Bummers and breakfast bars.

It's been a drab day. I, as usual, have very little to do on my nearly 5th week off from school. I'm ready to be busy again, though I'm self-aware enough to know when I have to get up at 6am next week for the hospital, I'm going to be begging for these days back.

Regardless, I found out today there are no opportunities for a summer internship at CHOP. I would love to get my foot in the door at a hospital where there is an established cochlear implant center, but it's been difficult. At least I can apply for a clinical fellowship in a few months. I have a list of hospitals I plan on applying to, as well as some skilled nursing homes. It's not my #1 choice, but it's still considered a medical placement, which is the avenue I want to travel. That said, I'm kind of excited at the two prospects I do have for this summer: a NICU placement or a summer school placement for only FIVE WEEKS. Uhhhh…while I do want as many medical experiences as I can get (it'll make me a lot more marketable as a new SLP), the idea of being done with school after five weeks rather than 12 in the summer is undeniably appealing. I guess what will be, will be. I'm just bummed. I wanted Johns Hopkins and CHOP after Saint Louis fell through. I guess they weren't meant to be.

As I sat here playing my little violin, I told myself to stop moping and get active. I did yoga (which I always forget really  helps to calm me) and realized I needed to start thinking about quick ideas for breakfast come next week, for myself and the hubby. I decided to use the last three bananas we had to make vegan banana breakfast bars. Mmmmmm! I usually bring a thermos of coffee and a granola bar, but the vegan bug keeps nipping at me and had me wonder if I could figure something out homemade besides my usual muffins. I decided on these little oat-filled bites of goodness.

There's not too much to report on for these bars; you mix, mix again, and throw them in the oven. I didn't have dried apricots, so I made them without initially. They were in the oven for ten minutes when I remembered we had dried cranberries. Honestly, I don't know that I needed to add them, but I sprinkled them on the top, and they are a welcome burst of fruitiness.

I wrapped all of the bars in foil and sent them straight to the freezer to seal the freshness. Ken reported yesterday morning that the bar was "delicious!" and wanted another. Woo! Disclaimer: You may need a fork at points because the oats get a tad crumbly. Other than that, I can totally see these as being a great, quick breakfast on the go that you can feel good about eating.

Courtesy of Yummly's Serious Eats: Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Bars

Ingredients
 2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup sweetned coconut flakes

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)

3 tablespoons butter, melted (I used vegan butter)

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 8-inch square baking pan.

2) In a large bowl, stir together oats, coconut, walnuts, apricots, and salt.

3) In a medium bowl, mix together mashed bananas, sugar, and melted butter until combined.

4) Add banana mixture to oats and stir until evenly incorporated. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish.

 5) Bake until bars are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares.