Energy Boost Bars

It's 3:30, and the kids are ravenous!  What's a mom to do?  Our kids certainly get their fill of packaged foods.  Goldfish is an old standby, that I am quite frankly sick of (think they are too).  The first thing they grab is anything in a cellophane package!  Yes, I do keep some in my pantry.  Most of the time, it happens to be a Nutri-grain bar.  Not terrible, but still, I'd rather they not gravitate toward these.  So, I've been trying to keep other types of snacks on hand for them to try.  This was a hit!  It was easy to make, simple ingredients, and the kids liked them!  I found this on familyfun.com.  I'm fairly certain I also found a way to add some flaxseed in their somewhere too!  (I try to add them in as much as I can, usually ground in a coffee grinder, which is strictly used for the purpose of grinding flaxseed.)

• 1 (8-ounce) bag almonds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups oats, quick-cooking
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking pan with canola oil. Grind the almonds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal.
   
2. Combine the ground almonds and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Using wet fingers, press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for 1 hour.
   
3. Allow the bars to cool thoroughly while they are still in the pan, then slice them. Makes 20.