Sweet and Salty Peanut Granola Bars

These Sweet and Salty Peanut Granola Bars are a delicious on-the-go snack. They're full of protein to keep you going all morning long!

What a week!  I apologize for the sporadic posts here this week.  Our internet has been acting wonky.  It works well during the day, but for some reason at night it doesn't seem to work.  Of course, I do most of my blog writing at night, and when I can't get on to schedule posts I am stuck!  We're working on figuring out a solution: buying a new router or switching internet providers.  In the meantime, I'll post as often as I can get the internet to work.

To add to the stress of the week, Summer has been teething and it's causing her to not act like herself.  She's incredibly clingy and somewhat irritable.  Definitely not my typically happy baby.  I can see her right incisor showing through the top of her gum, but it has yet to poke through.  In the meantime, I'm giving her lots of teething toys, teething tablets, and plently of cuddles.  It's hard to be a baby...

While I'm dealing with all the stressors of life (did I mention my car wouldn't start yesterday morning?), I don't have time or energy to make healthy food choices.  I turn to quick freezer meals for lunch, cookies for snack, and fast food for dinner.  Since I know that isn't good for me, I'm trying to be intentional about making healthier choices.

One of the ways I've been successful is by creating this homemade version of one of my favorite granola bars.  I've been hooked since I bought my first box a few months back and I eat a granola bar every day for my morning snack.  One day I decided that I could probably make my own granola bar and it would be healthier and tastier than the one I was buying.  I whipped up this batch during nap time (though it was easy enough, I could have done it while Summer was playing) and I was impressed by the taste of them.  I haven'te done a calorie comparision between these homemade bars and the storebought ones, but I know the ingredients in these bars are much better for me!  Mike and my dad also gave these bars two thumbs up, so I know they're a winner!

Sweet and Salty Peanut Granola Bars

Makes 1 9x13" pan

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup peanuts
1 cup oats
2 cups cheerios
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tablespoons coconut oil

1.  In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and agave nectar.  Microwave for 30 seconds to melt peanut butter and then stir until smooth.

2.  Add the peanuts, oats, and cheerios and stir until coated.

3.  Press mixture into a greased 9x13" pan.

4.  In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter an coconut oil.  Microwave for 30 seconds and then additional 10 second increments until the coconut oil is melted.  Stir until smooth.

5.  Use a spatula to spread the peanut butter mixture over the bars.

6.  Refrigerate until the topping is set, then cut into bars and serve.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to prevent topping from melting.