oh it’s been a week.
things that happened:
how the temps were simultaneously
warm but the winds cool,
or, how i had the chance to eat poorly,
but instead ate salad and guacamole and rice cakes.
how i joined the Y and bought myself
a black 1 piece bathing suit so that i could
do water aerobics.
how i did F O U R photo shoots
for these breakfast bars,
in 2 different spots around the abode.
it’s a wonder there were any
left to photograph.
balsamic berry + ginger cereal bars
*note: these are a little on the cloying side, i would cut back the sugar by half, though the hit of balsamic does cut through, lending a rounder taste to it overall.
1 cup softened butter, i use green valley organics
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups plus 2Tbl spelt flour, divided
2 cups dried berries (my local mom’s has blueberries, cranberries & cherries. take your pick)
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
6 oz container of plain yogurt, i use green valley organics
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, i use Hare Hollow’s Blackberry Ginger
preheat oven 350F.
in large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.
to the creamed mixture, add the oats and 1 1/2 cup of spelt flour, until just blended.
set aside about 1 1/2 cups for topping.
with the rest, pressing into greased 12×9 pan.
bake for 10 minutes.
meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the dried berries and candied ginger, and mix it with the yogurt, egg, and balsamic vinegar. add in the remaining 2 TBL spelt flour to soak up some of the moisture.
spread wet mixture of partially baked crust.
dot the top with remaining crumb mixture.
bake 20-25 minutes.
cool on rack., cut into squares.
fridge leftovers.
BAM!
this post was sponsored by Hare Hollow. all opinions are my own.
morestomach 
Nice work Lan, and the photos are lovely! I have a soft spot for fruity bars like this with a crumble topping but it is difficult to get the sweetness balanced. I like the idea of a balsamic tang, although I’ve never seen anything as interesting as berry and ginger balsamic over here. I’m picking that with all the ginger and berries in the recipe that regular balsamic would work well too.
dw’s aunt has a great hack for balsamic – even the most shittiest balsamic vinegar can be saved. reduce it down to a thick syrup and you’re good. i would say, add some fresh fruit & ginger or herbs and strain, and you can get something similar to this fancy berry & ginger balsamic.
Great idea, thanks Lan!
These look delicious and the photos are beautiful. I bet the balsamic tastes wonderful with the fruit. This is just the kind of snack/dessert that I reach for when I can. I love that you did a few shoots of this. It’s kind of amazing the lengths we go to. Hope you’re well! xo
amanda, it does taste good, nice & fruity, and then the zing of the ginger adds a little extra. i’ve drizzled it over plain salad and a little goes a long way.
it really is ridiculous how i stressed over the shoots. part of me was so intent on figuring out the lighting and equipment, and the other part had that “sponsor” component in my head and it ended up taking way longer than it deserved.
Check you out! Eating healthy and joining the Y…. where’s that 2 piece suit you had me all excited about?
I’m looking for a new snack during work hours because guess who’s how allergic to nuts??
>>>> I <<<<>>>> YOU <<<<<
This came out differently that what I wrote and I don’t know why….
That last part was written as; guess you might have found me an alternative option
(YOU)
The funs all gone now , bleh
i understood you, I GOT YOU GIRL.
Girl I was stressed for a hot min
So.. i signed up last week and i didn’t go at all this week… WHOMP. however, my have good intentions to start … MONDAY.
this is the suit i bought: fancy schmancy, but it’s backordered until May, so i bought another suit to wear in the meantime: less fancy schmancy
Meeowwwe!