George Washington’s birthday is today, February 22nd. Happy Birthday, Mr.President! As I was making these delicious little Sweet Cherry Bars, he came to my mind. Something about cooking with cherries made me think of him…I know it sounds crazy, but he is one of my favorite founding fathers….Remember when we were children and we we’re taught lessons on George Washington and how he told the truth when his father asked if he had cut down the cherry tree? This story was used to teach children the importance of telling the truth.…something that is sadly missing in public schools today.
Seems to me, children need these lessons more than ever. Even our television shows, back then, depicted good guys and bad guys. And it wasn’t hard to tell who was good and who was bad. Today’s children aren’t given stories that make the good guy so obvious. Sometimes television and movies are so “gray” children are not sure exactly what they are to ‘learn’ from them. Messages are being sent, whether we realize it or not.
I’m all about teachable moments with children, and I thought this would be perfect! While they enjoy a sweet and nutritious treat, I can tell them about a very honorable man who was our first president…and how he told the truth even when it hurt, because it was the right thing to do. And God honored him for it and allowed him to be president of the United States of America…the first one! The Father of our country! The steps of a Righteous man are ordered by the Lord.
The great thing about these Sweet Cherry Bars is not only are they delicious, they’re also very nutritious. Cherries contain a powerful antioxidant , anthocyanin, which blocks inflammatory enzymes. It helps with joint pain and discomfort. They also contain melatonin, which regulates our sleep cycles. And don’t forget vitamin A.
So, serve this little treat with complete confidence as a wife and mom. And remember to teach your children about our first president and the importance of telling the truth..…a spoon full of Sweet Cherry Bars…you know….helps the character lesson go down.
Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups dried cherries (10 ounces)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup (White Karo)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks butter,softened
- 1 1/3 cups plain flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (dry)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
- 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
Instructions
- Combine, cherries, water and Karo syrup in a saucepan and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. This takes about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Add Lemon zest and flavorings. Place in food processor and puree.
- Preheat oen 400*
- Combine butter and sugar and cream with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix flour, oats, soda and salt together. Add to butter mixture. Press 2 cups of flour mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
- Spread cherry mixture over crust. Sprinkle remaining flour mixture over top and bake approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
- Makes 20 bars.
