oatmeal bars

These bars are a great alternative to many similar prepackaged products and can be frozen for future use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 c. whole oats

2/3 c. all-purpose flour (or 1/3 whole wheat and 1/3 white)

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. wheat germ

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. oil

1/3 c. applesauce

1 egg, beaten

3 T. orange juice or water

1 t. vanilla extract

Combine oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, wheat germ and cinnamon together in a large bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine honey, oil, egg, orange juice (or water), applesauce, vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix again. Using a spatula, press mixture firmly onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet, forming one large rectangle about 1/3-inch thick (I usually only use about 2/3 of the sheet). Smooth the edges with the edge of the spatula. Bake at 350 degree for 12-15 minutes, until light brown and firm. Remove from oven and cool. Using a sharp knife, cut the large rectangle into smaller 1 1/2-inch by 3 1/2-inch rectangles.

[adapted from the Laptop Lunch User's Guide]