Granola Bars

My family LOVEs granola bars.  I would buy 2-3 boxes a week and we would eat them like candy.  However I had the feeling that I was feeding my family candy...since the main ingredient of most granola bars is the dreaded ~ death-of-America ~ leading-cause-of-obesity, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.  (oh no, not high fructose corn syrup).  I stopped buying them...and we ate real candy instead.

Ok, that's only kind of how the story went.

But I was reading the paper one morning (back when we actually got the paper in the morning) and found this recipe for granola bars.  It's from the blog (which I should find and link) ThreeManyCooks, but I tweaked it a little bit to add more nuts...There's no high fructose corn syrup here...just sweetened condensed milk.  I'm sure that's SO much better for you...it's MILK after all. 

~ and my mom says, "anything with oatmeal in it is a health food." 

 ~ and if you eat wheat germ you get bonus points from the health fairies.  

~ Good Lord, these might just be the healthiest thing I will ever make. 

These are really yummy and can be wrapped in wax paper and taken on the road...yummy snack in the middle of a bike ride :)

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup nuts  (I use sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and chopped walnuts. You can mix and match...and even put in more than a cup)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use 1/4 cup peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips.  Again, you can mix and match)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  For easy removal, line a 9x9 pan with heavy-duty foil and grease foil with vegetable cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Dump into pan and pat down until firmly packed.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Cool to room temperature and pull out of pan using the foil. (The foil makes this SOOOO easy)  Cut into pieces...you could make them look like granola bars by making rectangles...but I like squares.  Store in an airtight container.  The recipe says they will last up to a week...but they are all eaten in a few days at my house...so I don't really know how long they will keep.