But first, a story from today.
Awhile back I blogged about my habit of losing my car in a parking lot. Well today I really did lose my car. It actually left. Without me.
Skylar and I were at the zoo for a couple of hours enjoying the warm weather. (All fun until we saw the gorillas get fed and Skylar had a full blown panic attack--clutching, screaming hysterics). When we left and went to our parking spot, the Passat was gone. I actually remembered where I'd parked, it was right near the front. Then I saw it, about 200 yards away, sideways in the middle of the road. People were driving around it. Someone had kindly stopped it from rolling and put a log under the tires to keep it there.
Thank you to that kind stranger, whoever you are. It would have stopped eventually, but probably not until it hit another car, tree, animal exhibit or dippin dots dispenser. It was awesome getting Skylar in her car seat, putting the stroller away, etc while standing in the middle of moving traffic while everybody stared at the person who obviously can't drive a stick. But that's what I get for letting the car idle in neutral while talking on the phone, and then turning it off without putting on the emergency break. Sigh.
Okay, now for the good part. These are so tasty--perfectly chewy and with lots of crunchy bits--and best of all, no preservatives. The kind of "healthy junk food" we love.
Ingredients:1/4 c. brown sugar (splenda brown sugar works great)
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/4 c honey (or agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c oats
3 T wheat germ
1/4 c raisins, cherries, or dried fruit of choice
1/2 c chocolate chips (optional for you, mandatory for me)
1/2 c almonds
1 T sesame seeds
Whatever else your heart desires--flax seed, sunflower seeds, etc.
(If you're thinking it's not worth buying wheat germ and sesame seeds for just a Tablespoon or two, just know it adds great texture and I guarantee you'll be making a lot more of them, so you may as well invest.)
Mix together the first 5 ingredients, add the dry ingredients, and press the mixture down into an 8x8 or 11x7 pan (for a double batch I used a 9x13). Nana said she had a hard time getting them out of the pan, so to avoid that I lined the bottom with a piece of foil folded in half lengthwise:
Then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until a slightly browned. I let it rest in the pan for a 15 minutes, then lifted it out and let it cool another half hour or so until they are firm enough to cut into bars:
If you want them to last more than 24 hours, you should probably hide them in the freezer and take them out as needed. Or hide them in your nightstand and eat them all yourself. I won't tell on you.
The gorillas and a come apart..and a roll away car. Only you! That can only happen to you...
ReplyDeleteYour granola bars look yummy.
Mumma sent us some nisua. I ordered cardimon (sp) for her and so she and puppa spent all day making this Finnish sweet bread. It takes all day because it is made with yeast and has to rise a "few times" and you punch it down to let it rise again. She says it never turns out the same each time. The recipe has to be tweaked each time because of??? humidity, hot kitchen, cold outside or ??? They sent us three loaves packed in a box. We ate one loaf in two days. The other two are frozen for another pig out weekend. It brings back memories of childhood and my Mummu making this for us. Coffee and nisua is a smell and taste that puts me in my Mummu's kitchen, at her table slathering on the butter and enjoying the smells and warmth of the oven and her love. I loved her Finnish accent and sweet laugh. Bill had a hard time understanding her because of her accent. "My englsih is not so good" she'd say. Yeah right.. she owned her own business as a single parent of 4 kids. She had a retaurant with great food. A local place that had a lot of the sailors come in who worked ship on the Great Lakes.That is where she met Rueben Tapani (her last husand). I never knew my mother's father..From what I gather, he was tall and blond and very serious and loved God and family. He died from black lung. Both came from Finland and met here in the US, fell in love and were a true immigrant story. Uncle Michael resembles him the most of the five of us. The taste of nisua also takes me back to Finland..Morning coffee and pulla, afternoon coffee and pulla, evening coffee and pulla...and if you go to church or seuraa (Bible study) another coffee and pulla. Wow.. see, my sweet tooth is inherited.
HUGS HUGS KISSES
Gayle
Ha! Keri that is absolutely adorable! I have been there and done that. Really I was begining to wonder if I was the only one who has had the car roll away. I am so glad to know that it happens to others too. I am just glad to hear that someone was kind enough to look after you all and put a log behind the tire. Very nice. Luckily when my car rolled it didn't hit anything either.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the granola recipe! I love, love, love them! I can't wait to try them. Hope all is well and maybe we can get together one last time before we head to KY. That would be super cool!