"Granola" Bars

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit. I was down with a really bad cold and then my mother-in-law was in town and we've had birthdays... Whew! It's been a bit crazy, but things are winding down now.

I had an idea for an easy "granola" bar that's a spin-off of rice krispy treats. There is something in a rice krispy treat that satisfies something deep down in my soul. There's just something so delightfully wonderful about that sweet chewiness... MMM!

Lately, I've been using the Arrowhead Mills brand of puffed rice for my rice krispy treats. I love this stuff because it's actually the whole grain of rice you're eating, not rice powder blended into a paste and made into rice-like shapes. So, not only is it whole grain, but it's also brown rice, and when you make rice krispy treats with this stuff it actually tastes like you're eating something other than air and marshmallows! Amazing!

Okay, enough with the slathering of praise. Let's get on to the recipes:
They are essentially the same except for the extra add-ins for the granola bars.

Whole Grain Puffed Rice Marshmallow Treats
(a long name, I know, but it's not really rice krispies unless we use that cereal, is it? lol)

1/4 cup butter (sometimes I use less)
1 pkg. mini marshmallows
1 - 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 - 1 pkg. Arrowhead Mills puffed brown rice cereal

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the mini marshmallows and stir until mostly melted. Add the peanut butter and stir in until smooth. Remove from heat. Add about half the package of puffed rice. You might need to add more or less depending on the ratio of marshmallow to cereal you like. Stir until the cereal is coated well. While still hot, pour into a greased cake pan. With greased hands, press the mixture until it's flat and even. Wait to eat until cooled... or not!

"Granola" Bars

1/4 cup butter (sometimes I use less)

1 pkg. Mini marshmallows

1 - 2 Tbsp. peanut butter

1 pkg. Arrowhead Mills puffed brown rice cereal

1 cup rolled oats, toasted*

1 cup lightly salted almonds, toasted & chopped

1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips, optional

*I toasted these in on a dry cookie sheet in a 350º oven for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the mini marshmallows and stir until mostly melted. Add the peanut butter and stir in until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the oats, raisins, and almonds and stir in. Add about half the package of puffed rice. You might need to add more or less depending on the ratio of marshmallow to cereal you like. Stir until everything is coated well. While still hot, pour into a greased 13"x9" cake pan. With greased hands, press the mixture until it's flat and even. When cooled, cut into bars and wrap individually or serve as is.

Note: You might want to leave out the peanut butter since I didn't feel it went very well with cranberries. I made mine with raisins and it was okay with the peanut butter taste. You might even want to add in lightly salted peanuts!