Camping Granola Bars

I love when a new family tradition blossoms.  One of those for my family has been an annual cabin camping trip to Hanging Rock State Park.  A tradition within a tradition has been to have these yummy granola bars as part of that trip.  When the trip gets calendared the next thing out my kids' mouths is "You have to make those granola bars, Mom!"

Ingredients:
8 cups oats (we use old fashioned)
1 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup or honey
2 tsp. salt

Optional ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
chocolate chips
nuts
coconut
dried fruit
cinnamon
etc.

1.  Mix all together in large bowl.  Use your hands to evenly mix.
2.  Press firmly into a large, greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees until the bars are golden brown and have begun to bubble a little.
 At this point you can sprinkle chocolate, peanut butter, and/or vanilla chips across the top if you want to.  Allow them to melt and then spread in a thin layer.

3.  Cool completely and cut into bars.

Source:  Melissa Coombs' cookbook, The Hows and Whys of the Year Supply (Chat N Chew Granola Bars)

Notes:

• I doubled the original recipe in the amounts above, so you can easily half it if you need less bars.
• I like to wrap my bars in wax paper and tape closed.

Enjoying a rest at the top of a very long, very steep hike!