Chocolate Cherry Almond Granola Bars

I'm so glad the all of the Easter candy is gone from the house.  My thighs could not take one more mini egg.  They are already furious with me as it is.  Yes, I'm in trouble.  If there was ever a time for a healthy snack, this is it. 

Spring is here and it's time to get my act together.  The clock is ticking to Summer. Yes, I know I say this every Spring.  And yes, you and I both know this sudden burst of motivation won't last for long, but for now I must go with it.  We have one warm day around here and already people are running around in shorts and flip flops.  I am not quite ready for that yet! My toes aren't pedi-ready, and for the record I don't even own a pair of shorts.  Cute skirts I can do.  Shorts, no way.  But that's a whole other topic entirely.

So instead of beating myself up about a few extra Easter "lbs" I decided to just do something about it.  These granola bars are a start.  Ok, yes, they do have chocolate chips in them, but come on - I'm only human. At three o'clock coffee break, a girl has needs!


2 cups quick cooking oats (regular or whole wheat)
1 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries (I used the Craisons brand)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place the oats, almonds, cherries, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is finely chopped. 

I like to have some large almond pieces remain, but do it however you like.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla.  Add the oat mixture and chocolate chips.  Stir all ingredients together until well combined. 

Spread evenly into a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Use the back of a large spoon or spatula to flatten gently. 

Bake about 18 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.  Let cool completely in pan before slicing.

I promised my thighs that I would get out into the sunshine and start walking again.  It's been a while you know. This weekend the weather is supposed to be beautiful so we are going on a picnic.  My son wants to ride his bike and hopefully I will be running along beside him.  A little exercise won't kill me, right? Don't answer that.