Oatmeal Whatever Bars

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This was a recipe E picked out herself from her Sesame Street C is for Cooking cookbook. I bought this book a long time ago, well before having kids. So we had had it on hand for a while, but never picked anything to cook from it. I’ve always loved the idea of having kids in the kitchen with you. Maybe it was all the days of making breakfast with my dad on the weekend, or baking with my mom, or even acting as the “pantry runner” during dinner prep… I grew up in the kitchen, and I want the same things for my kids.

E has fallen in love with the idea of cooking already. She will drag out her step stool and hop up next to me. Always asking what she can help me with. Some times I am able to give her a real task, other times its just putting things back in the fridge, or mixing up some flour and water in a bowl! But now E has more reasons to even love the library. She knows where the kids cookbooks are located! Often I’ll catch her run over to select one herself. There are two she usually grabs a bright pink Ballerina Cookbook and the sister to our C is for cooking book, which is Sesame Street’s B is for Baking. Often I find her paging through them, shouting “ohhhh, I healthy meal!”

One dreary day she was paging through the C is for Cooking book and said “Momma, can we make these?” And this time I said SURE – she was thrilled. So we all piled into the kitchen and got to work!

Original Recipe: Sesame Street’s C is for Cooking

Prep: 15 mins   |   Cook: 35 mins   |   Total: 50 mins   |   32 servings  |   179 calories
(printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 c uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 pint (2 cups) fresh or dried blueberries (or dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, or cut up mixed dried fruit)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly grease foil with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until well-mixed. (Kids can do this step!)
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, beat together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter until fluffy. Beat in oil, eggs and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, mix in the flour mixture until blended. Stir in oats and blueberries (or other fruit choice).
4. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan. (Kids can do this step!)
5. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cook completely. Lift by the foil from the pan and cut into bars.

TIPS

• Try different mix ins. Keep it to 2 cups total but let your kids pick something they think would be yummy! We did raisins, only because we had a bunch of them on hand. Experiment! I am thinking white chocolate chips & cranberries next time.
• Things might get messy, but allow your kids to give you some help. Find some aprons for you both, get the biggest bowl you have, let them pour the measuring cups, let them mix… TEACH them about what you are doing. Being in the kitchen can be a great hands-on way of learning about math, following directions, being patient, even listening and following a leader.

These made for a perfect afternoon snack warm from the oven. And later after bedtime with a nice cup of tea! They could even pass for a decent breakfast – grab and go! Share your photos and your “mix ins” when you try this one at home!

Love this? Tried it? Share your meal photos on my Facebook page, tag them on Instagram & Twitter with #MadeByMeggs or even comment below! I’d love to see what you enjoy! Don’t forget to check out more of what inspires me on Pinterest. xoxo Meggs

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