SNACKS!  It’s about the only thing I have time for this week. My schedule has been SUPER hectic and I’ve been running around like a CRAZY woman! With all this chaos, I can still hear my kitchen screaming, “STOP NEGLECTING ME, TRACY! Get in here and make something! You’ll feel better!”  You know what? My kitchen is right. I don’t have lots of time, but I need to make something that will take my mind off my TO-DO lists. Armed with a cup of coffee, I whipped up these FULLY LOADED granola bars this morning while Cooper ate his breakfast. I’d have to say that it was time well spent because they are AWESOME. I love the crunch of the oats & almonds and am digging the tang of the dried apricots! A few of them got a little crumbly, but I don’t mind. They’ll be making their way into a bowl of yogurt for my afternoon snack today.

If you don’t have a lot of time and you want to get your butt in the kitchen, make these! You’ll have 12 little bars to snack on throughout the week –or day if you’re a pig like me! A runny nose will be wiped, a granola bar will be eaten, an email will be sent, and another load of laundry will be going into the washer the second I finish this paragraph. But it’s all good because I have a nice big plate of chewy/crunchy granola bars to fuel me today.

And we’re off!

Melt the butter, honey & brown sugar in a large saucepan.

Gather the bar ingredients!

Put them all in a bowl and toss with the wheat germ.

Toss toss toss.

Now introduce the dry stuff to the butter/sugar mixture.

Mix well!

Plop the mixture in your parchment lined baking pan and spread it out evenly.

Push it into the pan & bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Let it cool for at least a half hour. Now cut up the bars!

Check your watch.

That took no time at all, huh? Now get started with your dreaded TO-DO list!

Stop procrastinating! I’m really just directing that at me.

Fully Loaded Granola Bars

Makes 12

(recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter with honey and brown sugar. In a large bowl mix the oats, dried fruits & nuts with the wheat germ. Pour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and stir thoroughly.

Press the granola mixture into your prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.