Is there EVER a more apt reason to bake than it’s raining outside & the kids don’t have school?!?! I assure you this is a lethal combination unless you add the promise of sugar to this caged-in day.

I wanted to bake something with oatmeal because we buy it in bulk with the intent of a warm breakfast every morning….. L’eggos count too, right? So, to ease my guilt every time I open the pantry & to ease the remainder of the day (only 6 more hours until my beloved is home!), we Googled “oatmeal recipe.” Clever, I know. Below is what we found:

OATMEAL NUT BARS

Easy oatmeal bars with optional icing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

PREPARATION:

Cream butter and sugars; blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread batter in a greased and floured 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over bars or top with a confectioners’ sugar icing.

This was SUPER-EASY ! I had everything mixed by the time the oven was heated & my kitchen was clean moments later. The only variant to the recipe was that I used both walnuts & pecans, added chocolate chips (of course!), and skipped the powered sugar.