Good Morning Breakfast Bars!

My favorite thing to make for the family for breakfast is some type of breakfast bar and a smoothie.

I like making bars because they are:

• quick,
• not too messy,
• portable, if necessary,
• can be made ahead,
• and are VERY versatile.

Here's the recipe for the breakfast bars I made this morning.  I love it because you can basically use anything you have on hand and tailor the ingredients to the eating style of your family.

Good Morning Breakfast Bars

2 cups oats
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, or other nut of your choosing
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, or more nuts if you don't have sunflower seeds on hand
1 Tablespoon flax seeds
1 cup cereal of your choice
2 cups dried fruit of your choice
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup sucanate, raw sugar, turbinado, brown sugar, whatever
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350.  Coat 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray
• Spread oats, nuts, seeds in pan.  Bake ~ 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
• Combine cereal and dried fruit in bowl.  
• Combine nut butter, "sugar," honey, vanilla, and salt in saucepan.  Turn to medium-low.  This is going to come to a boil.  
• While it's heating up, add your oats, seeds, and nuts to the cereal and dried fruit.
• Let the sugar combo come to a boil for 2-5 minutes.  When it kind of begins to gloop, you know it's good.  
• Immediately add this combo to your oats and seed combo and quickly mix it together.
• Press it back into your 9" x 13" pan pressing down with a rubber spatula or your fingers.
• If you're in a hurry, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes, or the fridge for 30 minutes.  Cut into bars, and watch them disappear!  Yum!

What's your breakfast routine like in your family?  Do you have a go-to recipe to share?