Super Granola Bars

I have been making these for the last couple of weeks and think they are delicious. The best thing about this recipe is you can add whatever you like. Not to mention they are good for you and a lot better for you than store bought granola bars. Anyways, try it out!
I got this idea from, Alli 'n Son's blog.

3-1/2 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1 cup craisins
2/3 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds ( I use just regular unsalted)
1/2 cup crushed almonds (slivered would work too, or any kind of nuts)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup ground up oats – grind to the consistency of flour (you can also use oat bran or whole wheat flour)
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil ( I haven't substituted apple sauce yet but plan on trying it)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, craisins, sunflower seeds, crushed almonds, wheat germ, ground up oats, flax seeds and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, oil and vanilla. Add to the dry mixture, mix until combined.

Press very firmly into the prepared pan. If you don’t press them enough, the bars will end up crumbly. Bake for 15 minutes, then pop into the fridge to harden, 30-45 minutes. Cut into 30 bars. You don't necessarily have to put them in the fridge to harden but it might allow them to bind better.

Bugs in a Blanket

1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated breadsticks
24 cocktail-size smoked link sausages (from 14-oz package)
3/4 cup shoestring potatoes (from 1 3/4-oz can)
Ketchup, barbecue sauce or mustard
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate at perforations into 12 breadsticks. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick in half crosswise, making 24 pieces.
2. Wrap each piece of dough around center of each sausage, pinching to seal and leaving each end of sausage showing. Place seam side down and 1/2 inch apart on ungreased large cookie sheet.
3. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on serving plate or tray. Cool 2 minutes.
4. Insert shoestring potatoes into baked dough to resemble legs and antennae. Decorate "bugs" with dots or stripes of ketchup.
This recipe is straigt from the Pilsbury website, but we had this for lunch last year on Halloween and it was super fun. I didn't use the shoestring potatoes, I used Chow mein noodles instead.

{ Rice Crispy Nest }

This is a must tradition in our house EVERY year! But not just for Easter through out the entire Spring!

Step 1: You make your Rice Crispy Treats as usual but place them in lightly greased muffin tins to form the nest. (we like to use the Chocolate Rice Crispies) Make sure to push the Rice Crispie/Marshmallow mixture down into the cups fairly good or they won't hold their shape.
Step 2: Color some coconut green with food dye in a Ziploc bag to make the grass. Sprinkle on top of the nests.
Step 3: Top with some Jelly Beans for the eggs.

Great recipe to do with the kids they'll love it!
ENJOY! Happy Easter everyone!!