Fruit Cereal Bars (without a bunch of unnecessary crap!)

I love making these bars because you can make them into just about any combination of flavors you want; so much room for imagination and creativity here! They are awesome for packing into school/work lunches (kids as well as college students looking for a healthier alternative) or just an afternoon snack at home. After they bake, I cut and wrap them individually and store in the refrigerator. Grab one for an on the go breakfast as you're walking out the door!

ingredients
3/4 C coconut oil (butter can also be used)
1/2 C brown sugar, packed (I was out today so I used 1/2 C evaporated cane juice)

cream above together then add:

1 C white whole wheat flour
1 C buckwheat flour or oat bran or a mixture of whatever "flours" you like (you could just use another cup of the whole wheat flour). Today I used 3/4 C Buckwheat and 1/4 C ground flax seeds
3/4 C chopped nuts, dried fruit or seeds (Pumpkin Seeds are great in this recipe) (I omitted this today bc of 1. nut allergies and 2. my kids are pretty sick of raisins right now and that's the only dried fruit currently in the house).
3/4 C rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla (today I used 1/2 tea vanilla extract and 1/2 lemon extract)

Press 1/2 of the above mixture into a  greased 9x13 pan

spread about 8oz of your favorite fruit preserves/jam on top (today I used the last of the strawberry jam I canned last summer)

Sprinkle then press the other half of the crumb mixture on top, pressing gently but firmly.

Bake at 350 about 30 minutes, checking at 25 minutes.  If edges are getting brown, take it out.

Cool completely.  Cut into bars.  Eat.  Enjoy.

learning to slow down

Recently Ella has shown a lot of interest in learning how to write so I took a trip with one very excited 3 year old to our local teacher supply store. Together we picked out a lined dry erase board and a rubber finger grip to teach her how to hold the marker. I think we both had visions of her writing novels by Thanksgiving!


Almost every day during Vi Baby's nap, we sit down and have "school". Very excited, Ella would get her board and tell me which letters she wanted to learn. I'd write one for her and then it was her turn to trace mine and every.single.time. she would throw her arms up and cry out "SEE, I CAN'T DO IT!"... and there was no convincing her otherwise. It didn't take long for me to realize this was not going to work for her.

So, I talked with a few friends and one idea really stood out..."try letting her draw the letters in sand with her fingers".

And so we did....

                             ...meet out homemade writing sand box!

SUCCESS!

this is one serious 'A'!