Granola Bars

Granola Bars
By, Alton Brown

Ingredients
8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Instructions
Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

The Gospel

I never want there to be any confusion about why I blog. I want to be honest with you. This is the point where I tell you that God designed you to be in relationship with Him, to love God with your whole heart and to worship and trust Him. Because of our nature, we are separated from God; we disobey God and go our own way. We fail at loving God with our whole heart. But, the good news is that God sent Jesus Christ to pay the punishment for our crime and raised Him from the dead so that we could be reconciled to God. In Jesus we have the free gift of God's grace, we're set free from slavery to sin, and we're given a new heart to love God like we should. We joyfully await the return of our King Jesus, when we will finally live in His presence face to face. Why the wait? Because God is patient and kind and wants many to come to salvation.

We must repent and trust Jesus. How do you Receive Jesus Christ?
1. Admit your need for forgiveness and peace.
2. Be willing to turn from your sins, believing that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
3. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to forgive your sins & be your Savior.

If you're already trusting in Him, that’s awesome!! Do not waste your life, go out and live each moment on mission to spread the good news of His grace and His soon coming return.