Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Bin's breakfast bars

This is Sheri's sister's recipe for homemade chewy granola bars. They're loaded with every good thing, they're filling, and you know exactly what's in them (no chemicals! no high fructose corn syrup!). They're perfect for our family theme this week!

The recipe is very flexible. You can make it gluten-free with GF flour blends (we like Bob's Red Mill) instead of the flour and wheat germ. You can make it vegan by subbing the eggs with egg replacer (we like EnerG) or a flax slurry, and using maple syrup or agave syrup. You can choose other nut/seed butters. You choose the add-ins – check the suggestions at the end of the recipe for some tried-and-true combinations.

After cutting the bars, wrap them individually, either in snack size zipper bags or in plastic wrap. Then put all of the individual packages in a large zipper bag, and store them in the freezer. They thaw quickly.

The bars travel well to school or work, and are great on car trips.

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Bin's Breakfast Bars

Yellow * Makes 24 bars

2/3 cup pure maple syrup (or honey or agave)

1 cup natural cane sugar

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, softened (such as Earth Balance)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin, or mashed bananas

1 cup of natural peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)

4 eggs (or egg replacer)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup wheat germ

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2-1/2 cups total of any of the options listed below

Add in options:

Coconut

Nuts

Chocolate chips

Dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 11×17 jellyroll pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together syrup, sugar, margarine, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, mix together cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, oats, and flour.

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Fold in the additional ingredients that you have selected from the optional list. Do not over mix.

Spread mixture evenly in pan. Bake on center rack for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes on wire rack before slicing.

Makes 24 large breakfast bars. These bars can be frozen. Cut them up and put them in snack size zip-lock baggies. Place those in 3 large zip-locks to freeze. Remove as needed. They thaw quickly and this keeps them fresh.

Good combination – dairy-free chocolate chips, dried cranberries and pecans. Do this with applesauce or banana.

Good with pumpkin – dairy-free chocolate chips, coconut, pecans or walnuts.

It's okay to leave out the peanut butter, especially if you're using the pumpkin.