Using Up My Jam

My kids love Nutrigrain bars. Love them. Read the label. Not good. Looked at the organic fruit bars at Trader Joe's and other groceries and thought (as a good DIY girl does) "I can make those." I must confess this is not my recipe. But it really is just perfect the way it is. No need to tinker with it. The best part is that I have all of the ingredients on hand at all times.

AND there is a bonus! In making the fruit bars I used up 5 half full jam jars from the refrigerator. I did one pan of cranberry/pear/peach/scuppernog bars (delish BTW) and one pan of lime curd (also yummy just not as weird). Did I mention that I am a canning addict? I am. I have what seems like a thousand jars of jam that I made in 2010. Spring is around the corner and before I know it it will be time to pick strawberries which means MORE JAM. So I plan to make a pan of these a week and try to reduce the number of jars in my larder to make room for the new ones.

These are from www.CarriesCooking.com:

Almost Nutri-Grain Bars

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup apple juice
10 ounces jam (apricot, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or apple butter)
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and apple juice, and mix with a spoon or a mixer.
3. Press 2/3 of the mix evenly into a greased 8x12 pan.
4. Mix the jam with the water, and spread evenly over the mix.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Before cutting, cool completely.

Confessions of a DIY Girl

I have a confession to make- Spaghetti-O's are one of my favorite foods (and I prefer them straight out of the can, cold). I recently confessed this to my 6 year old and told him not to tell a soul. But here I am proclaiming it to the world. I also recently bought Spaghetti-O's for my kids. They love them, they think they are a huge treat. But I felt guilty for buying it.

I believe very strongly in DIY in the kitchen- making your own salad dressings, bread, jam and pickles(of course) and lots and lots of other things. It almost always tastes better, is better for you and in the long run is cheaper. And of course, I like to know just exactly who has touched my food- me. Lately I am starting to feel the pressure of being a DIY girl. I am feeling overwhelmed by the need to create everything I eat. My mom and dad have always been great cooks. Dinner was always eaten at the table. But let's face it, I was a suburban kid in the 70's and 80's. A lot of the food I was raised on was ready to eat, off the store shelf staples. Like Spaghetti-O's. But look at me- I am fine. Spaghetti-O's are one of my favorite foods and I turned out great. I love good food and love to create good food.

 I am in no way giving up doing it myself in the kitchen, no way. The satisfaction I get from creating amazing food for my family far outweighs the pressure I might feel. But I am going to give myself a break and not stress out about instant grits, canned spaghetti and potato chips.

Whew! I feel so much better for getting that off my chest.

HOWEVER, no store bought jam will ever be purchased by me. Somethings are sacred.


Is there a food that you absolutely will not buy but have to make it yourself? Is there one that you will never make yourself?