Chocolate Granola

8 cups whole oats
2 cups almonds or pecans
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup apple sauce
2 T oil
3/4 cup maple syrup or 1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder {heaping}
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

 In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and coconut. Stir and set aside. In a small liquid measuring cup combine the next 5 ingredients and mix well. Pour chocolate mixture onto oats. Stir to coat and divide between two cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees, stir every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Cool and store in airtight container in the fridge.

Note: if using pecans set them aside combined with 2 T of chocolate mixture. Add them to the pans half way through cooking time. 

Low-fat Granola

5 Cups Oats
2 Cups Whole Almonds or other kind of nut
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Flax seed
1/2 to 1 Cup sweetened coconut 
1 T Cinnamon
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 to 1 Cup Apple Sauce
1 T Vanilla
1/2 C Honey, Agava or real maple syrup
2 T Oil

Instructions
Combine the first  6 ingredients then, in a separate bowl combine the next 4 ingredients. With a large spoon combine the two mixtures.Pour the mixture onto two large cookie sheets, spread out evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 300*. Stir and rotate the pans every 10 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and store in the fridge in a air tight container or zip lock bag.

• Hint: If using a softer nut you may want to add the nuts halfway through the cooking time rather than in the beginning.
• For more of a vanilla flavor use less cinnamon.

Multigrain Energy Bars

1/4C Dried Tart Cherries (opt.)
1/4C Crasins (opt.)
1/4C Dried Blueberries (opt.)
1/4C Chocolate Chips (opt.)
1/4C Toasted Salted Sunflower Seeds (opt.)
(A total of 1 cup of mix in's)
2C Rolled Oats
1/2C Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Cereal
1/2C Water (for the 7 Grain Cereal)
1/2C Honey
3/4 to 1C Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1-2T Chocolate Chips


1. Toast the oats under a low broiler, allowing them to turn a light golden brown before removing. Set aside to cool. Or use 2 cups of this Granola recipe in place of the oats.
2. Combine mix in's and chop finely.
3. Combine mix in's, oats (or Granola) to a large bowl and mix well.
4. Bring the 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add the 7-grain cereal, stir thoroughly, and remove from heat. Allow it to rest in the pan for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter, honey, salt, and vanilla to the pan and return to low heat, stir until well combined and warm.
5. Add the peanut butter mixture to the oat mixture and combine thoroughly.
6. Pour mixture into a medium baking dish. Cool for a bit then sprinkle the top of the mixture with
1-2T of Chocolate Chips.
6. Firmly press the mixture into the glass baking dish. Don't be shy about it. You want to compress it into the bottom of the dish so that the top becomes level. I use a flat metal spatula. Allow the dish to rest at room temperature for two hours or longer. The longer you wait, the firmer the bars will be when you cut them.
7. Cut into bars and enjoy. The bars should be firm enough to retain shape, but will give to pressure.
8. Wrap each bar individually and store in the fridge.