Yummy Oatmeal Date Bars

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

3/4 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 stick margarine, softened (I used New Balance)

2/3 cup packed Br sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar, about 5 TBLS)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 cup Oats

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine dates, water and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 5 min or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat & set aside.
3. Cream margarine. Gradually add brown sugar, beating at med speed with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla; beat well. Combine oats and next four ingredients; stir well. Add oat mixture to creamed mixture, stirring until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Press 2 cups oat mixture evenly in a 9-inch square (or improvise with what you have) coated with cooking spray; set remaining oat mixture aside. Bake at 375 for 5 min or until crust is puffy. 
5. Spread date mixture over prepared crust, and sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into bars, Yields about 16 bars.  
6. Stores in an airtight container at room temp up to five days (but they didn't last that long at my house!)

159 calories.  Or 3 points if you are doing Weight Watchers.  (Count as 1 Fruit, 1 Starch, 1/2 fat.)

FOUND A HOUSE!

After viewing about 30 houses on line & driving around to see where they are situated (on a busy street, arms distance to the neighboring house, having some land, lots of trees or in the "country") and walking through about 11 houses, we found the perfect house ( and by accident too!)

 Two car garage, the other is on the left side of the house, under the house.  Its a Tri-level.

 The back of the house has a deck we may enclose eventually?  Also, a small dining room in the back, with a door leading to the back yard. Its really cute.

 This picture is of the front door, we are going to paint it red, everyone here has a red door!  And sandstone rock here.

This is the back yard, we are not sure what this is, we think maybe they may have  had a swimming pool at one time. 
It is 4 bedrooms, two and a half baths, living room, dining room, cute kitchen, family room downstairs, the master room is the top of the house by itself.  We are not sure of the move in date, but we'll know soon.
We are pretty excited about it and can't wait to move in, Apartment living is not for us!!

We also  have beautiful wood floors (need some work first) and Hal has a small workroom in the garage.
We have to buy a lawn mower of some kind and a range.  Check back for more details & photos later!!