I think we've all come across an "Indian Giver"...you know, that friend or relative who gives you something...only to want it back later, or to expect something in return. The nerve, right? Well readers, I have a confession to make. I miiiiight have done a little "Indian giving" when it came to these granola bars. I'll let you be the judge.

When Ryan and I were in Maine, we fell in love with Stonewall Kitchen. Their products were everywhere and we sampled just about every dip, salsa, and jam they had to offer. Needless to say, I was pumped to find Stonewall Kitchen products at our local HomeGoods (love that store!) and snatched up a jar of cranberry-orange butter to put in Ryan's stocking for Christmas.

When two months had passed and he still hadn't broken it open, I couldn't take it anymore. While he was away on a business trip I decided to whip up these granola bars and use a little bit of the cranberry-orange butter. Turns out I needed the entire jar. Oops. So tell me, does this make me an Indian Giver?! At least I made the bars for him, that counts for something, right?!

These were awesome (Not that I would know..because I made them only for Ryan. Riiiight). They were just as chewy as anything you'd buy from Quaker and they were full of healthy ingredients. You could easily change up the nuts, seeds, or dried fruits in here. Apple butter would be an equally good replacement for the cranberry-orange butter. I plan to hit up HomeGoods to stock up on some more Stonewall Kitchen goods. Next time I'll buy multiple jars, so that Ryan can enjoy and I can use for baking!

One Year Ago: Bookworm Cupcakes

Cranberry-Orange Butter Granola Bars
inspired by GoodLife Eats

Ingredients:
-2 cups old-fashioned oats
-1/2 cup wheat germ (could omit and substitute an additional 1/2 cup oats)
-3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
-1/2 cup dried cranberries
-1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped into pieces
-1/3 cup honey
-1 cup cranberry-orange butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruit. Stir in honey and cranberry-orange butter (I used my electric mixer for this, but you could easily do by hand).
3. Press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Place pan into freezer and allow to chill completely.
4. Remove foil-lined bars from pan and cut into desired pieces.