Oatmeal Bars

Okay, so I love, love, love cookies! Actually I love anything that has even a remote amount of sugar in it. I'm not kidding you at all. I would eat sugar for every meal if my body would let me but unfortunately, I'm still trying to achieve that "perfect" size and it will never be achieved by eating this way. So, here I am trying to make my sweets a little more rational. I'm big on taking a recipe and substituting anything I can that will make it more healthy. I often do go too far to where the food I'm trying to make more healthy tastes nothing like the real thing. I'm trying to learn that balance! I love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, so I thought I'd try substituting in some of those grains that are so packed with nutrition and see if anyone would notice. To my great surprise no one noticed and the family ate the whole pan! Wahoo! Here's the recipe. I wish I had a picture to go with it, but they were eaten too fast, hehe.

Oatmeal Bars

3/4 cup Canola Oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 Xagave Syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup 9 grain cereal, cooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Cream oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, except baking powder and mix well. Add baking powder last and stir ingredients only a few times until baking powder is mixed in. Spread batter in a 10 x 15-inch lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Check the center to make sure it has baked through. It will be lightly browned on top.