RHUBARB APPLE CHERRY OAT BARS--A HEALTHY SCRUMPTIOUS SNACK FROM CATHY

My friend, Cathy, went on an Ayurvedic fast a month ago.  Ayurveda is the traditional health care method in India.  The fast was very intense.  The last week of the fast, Cathy ate only rice and mung beans.  The day the fast was completed, everyone on the group doing the fast met for a meal.  The person who was guiding them through the fast brought these bars for their dessert.

Yummy.  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

There is no fat in this recipe.  The molasses adds important mineral.  The maple sugar is a natural, not a refined, sweetener.  More and more food studies are showing the benefits of spices in our diets.  The oats do good things to our bodies as do the fruits.  It is a win, win recipe.  It was given to Cathy as a handful or this, and a handful of that.  She and I measured the ingredients as we made a pan of the bars so we could write down a recipe.






 RHUBARB APPLE CHERRY OAT BARS
This recipe is just a guide.  Feel free to alter the recipe to your tastes.  Nuts would be a good addition to the bars.  Dried blueberries, raisins, or dried apricot would be lovely.  Honey and maple syrup together would be good and less costly.   The amount of oats can be increased.  I would refrigerate the bars or cut into small squares and put in freezer bags for hiking or biking or trips to the beach.  The bars make a delightful dessert served with a swirl of whipped cream.


4 c rhubarb, chopped, I don't peel--Cathy does peel
4 c apple, a sweet variety, chopped, I don't peel--Cathy does peel
1 c dried red cherries
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t ginger
1/2 c molasses
5 c dry old-fashioned oatmeal, not the quick variety
1/2 c hot water
1 c maple syrup

Ingredients:  Rhubarb, apples, dried cherries, old-fashioned oats, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and maple syrup.

In a large bowl, mix the prepared fruit together.  Mix the spices together and add to fruit.  Mix well.  Add molasses, mix well.  Add the oats and mix well.  Add maple syrup and mix well.  Spray a 9x13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Pack the fruit/oat mixture into the pan.  Bake in preheated 350 F. oven for an hour or until bars start to brown.

Spray a 9-13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Dice the rhubarb.

Chop the apple.

In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, apples, and dried cherries.

Measure and combine the spices.

Add spices to fruit.

Mix well.

Add molasses to the fruit mixture and mix well.

Add the oats.

Add maple syrup and mix well.

Pack mixture into a prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 F. oven for an hour or until top is brown.

Out of the oven and going fast.

Instead of just a snack, serve with a little whipped cream for dessert.