Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Nut & Fruit Granola Bars, CSN Preview

Wednesday! The week has been extra nice due to the temperatures and sunshine in Charleston! I hope it sticks around forever. I have been messing around with my granola/treat bar recipe (based originally on Tina's Oatmeal Raisin Bars) lately and came up with a creation I am really enjoying. I used a few new add ins including dried cherries and Quaker Puffed Rice cereal:


The outcome is nice and chewy. For a more crunchy bar, replace the applesauce with vegetable oil.


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups dry oats
3/4 cup puffed rice cereal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs or ½ cup egg substitute (or equivalent- check your egg substitute container)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together oats, cereal, flours, sugar, cinnamon, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, cherries and chocolate chips. Add in apple sauce (or oil) and eggs (or egg substitute), mix until well combined. Spray a 2.5 qt baking dish with pam. Spread mixture into bottom- bake for ~ 25 minutes.


Enjoy!
I'm feeling a little nosey this week- where do you see yourself in 5 years? What do you want to accomplish?
Keep an eye out for an exciting review I will be doing in the coming week on a product from the fabulous CSN stores. The CSN stores allow you to buy a range of products online including cookware, kids beds and even lighting products.
Edited to add: Check out this amazing crock pot giveaway!

68 comments:

Lauren said...

These look awesome!!!!! :)

Have a wonderful day sweetheart!

Jessica @ How Sweet said...

Those bars look great! Have a great day! :)

Heather said...

I'm going to have to try those bars - they look yummy!!

5 years?? Hmmmmm........not sure, maybe another little one??? :)

Molly said...

Those look delicious! Will have to try!

Unknown said...

man, i've been meaning to try and make my own bars... just haven't gotten around to it. they look great!

5yrs? don't think i can predict that one ;)

itsawrap said...

In 5 years I hope to have opened my own business or doing something I love while working for myself.
Great granola bars! You know I'm a fan of your baking ;)

Unknown said...

CSN stores are really nice. I just won there smoothie maker...it's so cool! Those bars look scrumptious!

Congrats!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Your baked goods always look so good.

In 5 years, I'm not sure professionally where I see myself. Hopefully somewhere different than I am now. Also, I figure I'll probably have a kid by then.

Jessica said...

These bars look great. I recently found a recipe for home made Cliff bars, so they're next on my list, but I think i'll stash this recipe too!
In 5 years - I want children, to be a stay at home mom, that DOES work. I want to expand my market garden/CSA business, help my hubs with the sheep. I want to hang out working at Farmers Markets, start a seed saving 'something'...make a lot of tomato sauce, learn to live a more self sustaining lifestyle...I could go on and on.
have a great day!

Anonymous said...

In five years, I hope to continue to be happy and fulfilled.

Holly said...

Awww....the puffed rice cereal always reminds me of my grandpa! He ate it every single day. :-)

Hmm...in 5 years, I'd love to be in a job that I actually enjoy! I've thought about maybe moving out of Indy (scary!), so if I did it would be within the next few years. And maybe settled down, with a little one...I hope!

Britt said...

Yum, those look good! Hhmm... I should probably make something like that other than cookies sometime. ;-)

In 5 years.... hopefully have a little one (or two!), be working at a job I LOVE and still finding the time to run marathons!

homecookedem said...

Oh yummmmm, those bars look good!!

In 5 years... hmmm, I don't know what kind of job, teaching is great, but I don't know how much longer I can last - I wish I could be a stay at home mom, but not sure if that is financially possible. But definitely at least one kid, maybe 2!

Sophie @ yumventures said...

Mmm, those bars sound awesome! I have no idea where I'll be in 5 years. I had no idea that this past year I would have 4 jobs and move to a new city! I like to see where things take me =)

Katie said...

OOH, I have all of those ingredients... love when that happens!

5 years... I hope to be well along in my "secret career" training, happy, healthy, and with my loves. Great question!

Jessica said...

Those look fabulous!!! Enjoy the beautiful weather : )

Lauren @ Eater Not a Runner said...

Those look delicious!!

Ana said...

The bar look so good and chewy!! I am loving the weather too, lots of sunshine makes me happy :) Happy Humpday love!

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

Fun question! In five years I REALLY hope I'm doing something cooking and/or food writing related and am happy and settled. Right now I'm going through my soul-searching 20's phase and as fun as it is I don't want to do it forever!

Anon said...

these look so great!!! i starred it in my google reader ;)

in 5 years i see myself getting my MBA and hopefully my employer paying for it! haha

Therese said...

Oh I have been looking for a good bar recipe to make for our road trip next week...this might be it!

brandi said...

the bars look great!

In 5 years, I hope to have a job I love and have at least one kid already. I'm ready to start a family as soon as my husband finds a job.

Jenna said...

I've never seen this Quaker Puffed Rice cereal, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled because these look great!

In 5 years, hmm... I hope to be living in the same state as my family, hopefully looking to start a family and moving up in my career!

vanillasugarblog said...

yes please! great texture going on in there!

Christina said...

that's an awesome recipe. i've been looking for a good one and this one seems perfect for me. i love our weather lately!

Lindsay @ http://pancakesnpajamas.blogspot.com/ said...

Those look fantastic! The weather has been unbelievable all week! If we could just get rid of all of the pollen things would perfect! Have a great day!

Stephanie @cookinfanatic said...

In 5 years professionally I would like to see myself climbing the proverbial corporate ladder at the company I work for and being in some sort of management role! What can I say, I'm a business woman at heart ;)

Have a great day girl!

Averie @ Averie Cooks said...

Great looking bars! I have a granola recipe on my site that if you underbake it (as I do) you get the same result as that and no oil or wheat flour which for me on the flour, is great..I love the add ins you did..and puffed rice, a great thing that i forget to use more of. Thx for the reminder!

In 5 yrs...Ask me today (this could change in a month). Skylar's a "big girl", I have more time to myself, we all vacation more, I have my pro card w/ bodybuilding and my hub's biz is doing great :)

Julie said...

hey girrrl! i'm lovin these bars! super easy to make and sounds like a party haha!

ugh 5 years i BETTER be moved out of home. full time job, done with my masters, possssibly getting my phD and working for a university or college and in 10 years i BETTER be living in manhattan or i'll be selling my eggs. hahaha. oh and hopefully score atleast one date by then.

what about youuuu

Krista said...

I've got that recipe bookmarked!! Sounds delish!

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

One of my friends is working on a bar recipe using puffed brown rice - love those bars! So useful when we're on the go.

5 years...hopefully having a family :-)

Anonymous said...

I love granola bars, but rarely buy them because of weird ingredients. Thanks for the recipe Erica!

I'll be 47 in 5 years - who knows??!!

Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather said...

The gooey chocolate looks so good in your bars.

5 years... maybe a little one or two around the house I hope.

tam said...

Ooooooo they look so yummy! x x

Janetha @ meals + moves said...

i love using that cereal in bars! thanks for this recipe, definitely looks delicious.

teresa said...

what delicious bars! i love how much good stuff is in there!

in five years i would love to be in good enough shape to run a full marathon!

Lauren said...

these sound great! I haven't baked with applesauce in sooo long.

The csn keyword things crack me up. I cant' wait to see what you got!

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

YUM those look SO awesome, Erica!! I think I have something coming from teh CSN stores too!! they told me I had to use the link "kids beds" in my post too and i got so confused, how am I going to relate my health and fitness blog to kids beds?!! hahaha...you did a fabulous job incorporating it!!

ummm 5 years...maybe married? ahh thats a scary thought! haha

I Run for Fun said...

Mmmm...yummy!

I hope I will still be doing what I am doing now and having as much fun with it, in 5 years.

BroccoliHut said...

Mmmm dried cherries make everything better!
In five years, I hope to be an RD and married!

Anonymous said...

hey gorgeous girlie!!
NEW granola bars=fabulous! I just got new protein powder so I'm definitely itching to get in the kitchen and bake! :)
In 5 years I hope to have finished school and just getting my MD!!!
~i hope you are having a great week!
xoxo!

madeleine said...

These look incredible!!! Thanks for the invite this month and looking forward to meeting with all of you Charleston ladies soon. Wow!! It's late, but I'm ready to start cooking!:-)

Maria said...

I want a bite of that bar. They look delicious!

bhealthier said...

oh yummy bars!

I love your question!! I finally know the answer! I've been soul searching for so long and just going with the flow that I had no plan!

I will have my Master's this year, working in child&family nutrition now for the next year, internship and finishing the RD in 2012 and then its on to the NICU to work in neonatal nutrition!!!

Oh and Jeff and I will be married and have our first two kids, a boy and a girl.

bhealthier said...

you didn't answer the question though?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

Those look delicious! So many amazing recipes floating around blogosphere that I want to try- these are going on my list!

5 years...wow. I hope to be living back in NYC :) and healthier and happier than I have ever been.

Lot-O-Choc said...

Ooooh wow these bars look so delicious!

CaSaundraLeigh said...

Love the idea of puffed rice in bars--I actually just bought a box of the Quaker puffed a few days ago :-)

Angharad said...

Oh hell yeah! Those look great! I've been thinking about granola bar recipes! Yay.

Anonymous said...

I love springtime. Everybody seems to come out of their winter comas. Those bars look delicious. I will definitely be recreating.

Lazaro Cooks said...

Saw your profile on another page. Glad I found your blog. Look forward to following you here. Have a great day!

Anonymous said...

those look awesome; does the puffed cereal get soggy?
impressive kitchen creativity!
Katherine
whataboutsummer

Jessie (Vegan-minded) said...

Wow, those granola bars look yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)
I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I hope to have a Master's degree in 5 years and a new job!

Lazaro Cooks said...

Thank you for stopping by and commenting. My cousin whom I dubbed "The Vegan Voice" contributes regularly to the blog. She posts her wonderful original Vegan fare. Cheers!

fittingbackin said...

Wow! great bars!

The 5-year question always scares me... especially now that i'm "an adult." Honestly? In 5 years I see us with kids - SCARE BEAR!

Diana said...

OMG I love your bar recipe - I should try it because this is the perfect kind of snack to keep in my office desk for the days when I just can't make it between lunch and dinner without a lil snacky snack. :)

Andrea @ CanYouStayForDinner.com said...

oooo these bars look so gooey and delicious! I love chewy texture, so I'd stick with the applesauce! I'm so glad you're soaking up the beautiful weather and feeling good!

Gosh, I wish I knew where I plan on being in 5 years. I hope just happy.

Have a wonderful day, my love!!

whatkateate said...

Dried cherries make the perfect addition to anything!

Anonymous said...

oh wowza! look at those luscious bars! me likey. me wanty!!!

love you Miss Erica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

Jocelyn said...

ooo those bars sound/look yummy!
Can't wait for a review...
I am actually giving away a crockpot from the csn site :)

Kathleen said...

These look like awesome bars! I can't wait to try them.

Miz said...

in 5 years?
I used to know.
Prechild.
Post college.
now? I just wanna be here!
happy healthy and married :)

Bridget said...

Mmmmm those bars look SO good...I love seeing the melty chocolate :)

Lets see...5 years. I will hopefully have a dog, kid, and maybe even be in house #2 haha. So crazy to think all that could happen in just 5 years!

Kerstin said...

I love how packed with goodies these are - yum!

We'll hopefully have 1 kiddo by then too :)

Aggie said...

ahhhh...5 years? well, hard to believe in 5 years I will have a 10 year old and 8 year old, scary! I "may" have another baby, though my husband is not for it...lol...but either way I would love to have some sort of part time gig working from home...maybe more from the blog, or something in social media, who knows. I just want something more for me. I also want to have competed in another triathlon...and maybe, just maybe be a spinning instructor. Lots of thoughts running through my head! I just hope in 5 years I am HAPPY! :)

amycaseycooks said...

Ooooh! A new granola bar recipe. I make a treat for my personal chef clients each time i cook for them. This looks perfect.

Holly said...

yummm those bars look amazing!

in 5 years...gosh that is hard! well, i will be 30 years old then - so hopefully i will have done more traveling and perhaps be dating someone who may turn out to be my hubby? i always wonder, because as soon as you say these things, the opposite happens!

lauren said...

you are such a great baker! those bars look great.

5 years - I see myself at the same job, but maybe part-time. Married, with one kid and maybe another on the way. crazy to think about! :)