Oatmeal-Raisin Bars // she cooks she bakes

It’s a rainy day and I didn’t have to work today, so I’ve been being somewhat helpful in preparing la comida for a weekend at the races. It’s the final motocross race of the season for my brothers and we are spending the weekend at the track. Hungry dirt bike riding young guys=the need for LOTS of FOOD! Mom asked me to make these Oatmeal-Raisin Bars which have been a hit before. I was good and didn’t omit any sugars, sub any flours (whole wheat for white doesn’t even count anymore!) or cut back on any fats. They are made with raw butter, whole wheat flour, organic oats, evaporated cane juice (lesser of the evils) and sea salt. Like Julia Child said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” ;)

I’ve been curled up with a cup of peach tea and the book Nourishing Traditions reading about the wonderful health benefits of raw butter. My mother now calls it “The frosting of life”… You should see her toast in the morning, and we now cook eggs with butter as well. Butter or EV Coconut Oil are supposedly better to cook with than evoo, (my go-to-favorite), because unlike evoo butter and EV coconut oil the fatty acid chains in butter aren’t affected by heat and your body can use them better. And then you have people saying don’t eat ANY fats and butter will kill you. It’s all about who you listen to, but after reading Nourishing Tradition’s views on butter I’m not spreading it so thin on my toast. (And I’ll let you know my waistline isn’t any bigger, actually smaller!)

After my butter-rant I’m sure you are longing to make these bars, which will give your diet a healthy jumpstart into the butter-consumption realm. Enjoy!

Oatmeal-Raisin Bars

from Martha Stewart

I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9×13 pan because I have a lot of hungry, dirt bike riding boys to feed :) I’ve included my version of the regular 8×8 recipe.

Whisk:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (I have very salty butter and omit salt)
• 1 cup evaporated cane juice (a “more natural” sugar)
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 farm-fresh egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups organic rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Pat into a well buttered (and better yet parchment-lined if you aren’t a lazy baker, like me!) 8×8 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is set. Let cool, then cut into squares.