Toddler-speak can be so wonderful. There are words that my adult siblings and I use to this day that originate from something one of us said as children, which required some translation when J and I began dating. With littles of our own now, we use their words on the daily without batting an eye. I try to jot them down in my journal when a new phrase is introduced, just in case they don’t stand the test of time the way some did for my brothers and I.

In our house, granola bars are known as ‘rola bars. This is a Swee-ism that has been firmly adopted by the rest of us (though Beans tends to refer to everything as a “muffin” or a “tookie”). I like to make our own for a variety of reasons: no fake stuff, they’re cheaper, and it makes less trash. I’ve found that I have to take a break between batches because my people get sick of them, like anything else, so they’re not exactly a staple right now.

I made a pan not too long ago though, and took some along to a friend’s house where they were a hit. Her daughter even asked to have some packed in her lunch the next day, which is a definite seal of approval in my book. When they asked for the recipe, I thought that perhaps you would like to try them too!

This is one of those recipes that changes based on what we have in the house at the time. It calls for dried fruit, and I typically use raisins, but dates and cranberries are also yummy, and I usually slice up a fresh apple to toss in as well. My favorite version uses molasses, but you could opt for honey or maple syrup depending on what your price point is!