Snack Week! - Granola Bars

Monday passed in a bit of a fever-induced haze. You know how it goes, you’re sitting at your desk, staring at the computer, then it’s an hour later and nothing has sunk in. My brain is boiling, or something like that. All I wanted to do was go home and curl up in bed, the lab is so cold! Or it’s the fever.

I’m so glad that I spent the weekend cooking and baking, because right now I have zero energy. I think that I’m running on negative energy, the world is pulling the energy right out of my body. I’m also jazzed that I decided to make these granola bars for snack week. They are chewy, delicious and filling. Adapt them according to what nuts and seeds that you like. I’ve made them with raisins and walnuts instead of craisins and soy nuts. I’ve drizzled them in chocolate on my more crazy days. I think that I’ll have one of these for lunch. Eating sounds like a lot of work today.

Nigellas Granola Bars

2 ½ cups rolled oats

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1 cup soy nuts (or your choice of seeds or nuts)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a BIG bowl, mix together solid ingredients. In a small saucepan, warm sweetened condensed milk until it flows easily. Pour sweetened condensed milk into big bowl with other ingredients, stir until combined.

Heat the oven to 250 F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray and add oat mixture, press down gently. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into 16 squares. Store in a sealed container, between sheets of parchment paper. They should keep for up to two weeks.