Adaptable Oat Bars and the Winners!
Top ‘o the week to ya! I’m sure you’re all eagerly awaiting the winners of last week’s Barney Butter and Jessie-Awesome-Gift contests, so we’ll get right to it.
The winner of two free jars of Barney Butter is:
Lauren @ Health on the Run! Congrats, Lauren! Send your address to thehappinessinhealth [AT] gmail [DOT] com and I’ll have your Barney Butters send out ASAP :)
Now, for the caption contest! Entries are below the picture:
Jessie: (with a British accent) “Hop along little fellow, there’s no need to stare! That’s quite rude you know!”
Peter: “What are YOU lookin’ at?”
(Christina @ Dinner at Christina’s)
Jessie: “Thanks for the delicious dinner honey, but after all this fried chicken I might as well start working out to burn the fat like, right now!”
Peter: “That’s what I get for being the husband of the THIH blogger…”
(Christa)
Jessie: “This meal just makes me want to dance!”
Peter: “Oh no, not the Muppet Dance”
(Samantha @ Bikini Birthday)
Jessie: “That was ONE awesome chocolate cake I just had. I think this deserves a happy dance.”
Peter: “I knew I shouldn’t have let you order the chocolate cake.”
(LeQuan @ luvtoeat)
Jessie: “Watch me subtly sneak into this picture”
Peter: “Did I just hear ‘click’?”
(Lele @ wild world)
Jessie: “Smile, Peter!”
Pete: “I’d rather be playing Heroscape.”
(Marie – love the inside joke!)
Peter: (yawn) “Say What!!!”
Jessie: “I said, now that we’ve finished that Fried Chicken, Noodles and Peas and the Skillet Scones, let’s go for a long run!”
(Aunt Joyce)
Peter: “I think that waiter is hitting on me.”
Jessie: “Aiya! not me!?” (@%$#$ in Chinese)
(Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron)
Jessie: “Let’s do something fun, I will race to the door.”
Peter: “Oh dear god please help me.”
(Jodie @ Jodie Pilates)
Jessie: “I’m so excited for my meal, I could just dance all night!”
Peter: “Oh gosh, I hope she’s not in one of her dancing moods again…we’re never coming back here….”
(Gina @ The Candid RD)
Jessie: “Just dance!”
Peter: “What? You know you want to dance!”
(Azmina @ Lawyer Loves Lunch)
Jessie: “Didn’t I tell you this eatery would be worth your hard earned buckaroos!”
Peter (muttering): “Why is she always right”!?!
(Claudia @ Foodessa)
Jessie: “He’d better take the picture quick because I really have to go to the bathroom!”
Peter: “Is that a fly in my soup?”
(Joanne @ Eats Well With Others)
Jessie: “That sure was a great meal!”
Peter: *already planning the return trip*
(Min)
Peter: “Does she have to photograph everything we eat?”
Jessie: “I know I can get that shot right, just a quick 20 or 30 more shots!”
(Chef Dennis @ More Than a Mountfull)
Jessie: “And THIS my friends, is me after a 12-course almond butter feast!!!!! Teeheehee”
Peter: “Thank goodness this meal is on Jessie.”
(Michelle @ Lucky Taste Buds)
Guys, choosing was really, REALLY hard. You are all so funny and clever that I’ve been torn all day about what to do. I was all ready to throw in the towel and just choose randomly, but I figured that wouldn’t be fair to everyone who took the time to come up with a caption (and let’s face it, writing a caption takes effort!). So, after much deliberation with Peter, we decided to award the Awesome-Jessie-Prize to Gina @ The Candid RD! Congrats, Gina! Email your address to thehappinessinhealth [AT] gmail [DOT] com, and I’ll get the Awesome-Jessie-Prize out to you straightaway!
Thanks to everyone who entered the contests! I had so much fun reading all the captions, and it was great to hear from some of the lurkers out there :) For those who wrote captions: your witty words are forever immortalized under the Caption Contests tab at the top of the page.
Before I leave you all, I’d like to share a recipe that I frequently prepare at this time of year when I’m craving something carb-y.
These adaptable oat bars are based on a Mama Pea recipe and have often found their way into my bag to await an afternoon munching. Simple, but packed full of all the ingredients I love and enough fiber and protein to last me the rest of the afternoon.
Fill-Me-Up Adaptable Oat Bars
Adapted from Peas and Thank You
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flour of choice (I used King Arthur white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1/4 cup dried fruit (I used cherries, but cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots, etc. also work well)
1/4 chocolate chips
1/2 cup nut butter (such as, say, Barney Butter ;) )
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
2 eggs, slightly beaten (use 1 egg if you like a more crumbly bar)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together oats, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in dried fruit and chocolate chips.
Mix together nut butter and maple syrup. Add beaten eggs.
Mix wet and dry ingredients. The mixture will be dry, but keep at it! It’s the perfect workout for those T-Rex arms.
Press into a greased or parchment paper-lined 8″ x 8″ pan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until top is starting to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into bars.
I like to freeze these and take them out one at a time for a snack. They freeze well and defrost quickly. Even better, they’re Maddie-approved!
Okay, okay, I didn’t ACTUALLY give Maddie any of these bars – what kind of dog owner do you think I am?? I let her lick the stirring spoon instead.
Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Q: What’s your go-to snack when you need a boost of energy?
