Apple Oatmeal Bars

This is what happens when there's good chocolate in Mom's Bag, which is left on the floor, where The Baby is loose. Just in case any of you were wondering...

We're still going through the apples- yummo! I thought I'd share a family favorite recipe, not quite as fast as the Freestyle Apple Tart, but it also doesn't require having a premade pie crust waiting for you in the fridge. These Apple Oatmeal Bars (which bear a striking resemblance to apple crsip, is there a differenc? I dunno, you decide) are so easy to put together that it's really quite to my shame that I don't make this much more often.

I got the recipe from my little sister. She's a grown woman, married and expecting baby #2, but I can still call her little, because, well, she's younger than me, she's much shorter than me, and she married a man with the last name Little. She'll never not be my little sister. I dunno where she got the recipe- I'll have to ask.

Apple Oatmeal Bars

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. brown sugar

2 c. oatmeal

1 c. shortening*

9 (about) medium apples, sliced

1 c. white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon (I may use much more than that, what can I say? I love cinnamon)

4 Tbsp. butter

Mix flour, salt, soda, brown sugar, and oatmeal; cut in shortening* unti mixture is crumbly. Spread half of mixture into greased 9" x 9" baking dish (a deep dish pie plate works well too). Press down firmly. Cover with apple slices. Mix white sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter. Cover with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes (you know, when it looks, smells, and feels done!)

*You can substitute 2/3 c. butter for shortening in crust (that's what I do! Mmm, butter!).

If I could take a good food picture I would, I truly would, but the last time I posted a picture of some apple crisp my dad thought it looked like something the cat had thrown up. Yep, my dad is fun that way (and funny, gave us girls some thick skin, okay, mine wears thin now and then, and wry senses of humor), and, well, even though I disagreed, the very thought that somebody, you know, 'out there' might think my apple crisps all end up looking like cat puke, well, yuck. We have cats, but I think I kinda like them a little bit less each time they puke. As long as they catch some mice...

Now that I've mentioned both mice and cat puke in a recipe post, I shall try to distract you from my utter loss of any good sense, with the news that my Wee One is now, officially, One Entire Year Old. And he walks. And he's a biblioclast*.

*Greek root for this week- biblos

And I'm in the home stretch on my Top Down Vine Lace Cardigan- Yay! I'll be wearing it in no time, or at least by this time next year.

What are you knitting this week? Any objects in the home stretch?

How about baking? Anyone else bit with the baking bug (apples or no apples) since the cooler weather moved in? Maybe next post I'll share my other little sister's recipe for my favorite Pumpkin Bars...

Until then,

Happy knitting-

ali