I’m not going to lie to you all, I had serious thoughts about throwing in the creativity towel today and just posting a “Day in the Life Of” thing to go along with these (ah-mazing) breakfast bars. Be so happy that I didn’t. Seriously. My daily existence is boring, and I didn’t want to do that to you, and you’re so welcome. Things don’t get very exciting around here.
Sometimes, the most exciting thing that happens to me is just ignoring the weirdos in Starbucks who try to strike up conversation while I’m busy talking myself into writing. I’m a lone wolf here, pal, with my headphones and my coffee and my severe case of writer’s block, and we are not making small talk over the straws container. Stop it.
Other times, the most exciting thing is small yet huge, like making the sudden and random decision to hop on a bus and go to Philly for a total of five hours, just to have brunch with some extremely missed girlfriends. And then get on a bus that afternoon and come back home again. (It was totally worth it)
No, friends and fellow weirdos, my life doesn’t get too crazy very often. My mornings are sometimes the extent of my excitement, and they’re pretty rote. I’m like everyone else in that it takes me a bit of time to get my up-&-at-‘er going. If I like breakfast so much (and I do, I swear) then why is it always such a pain in the ass to sit down in the morning time and actually eat? God only knows. No matter how early I wake up (after hitting the snooze button no less than ten times, which I’m sure my husband just adores) I somehow never have time for actual breakfast. I’ll even be proactive and set out a jar of Nutella and a crusty loaf of bread the night before, only to blatantly ignore it the next morning and grab a coffee on my way to work because “I didn’t have time to make a pot”. In reality, I had plenty of time to make a pot, I just didn’t get around to it, and the coffee man on the corner who thinks we’re best friends puts another child through school on my dime.
No more skipping breakfast is my new morning battle cry (even when it sounds like a whimper. )
Oh, and I also wanted to tell you about the first time I made this recipe, when I went to lift the bars out of their baking tray and onto the counter to be cut and wrapped, and they fell apart in a hideous show of self destruction and crumbled all over my stovetop. I nearly cried. Then I took a photo, which is a totally normal reaction:
Anyway, I got the recipe up and running after few attempts, and I can now present to you Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. They’re there for you when you’re running late… or just too lazy to spread some Nutella on toast. Believe me- when mornings are the craziest part of my day, I need all the help I can get.
How to make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars? If you want to get a solid protein, you should eat a bar in the morning. You can consume every meal of the day.
- makes one 9×5″ pan
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 2 cups tap water
- one generous pinch of salt, to taste
- 2/3 cup mixed nuts
- 2/3 cups creamy peanut butter, preferably all-natural
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup agave syrup
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Combine oatmeal and water and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Turn the heat down to low-medium and cook at a simmer until the oatmeal has absorbed all the water, about 10 or 15 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 375*F. Pour the oatmeal into a large bowl and blend with peanut butter, honey, agave syrup and mixed nuts. Salt to taste.
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Place waxed paper or aluminum foil along the bottom of a 9×5” baking pan and pour the oatmeal mixture along the pan, smoothing out the top until the mixture is flat and about ¼” thick. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool before cutting and wrapping in individual portions.
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