oats) in the pan and toast them for 15 minutes, stirring them every 5 minutes.

Combine the oats with 5 cups of rice Krispies and 1/2 cup wheat germ. If you have a bosch or kitchen-aid, you can just put the ingredients in there and mix with the dough hook.

Combine the following ingredients:

1/2 cup BUTTER

1/4 cup white corn syrup

2/3 cup brown sugar

Boil until completely dissolved and then add a 16 oz package of marshmellows and dissolve.

Combine with the oat mixture and mix with your dough hook.

After you have completed the above step, add your favorites:

1) Craisins and slivered almonds

2) Peanuts and raisins, or Peanut butter chips

3) Coconut, dried cherries, and Pecans

4) M & M's

5) Trail Mix

6) Make up your own favorite

Spread in a large jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with non-stick oil. Press down firmly with the back of a buttered spoon. Let cool. Slice into desired slices and freeze in foil, plastic wrap or individual baggies.

Since my son has Tourette's syndrome and several in our family are sensitive to many of the chemicals that are found in foods, we follow the Feingold diet at our house. We can't use anything that has artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. We also don't consume High-fructose corn syrup and we try to avoid corn syrup. So I use Elyon Marshmellows that don't contain dye and Sun chips which are colored with natural food dyes. I also use Erewhon brown rice krispies because they don't contain the preservative BHT. I also make my own version of corn syrup.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

Boil all the ingredients together for 5-10 minutes and store in the refridge in a glass jar.