Happy weekend! It’s funny, but for me weekends don’t really mean a lot anymore. I mean, they’re nice and all, and sometimes I have exciting plans. But because I blog and write and don’t have a 9 to 5, five days a week job, my schedule is flexible.
My weekend is sometimes in the middle of the week. If I want to go shopping on a Monday, as long as I am sure my work is done, there’s no problem heading to the mall. Similarly when I have a lot to do on the actual weekend, I work.
And yeah, some days I’m one of those people that doesn’t even know what day it is. I don’t know how that happened. It is often inconsequential to me what day it is. Until it hits me that I am supposed to post on a certain day . . . and it is that certain day. Oops!!!!
There is something about weekends that just feels different though, a little special even. I want to watch movies and take an extra-long walk. I like eating a fun meal. Doing something memorable.
What’s your schedule like? Are weekends important to you? What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
If you like a treat, as I do, you have to check out these Rocky Road Granola Bars. Part healthy treat, part indulgent delight, these make a perfect weekend breakfast, lunch, or snack, especially if you are on the go, enjoying the time with fun plans.
Ooey, gooey, and sticky, the flavor of the honey shines through, while the walnuts add texture and the carob chips really add that intense chocolaty flavor. Of course, if you are not allergic to chocolate, feel free to use whatever chocolate chips you like. I think semi-sweet or bitter-sweet would work best. Plus, these can easily be made gluten free if you use gluten free oats! Weekends are about to get a lot more exciting with these bars!
Rocky Road Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 10 ounce bag regular sized marshmallows (minus the two or three I ate 😉 )
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups quick cooking oats, gluten free if necessary
- ½ cup walnuts
- ¾ cup carob chips
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows, honey, and peanut butter on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted.
- Stir in the vanilla. Add the oats and stir until they are fully combined. Allow mixture to cool for about 3 minutes. Add the walnuts and carob chips and stir until fully incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Allow to cool at room temperature for about two hours before cutting into bars. Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or individually frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour.
Notes
Additional cooling time is necessary
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
I’m a huge granola bar fan!! They’re great for snacks and a healthier option for dessert when you want a treat but not all of the calories of a big ol’ piece of cake 🙂
Or when you want to feel better about eating the cake 😉
Since I work from home, weekends don’t mean the same to me either. They just mean the hubs is home and I have less time to work on what I need to!
Isn’t that the truth! When my dad’s around, I love it, but I feel like my whole schedule is thrown off.
Weekends often mean work! I edit photos and do photo shoots because my husband can watch Lu. These granola bars look so good!
This ia wonderful idea for a healthy snack but that taste good! 🙂
I don’t have a standard work week either–the only reason weekends have any meaning to me is because they’re Michael’s days off. But I usually work. So..meh.
I love rocky road anything and the idea of them in granola bars is so deliciously genius!