Oatmeal Bars

Sorry I've been MIA we went through a period of everyone in the house being sick and seeing that kids seem to be fine during the day and then the minute the sun goes down they start their coughing and sneezing and all around feeling awful we spent many a night walking little kids in the cold air trying to help their coughing. But I'm back and will try to get to posting again.
I wanted to share this recipe that I recently found thanks to a friend testing a Pinterest recipe. What I love about this recipe is that it's a functional recipe similar to my scone recipe that I love so much.
Here's the basic recipe and then I'll give you some "alterations to it"

Oatmeal Bars
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter or 7 tbsp coconut oil
1 lg egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut, baking powder and salt.
Add egg and vanilla to melted butter and combine with dry ingredients.
Cook @350 for 20-25 minutes
***Can use mini muffin pan and then cook for 18-20 minutes.

Ok so that is the basic recipe, but what I really love about this is all the additions you can add.
I've really been into coconut oil so yesterday I made this same recipe but substituted the butter for 7 tbsp coconut oil (needed a little additional to keep the bars moist enough).
*****I also use whatever I have in the house to change up the flavor. I add 1/2 cup of whatever item it is I want to add.
Here's some ideas:
Chocolate chips, flax seeds, frozen blueberries, dried cranberries, walnuts, white chocolate chips, the options are endless and that's what I love about this recipe. It'll taste different every time so no one is tired of the "same old thing."
Try it out, change it up, and enjoy it!!!

Homemade Play Doh

Seeing that I'm a mom to 3 young kids I don't always cook just food, sometimes I also cook crafts. In this case I have found a perfect play doh recipe. What I love is I can make it fresh anytime we want it and in any color, it also has a good shelf life (ours lasts about a month or so). Yesterday we made yellow and purple (it was supposed to be purple mind you it definitely looks more gray) and seeing it's winter and we don't get "snow" here we decided to make play doh snowmen. Which is good seeing that I would never let me kids build a snowman with yellow and gray snow.

Enjoy!!!!


Homemade Play Doh
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix first 4 ingredients in pot and add water.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly 3-5 minutes
Dough will become difficult to stir and clump together at that point it's done.
Turn out onto flat surface and knead for 5 minutes adding food coloring of your choice