GRANOLA BARS W/ ALMONDS AND STICKY PRUNES

It's the second week of the school holidays - are you all surviving? Clémentine and I started the holidays with a quick visit to Canberra to see my family and then we've been back home enjoying lazy mornings in our p.j's, baking, playing with the chooks and wandering about the neighbourhood. Aside from my D I S C O school holiday activity for kids we have been laying low and loving it! 

Sometimes the thought of queuing up to get into museums, galleries and kid's shows is just so unappealing that its best to stay at home and make a cubby out of bed sheets, sweep up a pile of leaves to jump in, go to the local park or at times - turn on the t.v (Clémentine is loving Andy's Prehistoric Adventures).

At times it can be difficult with just one child, you worry about entertaining them and organising play dates, are they getting bored? Do they miss their Kinder friends? But then I realise all this time I've been worrying she's been in her room playing for a few hours creating an imaginary world of unicorns, ponies and a random lego character! And when she comes out to greet me and asks if we can bake then all is right in our little world.

GRANOLA BARS W/ ALMONDS AND STICKY PRUNES

These Almond and Prune Granola Bars were adapted from the wonderful Minimalist Baker blog which is on my high rotation list lately. The original recipe calls for dates but I had just used up the last of the dates so I opted for prunes - which made them just as sweet and delish! They also can be dipped in chocolate but we are cutting down on sugar and all things sweet plus Clémentine requested no chocolate, yes NO chocolate from a 4 year old? We are pretty lucky when it comes to pleads of junk food as its basically snake lollies, lollypops, babycinos with marshmallows and frosting-of course! These would also be super scrummy with dried figs or apricots. We ate the entire slab over the weekend......they are very Y-U-M.

1 cup oats ( the recipe calls for rolled but I only had quick oats on hand and they worked fine)

1/3 cup slivered almond

1/4 falxseed meal (I used L.S.A)

2/3 shredded coconut

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried fruit (dates, prunes, figs or apricots), chopped

2 tablespoons almond butter (or other nut/seed butter)

2 tabelspoons coconut oil.

1/4 cup maple syrup (or brown rice syrup)

Preheat oven to 170deg C

Grease a 8 x 8 square pan with coconut oil and line with baking paper.

Sprinkle oats and almond on a large baking tray and bake in oven for about 10 mins till lightly toasted, set aside to cool.

Reduce oven to 160deg C

In a large mixing bowl add flaxseed meal, coconut and salt.

Add chopped dried fruit and the toasted oats and nuts.

In a small saucepan add almond butter, coconut oil and maple syrup, stirring constantly heat the mixture on med heat until the oil has just melted,

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mix bowl and stir with a wooden or silicon spatula to combine.

Press the mixture evenly into the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Remove and let cool in the pan.

Cut into squares and enjoy!