Granola Bars

Adapted from StephanieCooks.blogspot.com
Makes 8" x 8" pan

1 2/3 cup quick rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar (I keep decreasing this amount - next time I will skip it completely.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruit and/or nuts
1/3 cup peanut (or other nut) butter
6 Tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup honey, cane syrup or corn syrup
2 Tbl light corn syrup
1 Tbl water

Heat oven to 350. Grease 8" x 8" pan. Melt butter over low heat. Add peanut butter into butter and stir until smooth. In another bowl mix together oats, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, fruit and nuts. Whisk into the butter/peanut butter vanilla, water and liquid sweeteners. Mix all ingredients together and press into pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until it looks browned around the edges. The bars will set once completely cool. After completely cool, cut bars out of pan.

Fruit/Nut suggestions: peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, raisins, cranberries, apricots, chocolate chips.

Note: I have read that the corn syrup cannot be substituted with honey because its properties are what holds the bars together. I don't know personally but I wouldn't try to skip it unless you want to experiment.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Makes 24-28

Adapted from a recipe called "Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins" from www.food.com by: Vseward (Chef~V) .

4 cups whole wheat flour
almost 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (can use oat bran for 1/2 cup of that)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
3 mashed bananas
1 cup applesauce
15 oz. pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup sugar (brown or white)

Oven at 350. Grease or line muffin tins. Mix flour to spice (all dry ingredients) in medium bowl. Mix bananas to sugar (all wet ingredients) in larger bowl. Add dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Fill muffin tins until almost full (they don't rise too much). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.