Healthy-ish Oatmeal Bars

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Pecans, Chopped (or any nut you like)
1/2 Cup Dried Fruit (any combination you like- raisins, craisins, dates, cherries, strawberries, apples, coconut)
1/4 Cup Milled Flax Seed (or other seeds- pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/4 Cups Milk
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
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Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Mix wet ingredients together. Add in dry ingredients. Pour into a 9x9 or 8x11 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool, then remove from pan and cut into 9 pieces (using a pizza cutter works great).

With having a new baby I'm struggling to find time to eat. These have become a must-have for me. They are quick to throw together, very portable and they hold me over for a while. I think they taste best slightly warm so I reheat them for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. The great thing is you can make them as healthy or unhealthy as you like, depending on what you choose to add to them. And the possibilities of combinations are endless so you don't have to get tired of just one flavor.


*Recipe adapted from http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/baked-oatmeal-snack-bars

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Shortbread Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cheesecake:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TBSP)
1 pint of fresh blueberries

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Preheat oven to 350

Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, lightly grease foil. Mix butter, flour and powdered sugar together until crumbly. Press in the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool.

Reduce oven to 325

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula until evenly incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and gently spread into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes or until just set and the center no longer jiggles when the pan is tapped. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

I made these for the first time yesterday and, OH MY GOODNESS, they're DELICIOUS! I was looking for a recipe to use up a lemon and some blueberries I had and this was a definite winner. The original recipe (found here on Annie's Eats) called for a graham cracker crust but when I went to make it I discovered that I had no graham crackers and no graham cracker crumbs in the house. That's when I went to plan B and substituted a shortbread crust. It was so good I'll never make these any other way. I'm planning on making them again twice this week, for 2 different potlucks.

Peanut Butter Squares

Bottom Layer:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup melted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Top Layer:
1 bag *chocolate chips
2 spoonfuls peanut butter
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In an electric mixer combine peanut butter, butter and graham cracker crumbs. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Press in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan and set aside. Put chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir and put back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this process stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread evenly over the peanut butter layer and refrigerate until set.

This is a favorite recipe that I've had and made ever since I was like 12. These are super easy to make and everybody who tries these LOVES them!

*I like these with semi-sweet chocolate but my brother-in-law likes them with milk chocolate chips so lately I've been compromising and using 1/2 of each and they are delicious like that.