Finding Time to Cook and Homemade Granola Bars

I used to make cakes for people and loved making confectionery dreams come true.  Today I still make cakes but on a much smaller scale.

Carrying on…one time a friend and I were talking about an upscale bakery in the area.  She said,

"She doesn't even turn her oven on for cakes less than $200."  

Wow.  Ok then.  So, thinking about this baker makes me consider a few things:

1.  Know your worth.  Stand firm in what you believe to be important.  Even Jesus had boundaries.  

2.  Make your time worth your while.  Which includes walking away sometimes and saying no.  It also includes giving yourself grace and learning from mistakes.  

3.  When it comes to meal prep and keeping people alive in this house, balancing budgets with nutrition and time and energy, two ideas have boosted my thoughts on time in the kitchen...

I only turn my oven on when I have several things to bake.  

I cook at least two meals at a time.  

I have a baking day, where I dedicate a chunk of time to baking.  

Plan meals ahead.  Plan ahead.  Plan.  Eating healthy and saving money requires time and energy.  I remind myself this when I really don't want to cook, shop, and really, really want to make a run through the drive through.  (There is grace of course.  But, grace upon grace is a slippery slope with fast food and sometimes makes me softer and rounder…)

I am like a bull in a china shop in the kitchen.  I LOVE MY GIRLS.  Basically, I'd prefer to be playing with them, ya know?  So I drop this stuff like it's hot...

Today we got home from church, I immediately grabbed the frozen crock pot meal and placed it in the crockpot.  Put rice on the stove with chicken stock I made from roasting my chickens.  

Put sweet potatoes in the oven to bake.  

Fried some eggs for lunch for us.  

Homemade deodorant for a few friends.  

Got the ingredients out for no bake granola bars.  We eat gluten free.  Gluten free can be expensive.  Gluten free out of a box also has lots of sugar and still is processed.  So some things I make myself. My little girl loves to make this recipe with me.  

A couple of notes:  When you are making things at home, you are saving money.  I am not a food purist, meaning, I don't use all organic ingredients all the time, just most of the time.  If you are making these, feel free to substitute as you wish.  Also, feel free to back off the sugar as you wish.  Drive your own cooking bus, baby!

Gluten Free Organic Homemade Granola Bars

adapted from a recipe from Rachel Ray

INGREDIENTS: 

1/4 cup organic butter

1/4 cup organic honey

1/3 cup organic packed brown sugar

2 cups quick cooking gluten free oats (Bob's Red Mill is what I use)

1 cup gluten free organic crispy rice cereal (I'm using gluten free Rice Krispies.  But, if you are feeling more crunchy, by all means go to Whole Foods and use their brand:)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (Enjoy life has a dairy-free, soy-free mini chip I love!)

DIRECTIONS: 

-Mix oats and cereal together in a large bowl.  

-On the stove melt butter, honey, sugar to a bubbling boil.  Reduce the heat and cook 2 more minutes.  (I need to stress this- cook longer than you think you should without burning it.  Because if you don't, the granola bars won't stick together…)

-Mix dry ingredients with stove ingredients.  

-Lightly grease a jelly roll pan.  Press this mixture into the pan firmly.  Let it cool just a bit, then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  

-Let cool on the counter top.  (Or put in the freezer if you are impatient like me…)  Slice into rectangles.  Wrap these babies up and you can keep them in the fridge until eaten:)

Hope you enjoy them!  Healthy food?  Well, maybe not.  Delish?  Sure thing.