Oatmeal Bars

This is a recipe I found that was originally from www.makeandtakes.com. These bars are one of the snack foods that I make weekly for lunches for my kiddos. They can be for sack & at-home lunches or after-school snacks. They freeze very nicely if you prefer to do that.

As a side-note - making snacks and getting everything ready on Sunday for the upcoming week is a great way to save time and money. Other easy snacks that you can find us assembling on Sunday: jello, homemade chocolate pudding, pretzels, veggies like carrots/baby tomatoes/celery, cookies (for lunches I like to pretend they are healthy so I make things like oatmeal-raisin and I alway use wheat flour). I love the inexpensive multi-colored baby snack cups with lids that you find at Wal-Mart to package up the treats!

2 1/2 cups oats (I use whatever I have - quick or regular)

1/2 cup Rice Krispies

1/4 cup coconut

1 cup M&Ms or chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine, soft

1/4 cup honey (spray your cup with Pam so the honey doesn't stick)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Press into in 9x13 pan and smooth out the top. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then score the bars into the size you'd like (don't cut all the way through). Let the bars set completely and then cut into bars and store in a sealed container.