Cheerio Granola Bars

Now that Courtney is back in school - it's time to get back in the habit of packing lunches.  I will be the first to admit that I make the job of packing her lunch WAY more complicated than it needs to be.  Courtney would be perfectly happy with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bag of chips in her lunch box EVERY SINGLE DAY!  (Who's child is this anyway?)

I devote endless hours to coming up with creative and unique ways to fill her lunch box with healthy and nutritious foods that she will actually eat.  I'm sure that most of my lunch making efforts are lost on my peanut butter and jelly lover but to be honest - I cant, in good conscience, send her to school with the same every day.  

I came across a recipe in my Cooking Light magazine that combined my sweet sixteen year olds 2 favorite foods --- Cheerios and Peanut Butter.  I renamed them Cheerio Granola Bars.  I had high hopes that finding this granola bar at the bottom of her lunch box would ease the pain of having to get back into the school routine so early. 

Cheerio Granola Bars
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1 cup Ancient Grains Cheerios
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates

Combine oats, Cheerios, coconut, pistachios, vanilla and salt.

Combine peanut butter, honey and dates in a saucepan.  Cook 3 minutes or until peanut butter melts.

Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture. 

Spread mixture into a greased 8 inch square pan.  Press firmly.

Freeze for 10 minutes.  Cut into 12 squares.

Soooo, the granola bar came home from school - completely intact and untouched.  I guess she wasn't a big fan.  Maybe I ought to try adding some chocolate chips into the mix.  (When all else fails, add chocolate.)  I'm not giving up on this recipe though - going to try and tweek it to make it work. 

Ciao!