Play Dates

I told him he had to hold hands in the road, so he ran up and grabbed Curt's instead of mine.

It's warming up around here and it must be bringing us all out of a cold weather induced hibernation. Eli's had 4 play dates scheduled in the last week. He's been missing his buddies, asking for them daily. It's fun, this new stage; they're like little chatterboxes when they get together, not even listening to each other, just yakking away. Must be filling each other in about the long winter.

I made one of my go-to recipes for the occasion and I thought I should share it. I would bring treats to nursery and was looking for another recipe for something healthy, easy, enticing to youngsters, and soft enough for the small ones. The two times I brought them the different nursery leaders asked for the recipe.

Playgroup Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup raisins (or any dried fruit, I like to change things around)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey (sometimes I just do all brown sugar and add water to get moist enough)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (substitute applesauce to make super-healthy)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 
  

Paper plate adds a nice touch, don't you think.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until moistened. Spread in greased 9x13 pan and bake for 30 or so minutes at 350 until edges start to brown.