Cottage season is officially here! Not having my own cottage, I am often on the hunt for easy-to-travel recipes to bring up as a guest. I typically offer to take care of breakfast (it seems like the meal that's the hardest to screw up!). So when I found this recipe, a take on my favourite Starbucks treat--Oat Bars--I knew it would be in my cottage snack repertoire. It took less than 15 minutes TOTAL, required zero baking, and can be made and cut ahead of time. Bring up a French Press and some fresh ground coffee beans, and you have yourself an impressive mid-morning snack.

Bonus - Wrap some bars in wax paper, tie with twine, and bring up as a hostess gift!

Ingredients (original recipe can be found here)

1 cups large flake oatmeal
2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup liquid honey
1/4 cup water (optional - use for tender bar, use less or none at all for stiffer bar)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. I only had large flake oats, so I pulsed 2 cups in a food processor for 30 seconds before mixing with the remaining cup of large oat flakes.
In a large non-stick pan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, add the honey, syrup, vanilla, water, and brown sugar. Mix and allow to bubble gently.
Add dry ingredients to pan and mix thoroughly. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.
Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Compress the mixture evenly using the back of a flat metal spatula.
Using a knife, score the top of the oat mixture into bar shapes to make cutting easier.
After the bars have cooled slightly, cut the bars through while still in the pan.
Allow to cool thoroughly and enjoy!