No-Bake Sunny Fudge Bars (vegan)

FYI: this post was lost on 5/12/11, and had to be reposted on 5/13/11, sorry about the confusion and loss of recipe. Hopefully everything is up and running again!

Well, so far it's been busy in the month of May, and it's not even half way over. I have to attend a graduation, two weddings, a wedding shower, end of the school year events, and so many other random commitments. May is like a holiday extravaganza! It's nuts! All happy, joyous occasions for sure, but still crazy! I guess I can't blame others for weddings... my husband and I will celebrate 6 years this month. Very exciting as well. I think if we were to plan our wedding again, I would say we should have gotten married in March... a slower time of the year. OK, I am mostly kidding. :) But May is a great time of the year with spring time leaves and flowers... and did I mention my vegetable plants growing and waiting to be planted. Yes, the goal is to have the garden planted and set by the last week of May. A good time, just busy.

So, when I was given a convenient gluten-free cereal to try and review , I was pretty excited. I had some leftover cereal from Nature's Path Organics ... the Crunchy Maple Sunrise, and it was so good that I had to make something more with it. That is how these quick yummy bars came into being, and did I mention, EASY!

Sunny Fudge Bars Recipe (vegan)

2 cups of cereal ( I used Nature's Path Organic Sunrise Crunchy Maple cereal)

1 1/2 cup of gluten-free rolled oats

optional additions: sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips (1/4 cup of any or all)

Mix the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and get the fudge ready to pour in and stir...

In a saucepan, mix on low heat:

1/2 cup of sunbutter (sunflower seed butter, or other nut butter will do)

1/4 cup of agave nectar, or a touch more if you want them sweeter

1/4 cup of non-dairy milk ( I used So Delicious coconut milk )

1/4 cup of Earth Balance-soyfree , or extra virgin coconut oil

2 TB of dark cocoa powder

After to mix the above ingredients on low-heat and they have become like a fudge sauce, pour the hot syrup over the cereal mix in the bowl. Mix well and pour into a greased (coconut oil or palm shortening) 8x8 pan. Press the cereal down kinda like you are making rice crispy treats. Then, cover and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but you can do more. (You can try the freezer to speed up chill time). Then when chilled and stiff, cut into square pieces and serve.

Pretty darn easy if you ask me. And a nice treat for a busy week of running around. Whole grains, and healthy fats, and a touch of cocoa will keep you moving for sure.

I better get back to working on the plants for the garden, so I can have lots of greens and veggies this summer. In the meantime, try and remember to take deep breaths and relax this month. It's a busy one! I think I am telling this more to myself than anyone else :)

Much love to you today as always!