For Finn

For breakfast. Or snack. I hope they meet all the requirements. If not, we can go back to the drawing board. In the mean time, they are DELICIOUS. Thanks to Kristin at Beans and Greens for the recipe, with only minor adjustments. I know I always say it, but it was easy. I mixed the "wets" in the food processor, which helped.



Soft Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1 Tbs ground flax seed ($2 at Smith's)
3 Tbs water

2 2/3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut (she called for unsweetened, but I already had sweetened, sorry Finn, it doesn't have but a couple grams of sugars)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup chocolate chips (again, she calls for carob, Smith's didn't have them, I already had regular bittersweet chips and figured it wasn't that much sugar again)
1/4 cup chopped dried mango (she had apricots in the recipe, I had mango)
1/2 cup chopped dried figs (she called for "really good raisins", not a big hit in our house)
2/3 cup chopped pecans

2 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup safflower oil (or canola oil)
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

Mix the 1 Tbs flax seed and water in a bowl and set aside for about a minute. Stir again just before mixing with other ingredients.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix the mashed bananas with oil, almond butter, maple syrup and the flax/water mixture. Stir well to mix in the almond butter. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well. Press the mixure in the baking dish. Bake about 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into 12 bars.