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Yummy Oat Bars

Hello all.  I recently made some oatmeal bars that I have really 
enjoyed, so I wanted to share the recipe.  I thought that I got it from 
the archives, but I couldn't find it there, so I may have gotten it at a 
different site.  So, I'll just copy what I have and put my notes at 
the end...

Breakfast Cookie Bars  from 'Cooking With the Left Side of the Brain'

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup apple juice
0.25 cup wheat germ
1 cup dried fruit, packed and chopped
0.75 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbls. brown sugar
0.5 tsp. salt
0.5 cup fat substitute (mashed bananas, berries, pureed pears, get 
creative!)

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9x13 (or a little smaller) pan with 
nonstick spray.  Mix all ingredients, pat thinly on bottom of pan, 
sprinkle with extra cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes.  WAIT TO COOL 
before removing or they will crumble.

My Notes:  I made these once before and didn't really like them.  I 
think I used applesauce for the fat that time.  This time I used one 
ripe banana and loved them.  It didn't give them a banana flavor.  I 
also used half raisins and half dates for the fruit -- a combo I love!  
I also used Quaker Quick&Hearty Microwave style that comes in individual 
packets because it was all I had.  I used about 2/3 cup apple juice plus 
water to make a cup, because I ran out.  As you can tell, I find it 
pretty difficult to leave well enough alone when it comes to a recipe!  
Also, this batter becomes very hard to stir -- I added the fruit last 
and had to use my hands to get it in, and then to get it all into the 
pan.  My hands were covered with sticky stuff, but it was worth it, not 
to use butter or anything.  My bars also stuck in the pan a bit, but I 
always wipe my spray back out with a paper towel, so that could be why. 
 I have really enjoyed these.  I keep them in the fridge, then pop them 
in the microwave for 20 seconds for breakfast, snack, dessert, or 
whatever.  They are great for my sweet tooth and still taste pretty 
wholesome, too.  I actually much prefer them to higher fat, refined 
sweets.

If anyone else tries these and comes up with a yummy variation of fat 
substitute and fruit, please let me know.  Also, if any of you try these 
and enter them into one of those nutritional analysis programs, I'd love 
to know the results.  I think they'd score pretty well, especially for 
such a scrumptious treat.

I hope you guys like these.  The fruit makes them very sweet, without a 
whole lot of added sugar -- I bet kids would love them!

Keep up the wonderful posts

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