Granola Bars - Attempt #6

I set to cooking on Labor Day.  I was inspired by two recipes on The Chic Life by Diana.

First, I made her Green Monster muffins!  I used the vegan recipe but regular yogurt....so they still weren't vegan.  I just like the idea of using yogurt instead of an egg.  I also used half sucanat and half brown rice syrup for the sugars.  Then I made an error.....I read TABLESPOONs instead of teaspoons on the baking powder.  I quickly realized my error and scooped all the powder out that I could and remeasured.  This error left the muffins just slightly more potent than they should have been.  I still love them though! I will be making these over and over.  So dense and moist....and good for you!  The lemon zest (which I didn't measure, just zested a whole large lemon) is probably my favorite part....aside from the beautiful green color. 

Next, I made Chic Bars!  I followed the recipe almost to a T.  I had to omit the cinnamon for my hubby, so I added just a touch more vanilla.  They have a lovely vanilla aroma and smell thanks to the extra half teaspoon.  I also added some pepitas (because I had them and love the color of them!) and swapped the whole flax seed for ground.  That's it!  I love the texture of the finished product.  They are chewy, crunchy, and not too sticky...which a lot of the other bars I've made have been. 

 These are great recipes that I will be making again!  I hope you do too.