deceptively delicious

315 entries in Webster’s Dictionary are misspelled.  If the dictionary is misspelling that many words, can you imagine how many words are misspelled in books and blogs and newspapers and birthday cards?

And then I wonder, can something truly be misspelled in the dictionary? I mean, if the dictionary claims a word is spelled b-a-n-a-n-n-a, then maybe we should all follow suit and use the double n?  What do you think?

I suppose this is quite a bit of musing on something not entirely related to what I want to write about today: the battle between deceptively delicious pictures and actually delicious recipes.  Sure, sometimes the final product ends up being as “every-bite-is-heaven” as the photograph, but, every now and again, I feel truly duped.  Am I the only one?

This story begins yesterday when I went to buy I Am Malala for my new book club.  Per usual, I got a little distracted in the book store and found 2 other books I want to read (Orphan Master’s Son and The Circle) and a sweet Valentine’s Day books for my little cousins.

Headed for the checkout, however, I was distracted yet again by a gorgeous cookbook.  I set down my purchases, flipped through the pages, and decided that some oatmeal marshmallow cranberry seed bars would be on my table come nightfall.

Sounds like a good afternoon, right?  Well, well, well.  This where deception comes into play.  Take a good look at the photo above, and now see what I made in the kitchen yesterday:
Similar? I think not.  It made me wish I hadn’t been lured into cooking by a pretty picture.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have strayed away from my tried-and-true granola recipe?  I suppose there is a fine balance between making and remaking your favorites (like when you’re sharing) and experimenting in the kitchen.

Anyway, I want to share my good old reliable granola bars here so that you can avoid making similar cookbook mistakes.  The granola bars below are truly as good as they look (if they look terrible then scratch that – they are just simply good).

Good news: they are also easy as pie (is pie easy for you? This is a terrible expression).

Recipe adapted from Good Life Eats:

Granola Cranberry Raisin Bars:
1/3 c chocolate chips
1/3 c raisins
1/3 c craisins
1/3 c walnuts
1 c applesauce
1 c agave
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1 tspn vanilla extract
2½ cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 325 and grease an 8×8 baking pan.  Mix all ingredients besides chocolate chips in a large bowl.  When the mixture is smooth, fold in the chocolate chips.  Place mixture in bowl and bake for 20 minutes.  When the oats are done baking, place in the freezers for 1 hour.  When the oat mixture is firm, remove from freezer and cut into bars.  Makes 8 delicious bars that you will probably eat all at once.