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.)