Ooey Gooey Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars   

 

 

It's been a while since I shared a recipe but oh will you be so happy that I shared this one!  These are absolutely A-MAZING!

 

I've had an awful sweet tooth lately and when I saw this post from Kelly at thelilypadcottage.com,  I knew that I had to try them.  And lucky for me, I had everything on hand. 

 

 

 

Her Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars look absolutely beautiful and you definitely need to head over to her site and check out her post.  She is a great blogger/inspiration and I am totally in love with her decorating style and house!  She is one of the many bloggers I follow!

 

As you can tell by the pictures, my Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars didn't quite turn out exactly like hers.  Not sure exactly why but maybe it has something to do with that I may have added a few chocolate chips to make them a little ooey gooier!  Not even sure if you could classify mine as a bar....it's more like a gooey caramel apple oatmeal crisp!  Whatever we call it, it's de-lish!

 

 

Here's my version of her recipe. 

 

Ooey Gooey Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup melted butter + 1 tbsp

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup oats (I used Quaker Old Fashion)

2 apples, diced ( I used Granny Smith)

1/4 tsp apple pie spice

1 jar caramel sauce ( I used Smuckers.  Of course you can make your own)

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (You could also use pecans, raisins.  I just didn't have either of these)

 

Apple Pie Spice:  Mix 4 tsps cinnamon, 2 tsps nutmeg, and 1 tsp allspice.

 

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sauté apples in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp apple pie spice.  Remove from heat and add caramel sauce.
3. While apples are cooking, mix melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, 1/8 tsp apple pie spice, and baking soda in bowl.
4. Spread 1/2 the oatmeal mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Top with caramel apple mixture.  Sprinkle with sea salt and chocolate chips.
6. Layer remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel.  (My mixture was quite sticky so I used a teaspoon to dollop it on.)
7. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.  (This may vary based on your oven.  I baked for 20 minutes)
8. Cool slightly and Enjoy!  (Would be awesome topped with ice cream!)

They are super quick and easy to make.  And I promise you that if you make these you will not be disappointed!  They are like a small piece of heaven and I will definitely be making these again and again!

 

Here are a few more enticing pictures! 

Wish you were here to enjoy some of this Yumminess with me!  Please subscribe and your comments are always welcome!

 

 

 

Our Fall Home

Hello friends!  Thanks for hanging out with me today!

I have a bit of a confession.  I've been hesitant about posting this little fall home tour.  I started to look around and worry that our house wouldn't be grand enough in comparison to a lot of the beautiful houses out there in blogger land.  However, our house is our home.  It is real, lived in, and comfortable....nothing staged or spectacular and it is ALWAYS (and I do stress ALWAYS) a work in progress!  After thinking about it further, I decided to treat you all like the friends that you are and show you what you would see if you came over to our house this fall.  Hopefully you are able to get a couple of ideas for your home or at least enjoy the tour!

Ok....enough about that, let's get started! Come right in!

  

(You can see some of our fall outdoors here.)

I really didn't get into adding a lot of the seasonal oranges, reds, and yellows to the interior this year.  I struggle a little with that from year to year.....seasonal or neutral?  seasonal or neutral? Well, this year neutral won out!  I would also say, for the most part, I kept the decorating pretty simple .... shopping our house (and attic), adding a few things here and there like mums and greenery (from our yard), and transforming some of the traditional orange and green (aka pumpkins) that I already had.   You can see how I transformed the pumpkins here. 

This is our small foyer. 

 

 

 

The cedar armoire is a family heirloom and this is how it looks day to day other than the little white pumpkin.

 

This is what you'll see entering our front door and taking just a few short steps through the foyer.  We have an open floor plan with combined living, dining, and kitchen.   I added a few touches of fall throughout these spaces so let's keep going to see them in detail.....

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

This is the focal point of the room because it is right under the tv.  I switch it up quite often. I shopped our house to find this ice bucket for the mum, a mirror from the guest room, added a few white pumpkins, and this small chalkboard that gets moved from room to room and used season to season.

 

 

A few fall magazines are scattered throughout. (I'm a Southern Living and BHG hoarder!  I just can't seem to make myself throw them out!)

  

 

 

A galvanized container with a few sticks and dried flowers adds a touch of fall to this table, as well as a mason jar filled with faux acorns and nuts.  I use mason jars for everything!  Have you noticed!

 

 

You'll find trays pretty much on every surface in our house.  I love them!  It's one of the things that I'm always on the hunt for at antique and thrift stores.  Not only are they great for layering but they can quickly be moved which in this case works quite well.  The coffee table also happens to be the toy box!  The roses are from the backyard and the little leaf candle holder I've had for years....

 

 

 

 

This little table sits beside the back door.  More greenery, another pumpkin, and a few more magazines...  Can you see a trend yet?

 

This mum makes a statement in the kitchen and is the perfect addition to the DIY island.  The galvanized container is actually the base for a stand drink dispenser. 

 

 

 

 

 

The dining table also got dressed for fall.  I adore white plates... they are so versatile and work from season to season.  I found the butcher block at an antique store several years ago and have cherished it since.  It's the perfect size and again, is easily picked up and moved when company is coming.  There's also more pumpkins, greenery, candlesticks.  The little turkey I found at target several years ago and he makes an appearance every year. 

I dug out the DIY burlap banner from last year. And nothing says fall like apples...especially when they are on a leaf shaped platter! 

 

Now we'll exit the back door and take a little look around the screen porch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The screen porch also got a few updates for fall.  I typically change out the bedding from season to season along with the pillows. The table here is set  with my husband's grandmother's china.  You'll also find some fall magazines, candles, and more pumpkins. 

 

 

And that's it.... other than this beautiful wreath hanging on the back door!  This was an antique store find.  I glammed it up a bit with the burlap bow and the initial.  

 

I hope you enjoyed your visit!  Thanks for spending time with me and please stop by anytime! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Yumminess!

 

If you love apples and cinnamon you will love this bread!

  

 

 

Today I thought I would share an easy Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe. 

 

I typically keep a bowl of Granny Smith apples in a beautiful wooden bowl on my kitchen island.  ( The bowl is a priceless treasure given to me by my mother-in-law.) 

 

 

 

 I had several apples that were beginning to get a little soft and needed to be eaten pretty quickly.  So I turned to my favorite recipe site.... Pinterest!

 

 

 

I found several but decided to recreate a version of an apple fritter bread.  The recipe only called for one apple but because I needed to use up a FEW apples, I decided to use at least three per loaf  and make two loafs.... And, too, you can't go wrong with adding more apples to Apple Cinnamon Bread! 

 

There were two things about the Pinterest recipe that got my attention (Well, other than the fact it looked like sheer Yumminess!).  1. It called for some very basic simple ingredients that I had on hand. And  2. It was pretty easy with very few steps. 

 

So here's my version!

 

Ingredients:   (Per Loaf)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 ½  tsps vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¾ tsps baking powder

½ cup milk

2-3 apples (depending on size), peeled and finely chopped (any kind is fine), mixed with 1 tbsp granulated sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon 

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar and 2- 3 tbsps of milk or cream (mixed together to a drizzling consistency)

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. (I lined mine with parchment paper but it's not necessary.)

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

 

 

Beat granulated sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.  Stir in vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in a bowl; add to creamed butter mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. 

 

 

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan; add ½ the apples and brown sugar mixture.  Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.  Pour remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and brown sugar mixture.  Pat apples into batter and swirl brown sugar mixture into batter using a spoon or toothpick. 

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 – 40 minutes. While the bread is baking, mix together glaze ingredients.  Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and drizzling with glaze.

 

 

Allow glaze to set up for a few minutes.  Cut and Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

This bread is awesome and especially yummy when served warm!  I definitely will be making it again!  It would also make a very nice gift!  (Which is exactly what I did with the second loaf!)

 

I hope you found some inspiration to try this recipe.  You won't regret it! 

 

Stop back by soon!