Keep it going... (Cran-Coco Oatmeal Bars)

Week 6 of clinicals, complete!   This nursing program is all about endurance.  Midterms weren't as bad as they could have been, and the little three day weekend was much needed.  It was hard to get up and go back on Monday, but I'm excited to see what we're going to learn for the rest of the quarter.  We're getting close to being halfway done.  It's weird to think about how much we've learned and how much we can do now, that we couldn't back in March.  It's also humbling to realize how much more we have to learn until we're even close to being nurses!

To keep my spirits and energy up for this marathon, I've been dreaming about some sort of oatmeal/cranberry bar type thing for a few days now.  In my mind, it incorporates my newly discovered almond flour and dried cranberries with chewy oatmeal goodness.  Preferably not dripping in butter or covered in white sugar.  So I set about finding a recipe for this idea of goodness, only to find...nothing.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  So, in typical fashion, I decided, fine, I would do it myself.

These bars are pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  Hubby and my carpool buddy agreed, so I'm satisfied.  You could probably add whatever dried fruit you wanted, but after much contemplation, I opted for my favorites:  dried cranberries and coconut.  A little sweet and filling without being heavy and overbearing.

 

(chewy goodness with no butter!)

Cran-Coco Oatmeal Bars
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 canola oil
3 egg whites
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 to 1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup flaked coconut

Beat together sugar, oil, egg whites in a large bowl.  Combine flours, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.   Add dry mixture to wet mixture until incorporated.  Mix in oats, then cranberries and coconut.  Spread in a baking dish (mine was 9x56) and bake at 350 for 25-26 minutes, until edges are golden brown.  Cool completely before slicing.