Healthy Snack Bars

This kid-friendly snack is made with healthy ingredients like peanuts, raisins, applesauce, bran and oatmeal. These bars remind me of a breakfast cookie; nutrition on the run. I love them for a snack or quick pick-me-up when I get hungry. I adapted this recipe from one that I clipped out of "Woman's Day Magazine" years ago when my son was a child. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup unprocessed bran
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt, optional
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened, natural applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup raisins (other dried fruit could also be used)

1. Combine oats, flour, bran, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside
2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, applesauce and vanilla until combined.
3. Stir in oat mixture; mix well. Stir in peanuts and raisins using a spoon.
4. Pat evenly in a greased 9 x 9-inch pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Yield: 20 bars
118 calories each
1.7 gms. fiber

Cherry-Applesauce Salad

This fresh tasting gelatin salad, with a sparkle, is so quick and easy, and so kid-friendly! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 3-oz. package cherry gelatin or flavor of choice
2 cups good quality natural applesauce (thick, not runny)
1 cup 7-up

1. Heat applesauce in a medium size saucepan, covered, until boiling. (covering the pan keeps your stove top free of applesauce splatters).
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin; stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
3. Add the 7-up and gently stir until completely combined.
4. Pour into a bowl or 4"x 8" loaf pan; chill until set.

Yield: 8 servings
92 calories
1 gm. fiber
62 calories per serving if sugar-free gelatin and 7-up is used.

Prep. time: 10 minutes
Chill for 4-5 hours

Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

After the pumpkin pie is baked, there is almost always leftover pumpkin for another use and this moist, fruity bread is a wonderful choice for that use. This bread is delicious for breakfast, tea or snacks. In our opinion, chocolate is a great addition to the bread so this is the way I will make it from now on. But, if you are not a fan of chocolate, the original recipe was written without this addition, so feel free to omit the chocolate chips. Blessings...

Recipe: 

2/3 cup shortening
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sugar-free applesauce
1 cup canned mashed pumpkin
3-1/3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the applesauce and the pumpkin.
4. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the apple juice, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 1 hour to see how it is doing.

Yield: 2 loaves, 13 slices per loaf
2.6 gms. fiber per slice
Note: This bread freezes beautifully.