granola squares.

I am not a huge fan of granola, per se, but I usually have some store-bought bars on hand for those weekday mornings. But when I got this recipe from a colleague I knew I had to try it out given that I had everything in my pantry save the old-fashioned rolled oats. And I found an enormous bag for $4.00 at Big Lots.

I should have baked them a little less than 30 minutes, some of the corners got too hard but on the whole, excellent. It's also a very forgiving recipe so feel free to go a little crazy with your favorite combinations.

Ingredients: 
2 cups rolled oats

½ cup honey
1 beaten egg 

¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp. vanilla 

¾ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup flour 

1/4 cup sliced almonds
¾ tsp. salt 

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Note:

I threw in some dried cranberries and shredded coconut flakes for good measure. I figured, why ever not?

Method:

--Mix together oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, salt, almonds, and chocolate chips.

--Make a well in the center and pour in the honey, egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.

--Put the mixture into a greased cake pan or baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated 350* oven until the bars turn golden at the edges.

--Cool for 5 minutes then cut into bars while still warm. Store in an air-tight container.