Hike prep -- trail bar recipes

Here’s a couple of the recipes that I found online after the combined shock of the price tags and the ingredients lists on commercial products sent me stomping back into the kitchen. Mom Johnson made sure her son knew how to fend for himself.

Carrot Walnut Oat Bars

Courtesy Daphne Oz -- posted on The Chew (http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/)

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• ¼ cup walnuts, toasted {Lazy cook here, I skipped the toasting}
• 3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups ripe bananas, mashed {so these are actually CWO Banana Bars?}
• 3 Tbsp almond butter {peanut butter works just as well for me}
• 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil, plus extra to grease the pan.
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup { I used 1 Tbsp agave instead}
• ⅔ cups grated carrot

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish with the coconut oil, then grease a sheet of parchment paper and line the pan with it. {Works great, bars lift right out and cleanup is a snap!}

In a food processor --

• Grind: oats, walnuts, flaxseed.
• Combine with: coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Combine with: bananas, nut butter, coconut oil, and syrup.
• Mix in carrots.

Press batter firmly into baking dish with a big metal spoon and smooth flat. Bake for 15-20 minutes; lift paper to check underside, should be slightly browned.  Cool before cutting.

16 bars, 160 calories each. Considering the ingredients, freezing them seems best until they are packed up to go.

I may try more flaxseed next time to raise the amount of protein.

Quinoa Granola Bars

Courtesy Sarah -- posted on her website at http://feastforallseasons.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond {peanut!} butter
• ¾ cup honey, maple syrup, or {¼ cup!} agave
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup raw quinoa
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup hemp hearts, optional {good thing, I couldn’t find any at the store}
• ¾ cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup dried fruits of choice, blueberries, cherries, &c. {Costco has a good selection.}
• ¼ cup chia seeds {lots of protein in these}
• ¼ cup poppy seeds {I subbed more chia seeds instead}
• ¼ cup flax seeds {Even more chia seeds}

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease a baking dish with the coconut oil, then grease a sheet of parchment paper and line the pan with it.

Combine nut butter, syrup, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and mix.

Press batter firmly into baking dish with a big metal spoon and smooth flat. Bake for 20-25 minutes; lift paper to check underside, should be slightly browned.  Cool before cutting.

30 bars, Sarah’s recipe says. I must have cut mine too large. Her recipe says refrigerate, but I froze them and let them thaw out. First couple were a little crunchy.

Savory Oat Bars With Olives and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Courtesy Anja -- posted with copyright restrictions on her website. Here's the link: http://www.anjasfood4thought.com

These are a good dietary counterweight to chomping thousand of calories of nut butter.