No-Bake Oat and Fruit Bars
The month of June is like the month of December to me. It’s jammed with events and as the month wears on, like my stress level, my schedule only gets more intense. If you have a family, June is the month when everything that has framed the school-year (studies, extra curricular clubs and sports as well as outside activities and sports) comes to a spectacular end. And by spectacular, I mean frantic. From final projects (please, God, don’t make me buy another bristol board) to recitals (Really?! Do we actually need a photo day for that gawdy dance costume? Sorry, dance costume people.) and final tournaments. Plus don’t forget all the end of school gifts for teachers and administrators. If I didn’t take an extra few minutes before the week to plan our meals, then I’m sure we’d be eating crumbs off the floor.
Photo by Maya Visnyei
When your schedule intensifies, it’s always the other routines in your life that deteriorate. Meals are usually some of the first to be sacrificed. (As well as any thing else benefiting you like a workout, hair cut or having 10 minutes to drink a coffee!) If you make a meal plan, and buy some strategically prepared items, you can ease the suffering. For instance, I’m already feeling the effects of the end of the year circus so my meal plan this week is quite simple:
Monday: Lemon Thyme Chicken Dinner Salad
Tuesday: Olive Oil Fried Eggs over Roasted Asparagus and Chickpea Salad
Wednesday: Out
Thursday: Peas, Pasta and Spring Onions
Friday: Fish Tacos
Not one of these meals takes me more than 20 minutes of prep time, except for maybe the salad which is noodle-y in the chopping. I always have eggs in my refrigerator, chickpeas in my pantry and peas in my freezer. I’ve picked up the other ingredients I’ll need for the recipes and bought my favourite pre-made guacamole and salsa for the tacos. I also made this easy snack. I use it in the morning to make breakfast easy. Scarlett actually likes to crumble it over yogurt but she’ll also eat it as a bar alongside a banana (or some other kind of handy fruit) and a hard boiled egg. This should help ease the pain of the ever-increasing commitments in my schedule. If you have any other questions about how to keep your meal times on-track, feel free to track me down and ask. I’ll be the one with the unbrushed hair.
Ingredients
- 4 cups quick cook oats
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup shaved, dried coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Method
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving 2-inches extra to hang over on two sides.
In a food processor, add 2 cups of the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and chia and process until they are a grainy texture.
Pour mixture into a bowl and then add remaining oats, coconut and cranberries.
Stir in coconut oil and maple syrup until incorporated throughout the mix.
Drop batter into prepared baking pan, pressing into place with wet hands.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Cut and serve.
Store in a air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
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