Strawberry cereal bars

9/20/14 - note to self - add chia (ground or whole) to the strawberry middle to add nutrition and thicken it.
Yet another recipe from the $5 mom cookbook.  Of course I had to change it some - subbed out some applesauce for butter and upped the fruit a bit.  I was a bit worried they wouldn't cook well or something, but they were great, and I actually liked the pieces that had extra fruit, so I think I may even add more next time.  It was so sloppy adding the top with a thicker layer of fruit that I even debated cooking down the sauce some next time, but after eating them this morning, I'd just make more, add it and let them be sloppy.  They cooked up well and the extra sauce was just absorbed into the upper crust giving it more flavor.
I thought they tasted fine - nothing spectacular, but really nice for a Grab and Go breakfast - home made, no preservatives, I  wasn't griping.  However, the kids seemed to really like them.  I had requests from Tavio and Benjamin to eat another one for lunch when we got home from church.  That can't be a bad thing right?

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I may have actually added about 1 T more - that is just what I had in my wheat grinder bucket and it seemed silly to put 1 T away)
• 2 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (one container) no sugar added strawberry flavored applesauce (or regular applesauce)

Filling

• 1-2 cups strawberries (I have about 1 1/2 cups frozen.  Thawed and smashed it was almost 1 cup.)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Coat a 9 X 13 glass dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.)  Cut in the butter and add the applesauce.  (I tried to cut in the butter with my pastry blender, but the butter was softened and it didn't work as well.  I got lazy and used my hands.  With my hands I could have just added the butter and applesauce at the same time and mixed.
3. Prepare filling by smashing strawberries with a fork.  Mix in sugar and vanilla.  (Or just blend it all together in a blender - I was just lazy and didn't want the extra dishes - plus I didn't mind a thicker sauce.  I used frozen strawberries and just thawed in the microwave and stirred/smashed each time I took them out to check if they were done.)
4. Add about 1/2 of the oat mixture to the 9 X 13.  Press into the bottom of the dish to make the crust.  (I found this worked best with my hands - particularly my palms - the book suggests the bottom of a measuring cup or back of a large spoon.)  Pour the strawberry filling on the crust.  Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top and press lightly to form a top crust.  
5. Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.  

I made these the night before and cut them in the morning.  I cut them into 16 bars.  Most of us had 2 for breakfast.  It seemed like a small breakfast, but they were surprisingly filling.  Very good.  

The author suggested serving these with a hard boiled egg.  I'm sure my kids would have liked that, but I'm not a fan.  I had mine with a glass of milk and thought it was a wonderful breakfast.

You can also change the fruit to make different flavor bars.  I made strawberry, and happened to have the strawberry applesauce in the pantry - whole thing worked out very well.  I'm sure other fruits like apple or blueberry would definitely have to go into the blender.  Since the kids liked these so well, I will definitely be making them again.