Easy Homemade Granola Bars

For all of you health-crazies out there (like me!), this is a simple granola bar recipe that you can feel good about eating.

I found a similar recipe on another blog and adapted it a little to better fit my taste. I have to say that I tried making it with evaporated milk instead of condensed milk and it didn't turn out very well. I also used an 11x7 pan, which made them too thick and too crumbly because the evaporated milk was really thin and settled at the bottom, leaving the top too crumbly to eat like a granola bar. And it didn't occur to me that the milk is the only binder in the recipe...duh! I also have to say that I don't like coconut at all, but it softened plenty during baking and didn't bother me.

1 14-fluid oz can condensed milk
2 1/2 cups "Old Fashioned" rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9x13 inch baking pan or just use a disposable aluminum foil one.
2. Warm the condensed milk in a small pan on the stove or in a microwave safe dish for 90 seconds.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the oiled or foil pan and press down with an oiled spatula or, better still, your hands to make the surface even.
5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

Makes 16