My first steps into going Organic...

Well, I've done it. I've jumped on the wagon and started using organic products. It all started with Shaklee cleaning products that my mom gave me and last night I ventured into cooking/baking with organic ingredients. All in all it wasn't a bad venture. My kitchen is still standing and I still have all my hair.

Okay, I know that sounds dramatic, but those who know me know that I'm not at my most comfortable in the kitchen. And yesterday I think I spent more time in the kitchen than I had the entire previous week. Not only did I make dinner but I made three different breakfast/dessert items for today. Anyway, back to the organic, and how I really got kicked in the rear for going organic.

I'm an avid fan of "Jon & Kate Plus 8." And I recently saw an episode where Sara Snow (Discovery Health - www.SaraSnow.com) came to visit Kate -- who is totally all organic -- and to help her and her family "go green." She and Kate made a dessert/breakfast bar together with Kate two oldest girls and Sara said that it was her version of an oatmeal cookie. I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal cookies, but I thought it looked really good.

I didn't think much of the recipe until last night when I realized that I still needed to make a dessert for our monthly dinner with Matt's brother's family. We (matt and I) are responsible for dessert. I could have very easliy pulled out the good ol' staple cake mix and made cupcakes. but Matt's brother's wife recently cut as much sugar as she could (if not all) out of her diet and the diest of her kids and I didn't want to mess that up so I tried to help out with that by not bringing extra sugars into their house for dessert. So I found the recipe for these oatmeal bars and gave it a whirl.

The ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup ground flax seed
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
½ t cardamom (i didn't have any of this so i used allspice...just a little bit though)

½ cup (1 stick) organic butter – room temperature ( i had to use regular butter)
½ cup natural cane sugar
2 organic eggs (i had to use regular eggs)
½ cup honey
1 t vanilla extract

1 small apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup goji berries or raisins
½ cup chopped dates or apricots
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)
1 ½ cups coconut (i don't like coconut, so i didn't use it)
3 cups old fashioned organic oats (i had to use regular oats)
1⁄4 cup applesauce

Instructions
Stir together all of the first group -- the dry ingredients (flour, flax seed, salt, baking soda and spices).
In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars. Add in honey, eggs and vanilla. Slowly add in dry mixture and beat together. Stir in oats, applesauce, coconut, fruit and nuts.

Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes at 350. Makes 2 dozen.

I put it all in a rectangle baking pan and made bars, baked at 350 degress for 45 minutes

I''m snacking on a piece as I write this, and it's not bad. It's actually really good! I'm one of those types of people that doesn't like nuts or fruit of any kind in my cookies or breads...but this stuff is really amazing. I'm already dreaming of savoring my next piece for breakfast (yeah i said breakfast...i'm also not a fan of breakfast...) tomorrow morning on my way to the Y for work.

Matt thinks I should have put it in a bigger pan so it didn't come out so thick, but I like it. He also said it would be really good with milk on it ... that's right ON it ... not with it. I think it would be a good idea for the crunchier (stale) pieces, if it lasts that long! I want more, but I've got to save some for breakfast. And I"ll try to get a picture of Emma eating it too, since she's the harshest food critic in the house. Look for those pictures soon.