Homemade Granola Bars

I was at the grocery store last night picking up a few staples...onions, potatoes, etc.  I wanted to get a few items to snack on at home and for school lunches.  I'm so tired of the same old things and there are so many preservatives in everything.  There are some things that you don't think are in there too, but the manufacturers disguise them under different names.  Take MSG for example....many of us know it's not good for us and try to avoid it.  It gives me headaches, as does Aspartame.  But did you know that something can say "MSG Free" and still have MSG in it?  It may be written as "Autolyzed Yeast" or "Autolyzed Protein" or some other name...there are lots of them.  Even processed organic foods can have these things in them!  For a great informational read, check out The Elephant Journal .

So back to my shopping....I got the great idea to make my own granola bars instead of buying them at the store. I figured it had to be relatively easy.  This morning, I did a search for homemade granola bars and found this great recipe which I can't wait to try!  It received a large amount of great reviews and the recipe is simple to adjust using other ingredients you may already have on hand.  It's from Ina Garten of Food Network...which I love!  Check it out....

Homemade Granola Bars on the Food Network