Make snacks at home with some nutritional punch
Need to give the troops a treat for helping out with all the yard work? You'll energize them with this healthy snack. You can tuck one or two in the lunch bag or backpack, too. It's a great way to make some healthy, free treats your family will love.
Apricot Oatmeal Bars
(makes six to eight servings)
1 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3⁄4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) butter, melted
1 1⁄4 cups apricot preserves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil.
Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, 1⁄4 teaspoon ginger, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter; stir just until moistened and crumbly. Reserve 1 1⁄2 cups oat mixture. Press remaining oat mix evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
Combine preserves and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon of ginger in a small bowl. Spread preserves over crust evenly. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars and serve.
• • •
Lots of the larger markets are running specials in the produce sections featuring reasonable prices on strawberries. This will be a great feature for the weekly family breakfast gathering.
Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes
(makes two servings)
4 ounces (half of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1 box (4-serving size) cheesecake pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup milk
Topping;
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1⁄2 cup strawberry syrup
Pancakes;
1 cup pancake mix
1⁄2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1⁄4 cup water
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until serving time.
In a small bowl, mix together the strawberries and syrup, then set aside. In a larger bowl, mix the pancake ingredients just until blended.
Spray or grease the skillet or griddle with butter or cooking spray.
When hot make the pancakes, about 4- 1⁄2 inches in diameter
Cook until the edges are dry and bubbles form on top, turn and cook on the other side the same way.
Place one pancake on each of the serving plates. Top each with 1⁄3 cup of the filling and 1⁄3 cup of the topping. Top each with a second pancake and another 1⁄4 cup of the topping.
As always, enjoy!
David Kelly is a Tribune-Review freelance columnist. He has been sharing cooking tips and recipes in Culinary Corner for 23 years.
