My son woke up at 5am crying because his throat felt “like it was on fire”. I touched his forehead and, sure enough, he had a fever. I gave him a dose of ibuprofen and he crawled into bed beside me. I called the doctor and after dropping my little girl off at school we went in. The strep test proved positive and got me thinking. If he was positive for strep than my little girl couldn’t be far behind. I called the school and let them know I would be picking my daughter up. They probably thought I was crazy, I mean, she had NO symptoms but I knew in my gut she would! When I got my girl in the car she said “Mom, my throat hurts a little.” I said, “I knew it!”. We went to the doctor for the second time today and again the test came up positive. A mother’s intuition should never be doubted!
Now here is my dilemma. I was supposed to go away for the weekend and visit some friends. Can I really leave my children when they are both sick? The guilt may just prove to be too much for me. It’s just that this is the only weekend that isn’t booked with one event or another for the entire month of March and well into April. I really could use a little girl time away from the constant demands of “regular life”. I was so looking forward to dinner out with the girls, sleeping in with no chance of being awaken by a hungry child or a needy dog and attending a yoga class then shopping all day long! My wise little six year old told me to listen to my heart…ugh. If I did that my kids would never leave my line of vision!
So here I sit, writing into the blogosphere hoping the answer will come to me. In the meantime, I will share one of my favorite recipes: Homemade Granola Bars. I make these incredibly easy and delicious granola bars once a week. My husband loves them for breakfast on the go and I often put them in the kids lunches, too. The best thing about these bars is their versatility. You can add your choice of nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips or even mini marshmallows. They always turn out great! If you have picky eaters you could even drizzle them with a bit of white chocolate and add a few sprinkles! That would entice even the most finicky child! However, to keep them healthy I use unsweetened dried blueberries and whole grain flour. The oats offer a great source of fiber, too. You could even substitute Agave syrup for the honey.
Awesome Granola Bars
2 -3 cups Old Fashion Oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or white if you prefer)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (more if you really like cinnamon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1 beaten egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 -1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecan or walnuts but any would be great)
1/2 – 1 cup golden raisins (I also use cranberries, dried blueberries or dried cherries…all are awesome)
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (totally optional…my kids don’t like the coconut)
Preheat to 350 degrees
Use cooking spray in a 9×13 glass pan
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pat into greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes then slice into bars. Keep tightly sealed to maintain freshness. Mine have never lasted more than a few days but they probably would keep for a week if tightly sealed. Enjoy!
Yummy granola bars...with chocolate chips and raisins!
