Whole Grain Raspberry Bars

Thanks Mavis!

Holy raspberry season Batman! I am swimming in them and looking for raspberry recipes to try. This one looked like a perfect treat for breakfast and it did not disappoint. Plus it’s on the healthier side, which makes me feel like Mom of the Year when I feed it to my kids.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats {I used old fashioned}
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (oat flour)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
1/4 cup wheat germ (flax seed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil (olive oil)
1 egg (egg beaters)

Raspberry Filling
1 pint raspberries
1/4 cup sugar (stevia)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes while continuing to stir constantly until sauce is thick and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine oats, flour, sugar, wheat germ and cinnamon in a food processor. Process until oats are finely ground { I totally forgot to grind mine and the bars still turned out great!}. Add oil and egg, and pulse until combined. Press half of the crumb mixture evenly on bottom of a 9×9 baking pan/dish. Pour raspberry filling over crumbs, spreading evenly. Top with remaining crumbs and gently pat mixture down. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let bars cool completely before cutting into bars.

Cucumbers!!

• Harvest regular slicing cucumbers when they about 6 to 8 inches long (slicing varieties).
• Harvest dills at 4 to 6 inches long and pickles at 2 inches long for pickles. The large cucumbers can be up to 10 inches long and some types are even larger.
• Cucumbers are best picked before they seeds become hard and are eaten when immature. Do not let them get yellow. A cucumber is of highest quality when it is uniformly green, firm and crisp. 
• Any cucumbers left on the vine too long will also get tough skins and lower plant productivity.
• At peak harvesting time, you should be picking cucumbers every couple of days.
• Keep them picked. If you don’t, as plants mature, they will stop producing.
• Cucumbers are over 90 percent water. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to retain moisture.
• They will keep for a week to 10 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.