SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL BREAKFAST MONTH!

Happy National Breakfast Month! - Breakfast is the first meal of the day and did you know the word Breakfast came about because it means breaking the fast after one has not eaten (fasted) since the night before. Most of us really love breakfast but since our lives are so fast pace.... we seldom get to sit down and enjoy breakfast like we would like too. These delicious protein packed bars are great for a breakfast on the go!

Help your kids bake up a big batch of these crowd-pleasing treats with this easy recipe from American Girl Cooking by Williams-Sonoma.

These granola bars taste way better than anything you can buy at the store. Substitute your favorite nuts and dried fruits for the ones listed below, but make sure the nuts you use are raw, not roasted or toasted, since they will cook in the oven.
Makes 16

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw whole almonds
1⁄2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1⁄4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1⁄2 cup dried currants or raisins
1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
2⁄3 cup honey
1⁄4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper, extending the paper up and over the sides on two sides. Butter the paper.

• On a rimmed baking sheet, combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Bake, stirring once or twice, until just golden, about 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in currants and cranberries and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

• In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook about 30 seconds, or until butter is fully melted. Pour the mixture over the oat mixture and stir gently until evenly moistened. Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish and let cool slightly.

• Using dampened hands, press the mixture into an even layer. Bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Set the baking dish on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the granola out of the pan and place directly on the rack. Let cool completely.

• Transfer the granola onto a cutting board. To cut the bars, make three evenly spaced lengthwise cuts and 3 evenly spaced crosswise cuts across the granola. Serve the bars right away, or store in an airtight container up to five days.

Written by Audrey Kingo for Working Mother and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

We are pairing these granola bars with our some of our favorite flavored coffees...French Vanilla, Vermont Maple or Pumpkin Spice Coffee!