Cut and Dried: Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Or in this case, apricot.

Fruit Preserves Oatmeal Bars
Modified from http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes.php?recipe=7172

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup GF oat flour
1 cup GF rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
dash cinnamon

2/3 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8*8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease parchment.

In a small measuring cup, mix together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Use a pastry cutter or potato masher (the wavy line kind, not the grate kind), to cut the coconut oil mixture into the oat mixture.  Reserve one cup of oat mixture; press the rest into the pan. Mix the preserves with the spices and then spread the preserves on top of the oat mixture. Crumble the reserved oat mixture on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until oats are golden and preserves are bubbly. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a rack before cutting.

One of my fashion accoutrements people ask me about most, besides my fingerless gloves, are my patterned long-sleeve shirts.  They're not shirts.  They're recycled tights. Videre licet:

Step 1: Remove old ratty tights from your clothing rotation.

Step 2: Cut off feet of tights (if you haven't already; they last longer for me when I do plus I wear thick socks with my Docs). Cut out crotch and giggle. If cutting sweater tights, this is best done with pinking shears. Nylons tend to curl naturally and don't fray.

Step 3: Try it on and trim new sleeves as necessary (or cut thumb holes). Voila! You'll get another few years out of 'em worn underneath t-shirts or with sleeveless apparel or as a crop top.

I learned this trick on http://www.gothic.net/ somewhere back in my--oooh, I can finally say it--my babybat days.