Best Homemade Granola Bars

I have been searching for a homemade granola bar for a loooong time. None of them have been quite right. I tried these yesterday and these are the best yet - the perfect base with lots of options for mix-ins. This is from Food Network Magazine.

Base: Toss 3 cups rolled oats with 2 tbsp vegetable oil on a baking sheet and bake at 350 or until lightly toasted (about 20 mins). Let cool and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1 cup of base mix-ins (or combo of): nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, or coconut.

Goo: Combine 6 tbsp butter in a saucepan with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture will bubble and foam. Cook for 30 seconds and pour over oat base. Let cool slightly and add 1 cup of bar mix-ins (or combo of): dried fruit, chocolate chips, pretzels, cereal, etc.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour the bar mixture into the dish and press firmly with a rubber spatula.

Let stand at room temp until completely cool and firm enough to slice (1-3 hrs). Lift out of the dish, cut into bars, wrap in wax paper.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

For a girl who never ate a bean until college, I sure do love me some beans. Baked, sauteed, pureed...whatever. I had roasted chickpeas at a restaurant a few years ago, they were served at the table instead of bread and I loved them. I only recently made my own and they're really easy. And a really yummy, healthy snack.

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Pour the drained chickpeas onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels and pat dry. Let them sit for another 15 mins or so - make sure they're dry.

3. Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and mix with olive oil and your seasonings.

4. Pour the chickpeas back onto the baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan every 15 minutes or so that they're evenly roasted. Make sure they're crunchy before they come out...err on the long side, you don't want them to be mushy or gummy.

Kettle Corn - at home!

Cover your eyes!

I know, the idea of being able to make Kettle Corn at home is quite scary...for me it's disastrous. Craft fairs, football games, festivals - I wander them until I find the guy with the large homemade smoking steel vat. The glutton that I am, I always go for the biggest size. By the time I've OD'ed, I'm elbow deep in the long plastic bag and wishing I'd never see the stuff again. I'm now prohibited from buying it at Sox games - apparently Paddy can't handle my manic switch from utter glory to desperate sickness. Happens every time.

Ok, now peek through your fingers - here's how amazingly easy it is. I've long been a popcorn-on-the-stove maker - the microwave stuff is just too gross, sorry. This is a nice treat and a break from the usual.

1/2 cup popcorn
3 tbsp of canola oil or enough to lay a thick coating on the bottom of your medium sized pot
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp salt

1. Heat a medium sized pot and the oil over medium high heat.

2. Once hot, pour in the popcorn and the sugar. Put a lid on it. Give it a couple of good, hard shakes immediately.

3. Set back down on the stove and let it sizzle for 10-15 seconds with the top ajar. Close the lid and shake it again. Continue until the popcorn is popped.

*Once it stops popping - immediately pour it into a bowl and sprinkle the salt. If you leave it in the pot and/or on the stove, the sugar will caramelize and you'll have a big mess to clean up.

PS: I just at the whole bowl ;)