Iowa recipe: Honey peanut butter bars

When I was at the Iowa State Fair last year, I picked up a recipe brochure from the Iowa Honey Producers Association booth.  This recipe, from the 2011 Iowa Honey Queen Ellie Johnson, is very kid-friendly and easy to make.  The Honey Queen (yes, that's her real title), says her grandma used to make these bars when she stopped to visit.

I couldn't stop eating these bars, I loved them so much.  And with the Cheerios, honey and peanut butter, I think they make a good snack for adults, too, after a work out.  My husband, however, wasn't a big fan of these bars because he doesn't like Cheerios.  (I think his mom fed him too many sugar-free cereals as a kid.)

Give this recipe a try, and be sure to use local honey, if possible.  Let's support those beekeepers out there!

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Honey Peanut Butter Bars

From the 2011 Iowa Honey Queen

• 3 C. miniature marshmallows
• 2 T. butter or margarine

Microwave on high for one minute, then add:

• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. peanut butter
• 1/2 C. honey

Microwave on high 1 minute. Mix in 4 C. or more Cheerios cereal

Spread and pat lightly in an oiled 9x13-inch pan. Cut in bars when cool.