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It won’t surprise you to learn that I spend a fair amount of my down time drooling over foodie blogs and web sites. Sometimes I read them properly; sometimes I just browse for recipes. The smitten kitchen, one of the most popular foodie sites on-line, is always worth a read. Turns out Deb and I have a few things in common. She is married with one child, a son. And her husband is also named Alex. On a recent post she admitted to asking, “What would Alex eat?” before deciding what to make.

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I decided that was worth a try, too. After all, I make a lot of cakes. Which is not terribly good for my waistline, because most of the time, I end up eating them for breakfast, or giving them away, because Alex doesn’t really get that excited. But whenever I make biscuits, shortbread or slice, he really does! Perhaps because he’s a grazer and cookies are snack-size. Or perhaps it’s because they’re more likely to include chocolate. Either way, it was time to set my culinary ambitions on lunchbox snacks.

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So I made these bars last week, and have been pleased to see them disappear into Alex’s bag every day before he leaves for work. Win! They’re kind of healthy, but on reflection, a lot of stuff on this blog is. Plus, they hold together a lot better than most muesli bar recipes out there, which makes them very portable. These bars are like breakfast on the run… Indeed, if you have made my Maple Toasted Muesli you will no doubt have all the ingredients already stocked in the pantry, and be ready to go!

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If you’re feeling really crazy, you could even drizzle the cooled bars with melted chocolate. I think I will… next time… after all, that really is what Alex would eat!

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Homemade Muesli Bars {no-bake}
The original recipe was made in a slice tin, but I found it too thin and crunchy. This way, made in a smaller tin, it’s thicker and therefore more chewy.

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup sesame seeds (I added in a few poppy seeds, for good measure)
½ cup sunflower kernels
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup sultanas, dried cranberries and chopped dried apricots
125g butter
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar

Method
Grease and line a 5cm deep, 23cm x 23cm (9 x 9 inch) baking pan with baking paper. Cook oats, coconut, wheat germ, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in sultanas and other dried fruit.

Cook butter, honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring, for 7 minutes or until mixture forms a soft ball when a little is dropped into ice-cold water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Spoon mixture into pan. Use a large metal spoon to press down firmly. Allow to cool. Cut into squares. Store in a foil-lined airtight container for up to 7 days.

Adapted a little from Taste.com.au

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