Munch Bars

 This is an easy recipe to make for hungry campers - at home or at Eagle Bay Camp, which is where this recipe comes from.  For this week I am out volunteering in Chef Todd's kitchen, and as always I am having a lot of fun, meeting some great people, and learning some new recipes!  This one comes together really quickly and requires no baking, which is great for the summer.  You can also vary the ingredients to what you have on hand and/or what your family prefers.  I made these this morning for some hungry campers and I plan on making some of these for an upcoming family camping trip.  Thank you to Chef Todd for sharing this recipe.

 Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (we used quick oats)

4 cups rice krispies

2.5 cups coconut

2.5 cups sunflower seeds

2.5 cups dried cranberries

2/3 cups butter or margarine

1 Tb. vanilla

1.25 cups chocolate chips

15 cups marshmallows

 Combine rolled oats, rice krispies, coconut, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.  Measure out the chocolate chips, but set aside.  Do the same with the vanilla.  In a large pot, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.  When melted, take off the heat and add vanilla and stir.  Add all other ingredients, except chocolate chips.  Stir well.  Add chocolate chips and stir.  Press into greased pan (we used a large cake pan; depending on how thick you want them you could use 2 9 by 13 pans or 1 9x13 and a square pan).  Allow to cool.

 Slice into bars and serve or wrap individually for later.  One large pan made 36 bars.

Ready for the campers!

Cook's Notes:  To make this gluten free, use gluten-free oats, real vanilla, and check ingredients in marshmallows and chocolate chips.