Tasty Tuesday

             If your still raising a man, like I am, then you know they never really grow up. My husband should be watching his cholesterol numbers better than he does, and yes, he is on a medication for it but in his little boys mind, he thinks as long as he takes his medicine, when he remembers, he can eat anything he wants. So, it's up to me to make sure what he eats at home isn't all junk. Thankfully, he loves oats and to his credit, has started eating oatmeal for breakfast, but he needs more help. So, I'm being sneaky and hiding oats, flax, wheat germ and all kinds of fiber in more meals and dishes.

      My man loves his dessert, I think he was deprived as a child, he looks for something sweet every night, so I combed the web for some heart healthy desserts and found tons, then I remembered I had a Martha file for just this need, can't go wrong with Martha's recipes, regardless if you like the woman or not, she knows how to cook!

Oatmeal Raisin Bars

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. (We don’t have an 8-inch square pan so I used a 9-inch square pan. That meant they weren’t as thick and required a few minutes less in the oven.) Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter also the paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour (I sifted mine), oats, and raisins; fold in until just combined.
3. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Using the paper overhangs, lift the cake onto a work surface. Cut into 16 bars.

      These are good with mini chocolate chips too, dark of course, which is good for us again! These bars are my favorite too, I love how the oats out weigh the flour, plus they are sweet and chewy! Man approved and Mom tested!