G is for GORP Bars

G was the one letter of this week that didn't prove to be incredibly challenging for me.  I was torn between a groovy guacamole (I like alliterations!) or something that was goat cheese based, but in the end, after lots of consideration and recognizing that the avocados weren't quite ripe enough, the GORP won out.  

What is GORP you might ask?  Known to some as "Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts" and to others as an acronym for "Granola, Oats, Raisins and Peanuts", it is a word that seems to have come into circulation sometime in the early 1900's, as an alternative to Trail Mix.  I couldn't source who exactly coined the term but I like the word...and I think it's more fun for kids to say that a mouthful of healthy food words. I put my boys to the test yesterday and asked them to come up with some possibilities for the word GORP. They found this quite difficult and only managed "Great, Outstanding..." and then they gave up.

So, instead of traditional GORP we turned this into a bar.  Slightly easier to handle than a palmful of assorted goodies, the bar packages nicely for school.  Now, many schools are moving to a peanut-free status and if that is the case for you I might suggest making these with a cereal in place of the peanuts. If you prefer them to stay intact as they are, perhaps use these as an after-school snack in lieu of a lunch-box one, so we can keep our little ones with allergies safe.

I'm sure my avocados have ripened now, so add Guacamole to your list of "G" foods - and don't forget to let me know your suggestions for the 6th letter of the alphabet.  I'm entering all names into a draw for a foodie prize pack, awarded at the end of this feature (post-letter Z).  I'll also be compiling all of the suggestions into a printable A to Z cooking list for you and your little helpers to enjoy.  Have a wonderful day....

GORP Bars, my recipe

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup unsalted nuts (peanuts or pecans work nicely)

1 cup sultana raisins

1 cup unsweetened dried fruit

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter

~ Combine the nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins and dried fruit in a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.

~ Place the honey, chocolate and peanut butter in a medium saucepan set over low heat and warm until the chocolate has melted.

~ Pour over the nuts and seed mixture and mix until well combined.

~ Rub oil over at 9x13 baking pan and press the GORP mixture into the pan evenly.

~ Refrigerate until cold and solid (approx. 1-2 hrs) and then slice and serve or wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

~ Enjoy!

Comments

[maria]

Hi
Thanks for the gorp bars!
H is for honey certainly, but maybe combined with something unexpected ...honey and carrots?

[patsyk]

Love that you turned GORP into bars. So nice to add something fun to the lunchbox.

[Marley]

I've been looking for a granola bar (ish) recipe that includes items that don't require a trip to the grocery market, and this makes the cut! Thanks.
P.S. G for Granola Bread