Homemade Granola Bars

My youngest son loves going hiking. This summer we made several trips to a few different state parks so he could enjoy the trails. My oldest son wasn't too happy, though. Especially when we made him go with us to Mt. Magazine and when we finally got to the top he got stung by a wasp. "Why did you make me do this? This is the worst trip ever!" Yep. He's more of an indoor kid.

So I spent the whole summer looking for granola bar recipes. Granola is packed with protein and carbs which makes it a great snack for hiking. I came across a recipe in the Food Network magazine and after a few tweaks it's perfect--a little crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Granola Bars (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

2 1/2 cups rolled or quick-cooking oats
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 9-by-13 baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Mix the oats, peanuts, cranberries, seeds, cinnamon, condensed milk and butter in a bowl. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and bake 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then lift off the baking sheet using the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Makes 12 bars.