Oatmeal Jam Bars

 I love my family cookbooks. My husband's family puts out a cookbook every few years- and it is so fun! This recipe was in the cookbook, and I tweaked it a little- cause that is what I do to recipes....and these were born. I love them. AND... I think you can get a way with serving these to your kids for breakfast.  If you use margarine instead of butter, they contain no eggs or dairy- so all those allergy suffers can enjoy these with the rest of the kids.

OATMEAL JAM BARS:
1 c brown sugar
3/4 c margarine (I used 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup applesauce)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups oats (I used 2 cups instead)
1 cup jam - any flavor (I used a mixed berry kind from Costco)
 Beat together the brown sugar and margarine. Add try ingredients- flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the oats. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a lightly greased 9 by 13 pan. I spray mine with non-stick baking spray.( NOTE:You only need to spray the pan if you lower the amount of margarine - as I did above. But it probably will not hurt if you spray the pan anyway.) Save the other 1/2 of the mixture for the top. Next spread the jam on the crust. With the other half of the mixture, spread it evenly on top. You will still be able to see the jam layer in spots. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, and cut into desired pieces. These make a great breakfast bar, and keep well for several days. Store covered.

The problem for me with these- is I can't usually eat just one. I really love the oats and jam. These are kind of like a homemade granola bar.

Enjoy!