A Haven for Vee

Saturday, January 23, 2010

In a Jam

Have you ever been like Old Mother Hubbard who went to the cupboard? I'm beginning to look more and more like her, too. Not only am I ransacking the cupboards, I'm growing ever more rotund. It's true what they say about those macaroni diets.

Yesterday as I was scrounging about in the fridge, I realized that a lot of excellent real estate was being taken up by jam. There were seven jars of jam...homemade jam...good stuff...not a lot of protein, but still, you know, good. And maybe even great if your mama made the jam the way my mama made this jam.

I remembered an old bar recipe that she used to bake...my mama, not Old Mother Hubbard. As I recalled, the bars were easy, quick, and tasty and they would take care of at least one jar of that rhubarb jam.





Well shoot! What do you suppose are the chances of my ever turning back into my former svelte self? Hahahaha, I crack myself up.

Oh! The recipe!

Jam Bars

Ingredients:

* 1½ cups flour
* 1½ cups quick oatmeal
* smidge of salt
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 tsp baking powder
* ¾ cup butter
* 1 cup jam (I give you permission to cheat on this one way or the other)

Method:

* Mix together dry ingredients.
* Work butter in until the mixture is crumbly.
* Save a third of the crumb mixture for the topping and place the remainder in the bottom of a 13×9½×2 pan.
* Press in firmly.
* Spread jam evenly over the top.
* Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining crumbs.
* Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.


Did your mama ever make this for you?

Mother Hubbard source

22 comments:

  1. What a fantastic recipe! I'm going to scrounge around in my pantry to see if I have any jam in there (my family prefers jelly) but I tell you I wish I had some of that rhubarb jam! Won't feel bad about having this sweet - after all - jam is a fruit, right?

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  2. I LOVE Rhubarb...so much!

    Chelsea is planning to use one of my jars of blackberry jam in some sort of a bar recipe. It is the jam from Kitchen Kettle Village and therefore does not come cheap. But by now she is making such awesome desserts that I trust her not to mess it up and waste it.

    With Spring comes Rhubarb and my Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb pie....yum!

    Becky K.

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  3. Vee I have never seen you, of course, but I love you just the way your are. Great post today. I would love to try that recipe. Have a great weekend.No sun here,again today.
    QMM

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  4. OH my - haven't had these in years and years. Rhubarb is the best for these because it isn't quite so sweet. Thank you, thank you for the reminder.

    About being svelte - highly overrated. :)

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  5. Oh I love that 'Old Mother Hubbard' illustration!!!!!!!!

    Oh I do not love your yummy recipe!!! -grin- But, on second thought, it is an idea for my making Dessert for Family Sun. Dinner.

    I really don't like to make a lot of awfully full of Sat/Fat stuff and take it over, for others to eat. [I don't eat anything that's got a lot of Sat/Fat in it. Can't bring myself to.]

    But that amount of butter is not as bad as a lot of other recipes. So on second thought, I guess I do love your recipe. :-)))

    ^_^

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  6. I had to grab your 'Award Free Blog' button. Thank you for offering it.

    Those Awards/Tags just keep coming, don't they. -sigh- And I hate to sound unkind, when I say; "Thank you but I don't do those things." -sigh-
    But we have to stick to our decisions. Can't put one Award up on our Sidebar, and not put the next one. Etc.

    Mmmmmm... Do I feel another blog entry idea coming on? :-)

    Anyway, thank you.

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  7. My Gran made these with apricot jam, and I can taste them in my memories. Alas, I am in the same expansive mode as you, Vee..... Cupboards do that to you!! Mind you, I am eternally grateful for a full cupboard. It has done well this past year. We are "comfortable". Yes. I can live with that!!

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  8. That looks delicious!

    I just noticed this morning that I have rhubarb in the freezer which should be used.

    I'm thinking of cooking it down to a thick sauce and adding sugar then using it instead of jam. It should work.

    My MIL used to cook her rhubarb down like that and add red hots for flavor. I keep red hearts on hand just for that purpose (they are almost always on clearance after Valentine's Day and Christmas).

    Can't wait to try the recipe.

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  9. Old Mother Hubbard is an ongoing joke with my grands...the girls and I have a love-hate relationship with that poem.

    The jam bars look great...and with a little oatmeal...they are almost a health bar!

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  10. Cute post, Vee! I have the "mother hubbard rotund syndrome" going on too! LOL! The recipe sounds delicious!

    Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! ~hugs, Rhonda :)

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  11. a perfect use for jam!

    yesterday in the hair salon, i casually dropped a
    comment about fractals...my hairdresser almost
    dropped her brush. ha ha!

    i learn so much here.

    blessings,
    lea

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  12. I have noticed several jars of jam hanging around my fridge too. Unfortunately none of them are homemade or rhubarb. These bars look fabulous. I love any dessert involving oatmeal and fruit. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. mmm....a delicious way to use up those jars of jam!

    Blessings!
    ~Nadine

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  14. Whoa, that is a seriously wonderful recipe. My grandma always made our PB and J sandwiches with whatever jelly/jams were in the refridg. We love PB with strawberry jam!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  15. What a yummy looking recipe.... and so quick and easy. Those I love.

    And I think I have some jars kicking about in my frig.... somma this and somma that. Mmmmm... which flavour bar do I want?

    Happy Day!

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  16. Hi Vee,
    Yummmmyyy! It sounds lovely! I'd make it IF we could keep a jar of jam in the cupboards.. homemade jams disappear lickity split with PB&J being the mainstay of my kiddos diet. :) My father gave us 6large jars of jam for Christmas (3 blueberry and 3 strawberry) and they are GONE. I hope that you and yours are maaaahhvelous down
    ther-ah!
    Smiles,
    Abbie

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  17. «Louis» likes rhubarb, too!
    These bars look irresistible. No rhubarb available now, other jam will have to do...

    BTW, «Louis'» sister in Texas makes a fine salsa that she supplies to President and Laura Bush.

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  18. Sounds great. I love homemade jam. My mom used to make strawberry jam!

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  19. Jam is one of life's staples for me...;pve the stuff. And these bars, althought MY Mom didn't make them, sound like something I'd love..So, can I borrow your Mom..I mean your Mama's recipe?

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  20. OOOOOOOOOH It sounds so good. Blessed Sunday to you....m..

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  21. I LOVE rhubarb! I just bought a bag of frozen chunks so I can make rhubarb crisp. I don't have any rhubarb jam though (wish I did).

    Thanks for that recipe! Those bars look yummy, perfect to have with my afternoon coffee. I copied it and I'll give it a try. Seems really easy.

    Manuela

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  22. Dieting is so hard...especially when one sees wonderful sounding bars such as these thta are so tempting!

    Hope you had a good weekend...so sorry to read about the loss of your family friends. My Mom's favorite thing to say is that "we never know our appointed day to meet the Lord, so we must always be prepared." So true!

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