Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Why yes, these peanut butter oatmeal bars are even better with chocolate chips in them!  Not that I tried that or anything ;) 

This is a great make ahead breakfast that can last all week.  Cook in cupcake liners with sprinkles and a drizzle of royal icing on top for a healthy afternoon snack.  Or replace the peanut butter with maple syrup, cooked apples, walnuts, blueberries or anything your heart (or sweet tooth) desires ;)

Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot cake is the male birthday cake of choice in our home.  And who could blame them?  Homemade carrot cake is full of moist, spicy goodness and those box cakes can't hold a candle to them.  So when I found a recipe for carrot cake cookies, I had to make them for my menfolk (who currently outnumber us girls ;)

These cookies were delicious!  The kids ate them for dessert, snack and even as a quick breakfast one morning (they have carrots and oats, ok!? ;)  Hubby, liked them, but prefers a crunchier cookie.  These did need to bake a little longer in our oven than the recipe called for, since they would break apart otherwise when trying to get them off the baking tray.  (Could be just our old oven not getting hot enough.) 

I loved everything about this recipe - the smells as I prepped and mixed ingredients, the complexity of flavors, the gooey butterscotch chips, the happiness and excitement my kids had in eating them....  ahem.  Excuse me, I think I have some baking to do ;)

BEST Breakfast Ever!

Steel cut oats are the bomb-diggity.  Seriously.  I can't believe it has taken me 31 years to realize their tasty goodness.

Because eating healthy requires so much more preparation and time, and because I cook for a small ever-growing hoard of children, I need recipes that are worth the time and effort it takes to make them.  Meaning, I must be able to get more than one meal out of them and they must keep us full until the next meal.  And this is one of them :)

 

These overnight steel cut oats can feed my family breakfast (and snack!) for a week.  Because they are so filling, you really don't need to eat huge portions.  (This particular recipe calls for milk, and oats are obviously a grain, so not paleo, but a healthy sub.)  These are just as quick and easy as instant oats, but way more healthy and honestly better tasting. 

 

I tweaked the recipe a bit to fit our family.  Instead of putting the oats into serving-sized mason jars, I used a 9x13 glass dish with a lid and just cut pieces as needed.  If you wanted to add something to the oats (peanut butter, almond slivers, chocolate chips, honey, cooked apples and cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, flax seed, etc), mix it in before putting in the pan.  Otherwise, add toppings before serving :) The best part is that if you use the large pan and already have added your toppings, you can BAKE IT and have your own to-go oatmeal bars!

 

Warning! This type of warm, yummy goodness is addicting!  I actually find myself craving a bowl with coconut, vanilla, almonds and a sprinkle of brown sugar :)