Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I just started school this past Monday. Super later right? Needless to say, I am not back in the full swing of things. This semester, I'm trying to eat healthier. My first step to accomplish this is to not eat out as much. Let's be serious, as a grad student I pretty much live in the business school building. I take naps there and stay from 7am to 10pm most days. That means most of my meals come from the fast-food restaurants near by. I don't pick the most unhealthy options... mostly sushi, pita and hummus, salads, once in awhile maybe some mexican, etc... but I know what I make at home can be a lot healthier, much more satisfying, and of course (let's not forget) cheaper. With this goal in mind, I started buying snacks that I can bring along that won't spoil, such as bananas, trail mix, and crackers. However, I still want to get my baking groove on so that's where these granola bars came from. The oats and wheat germ make me feel like I'm eating something healthier than my normal potato chips from the vending machine. But, the chocolate and the peanut butter make me feel like I'm eating something I like. When you're trying to eat somewhat healthier, you don't want to feel like you're eating cardboard. Let me tell you, these granola bars taste NOTHING like cardboard. They're moist and chewy and full of flavor. The best part is that they're filling and satisfying. After 1-2 small squares I'm good to go for a few hours. I definitely recommend the peanut butter and chocolate chip combination but feel free to add or substitute other ingredients or spices to your liking!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled old-fasioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the honey, egg, vegetable oil, peanut butter, and vanilla. Using a large spoon, incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread with the spoon so that it's even. If you want a thicker bar, don't use the entire pan, leave an inch at the end. The mixture doesn't spread during baking so you can leave as much room as you want. Bake at 350F for 18 minutes or until the edges are browned. Cool for 5 minutes and then cut into squares. Store in tupperware.

Makes approximately 24 squares.

Source: Recipe adapted from my friend Andy who found the recipe at All Recipes