Crispy Breakfast Bars

I got the official superintendent approval letter in the mail yesterday, so I can officially celebrate. But, I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I just get so anxious anytime I think about that first day. I want to make a good first impression and hope that I live up to everyone's expectations. But I should just stop worrying and start preparing myself. No point in wasting my energy in something that might actually make things worse!

I haven't been cooking much these days. My mom cooked a TON of the amazing Gamjatang (Korean Pork Bone Soup) and I've been eating it for lunch and dinner. Though my mom cooks mainly Korean food, I have a very clear memory of her making homemade Rice Krispie treats when I was a kid. The traditional gooey crunchy bar that is a favorite amongst all, young and old alike. Nowadays, they've gone modern and updated everything. There are not only new flavors for the Rice Krispie treats, but also other cereal bars. But ignoring the fact that I don't know what most of the ingredients are, I still can't bring myself to grab one off the shelf because they're sweeter and pricier than I'd like. How easy is it to make more bars than they give you in the box for a pocket-friendlier price?



This recipe originally uses puffed cereal, but I wanted to use Cheerios, so they didn't quite live up to the "crispy" part of the name. I still liked the overall taste. I recently fell in love with almond butter, so this recipe was a plus with just the ingredient list. I would have liked to use honey, but I actually don't have it in the house (weird--we always keep it in the pantry... I guess it needs to be winter?) so I used light corn syrup. My dad thought these weren't sweet enough, but I thought it was perfect. Of course, the sweetness will differ depending on which cereal is used. I would like to change it up and see what other kinds of cereal I can made these out of.



Anytime I bit into the peanuts, I thought about the Peanut Bars made by Lance. I love those things. I think I should try making those at home too.



Crispy Breakfast Bars
From Vegetarian Times

7 cups puffed whole grain cereal (I used Cheerios)
1 1/2 cups combo of dried cranberries, raisins, or dried blueberries (I used a raisin nut mix)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup brown rice syrup or honey
3/4 cup almond butter
2 tbsp soy margarine or butter

Stir together cereal, dried fruits and cinnamon in large bowl.

Place syrup, almond butter and soy margarine in large, microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high, or until hot and margarine has melted. Stir well, then pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat.

Dampen hands with cold water. Press cereal mixture firmly into 9x9-inch square baking pan, re-wetting hands if necessary to keep mixture from sticking. Freeze 30 minutes. Cut into 15 bars, and store in refrigerator.