Things My Toddler/Husband Eat: "Obalars"

I know you think your kid is stubborn, but most of you haven't met QE. If that kid doesn't want something, she won't eat it, no matter how many times she's liked it before. In fact, she will convince you that there's pumpkin in the chicken soup, even when she helped make it and knows darn well that there ain't no pumpkin in that there bowl. But if pumpkin is her kryptonite for the day...

On the other hand, BSB is happy to eat pretty much anything I stick in front of him, and has been good about my homemade experiments. He gamely switched to letting me make the bread, and adjusted to my meat-is-usually-too-much-trouble-during-the-week attitude. When I suggested replacing his daily Nature Valley bar with a homemade granola bar, he agreed - as long as I could maintain the supply and not put too much fruit in them.

I discovered Playgroup Granola Bars a while ago, and thanks to QE's adorable baby mispronunciation, my whole extended family now refers to them as "obalars." I fiddled with the original recipe to make it a bit healthier, and then fiddled with it some more when I realized just how versatile it is.
You can sub just about anything in or out, change ingredients or additions at whim, and have something edible every time. These are fab if you need a grab-able breakfast or your kids (or significant other) won't eat anything that doesn't contain chocolate chips.

This is my favorite kind of recipe because you can make it with whatever ingredients you have lying around, or feel like trying out. Fooling around with fruit/nut/chip combos is half the fun.

I have big plans to work up a Pesach version of these (with farfel instead of oats, and quinoa or almond flour instead of wheat), so I figured it would be smart to post the original first. Here's my formula for delicious, healthy, family-friendly granola bars - AKA "obalars."

• 2 cups rolled oats
  
• 3/4 c packed brown sugar (subs: raw sugar, or reduce to 1/2 c)
  
• 1/2 c wheat germ (subs: oat bran, ground flaxseed or nuts)
  
• 1 c flour (whole wheat, spelt, possibly quinoa or almond, or reduce to 3/4 c)
  
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 c sticky liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 c oil (canola, walnut, melted coconut - whatever floats your boat)
  
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• 3/4 to 1 1/4 c mix-ins: chocolate chips, dried fruit bits, chopped nuts, pretty much anything (more on this below)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix that well, then add your flavor bits of choice. Press mixture evenly into a foil-lined and greased (or parchment-lined) 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes til lightly browned. Remove from oven and score with a knife (makes cutting easier). Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from pan by lifting the foil out, place on a flat surface, and cut into bars of whatever size/shape you like. Don't wait til they're totally cool to cut or it will be much more annoying to do.


BSB won't eat these without chocolate chip content and he despises raisins, so choc chip/craisin is my usual combo. "Almond Joy" (choc chips, coconut flakes, slivered almonds) went over pretty well too, as did white chip/macadamia. My sister reports that dried strawberries are excellent. Sometimes I let QE decide what to put, she has pretty good taste. They keep REALLY well, so I usually double the recipe.

I put craisins, finely chopped walnuts, and of course chocolate chips

I lurve my santoku knife