I like to cook

So, I cook a lot. I love it. It makes me happy. It makes my kids happy, too. Left to right, Vivi, Gramm and Brook chowing down on some homemade granola bars. I recently discovered a totally delish granola bar recipe here. My adaptation:

Chewy Granola Bars

Combine in a large bowl:

1/2 cup muscavado sugar, or other brown sugar (sucanat, etc.)

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Then add:

3 cups whole rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup wheat flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Stir well and then press into a greased sheet pan. I use a large stainless steel bar pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cut the bars while they are warm, but wait about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. If you let the bars cool completely, they will not come out of the pan well and it will be a big mess. I store them individually wrapped or in a 9x13 pan with wax paper between the layers of bars.

My family absolutely loves the granola bars. My hubby and son have really missed store-bought granola bars. This recipe has been wonderful because it's filling, fairly cheap and I can actually pronounce every single ingredient. Holla!

I occasionally feel a baking frenzy coming on and just cannot stop myself. So, I baked two pies. One for my hubby and one for a brotha who has iphone fixing skillz. My hubby got the coconut cream pie and our friend received the creamy lemon meringue pie. The kiddos saw me photographing the pies and each child had to have their pic taken with me and the pies. It was so classic. Look:

Brooklyn cheesin' it up:
Vivian just trying to get to that pie! See her little hand poised and ready to stick her finger in the meringue?

Inquiring minds may want to know: pie filling recipes: from Justin's Nana. She's a madwoman in the kitchen and puts me to shame even on my best Julia-Child-channeling days. The meringue: extra egg whites, baby, from farm fresh eggs. The crust: 1/2 butter and 1/2 lard rendered from a locally raised (and locally killt), grass-stomping, happy, healthy piggle.

Let me know if any of you precious few try the granola bar recipe. Over and out. :)