| Amanda Paa | September 13, 2017 |

I’m writing this in-between unpacking from Canada and packing for tomorrow’s trip to Oregon, and cleaning. After all these years, I’m starting to realize my mom was right about how good it feels to return to an uncluttered house.

It’s going to be a busy month and a half for me. This work trip is the second of five between now and mid-October. That means not a lot of time at home, but lots of exploring, experiencing, and documenting. I’m ready for that, and grateful to have squeezed every last drop out of the Minnesota summer, staying put after my visit to Africa in June.

In thinking about needing wholesome snacks to avoid the “hangry traveler” scenario at all costs, I decided it was finally time to achieve soft and chewy, no-bake granola bar perfection. Because these types of bars don’t meet the oven, getting them to set properly while still being nice and chewy is a challenge. I’ve been working on the recipe for a few months, testing different binders, sweeteners, ratios, and finally found the salty-sweet flavor combined with the bendablity that I was looking for.

For the complete recipe, visit Amanda's blog, heartbeetkitchen.com.