Easy Oatmeal-Caramel Bars

Wow!! Things have been crazy around here lately!! It seems like things are always CRAZY around here. Maybe I'm just crazy!! My allergies have been getting the best of me, but seem to FINALLY be letting up. I have never had allergies until last spring....ugh!! I have a lot more sympathy for my husband now! We have started our garden. That is always fun! We have carrots, peas, lettuce and spinach seeds in the ground. I am hoping to see some green coming up soon!

On to some yummy dessert! I found this recipe in my 'stash'. I'm not sure where it came from. I cut it from some magazine YEARS ago. The recipe calls for Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, but I used this cookie dough. These are yummy. I enjoyed them even more the next day:)

Easy Oatmeal-Caramel Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 roll(16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies or two cups of this
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats (I used old fashioned and they were still yummy)
• dash of salt, if desired
• 2/3 cup caramel topping
• 5 T all-purpose flour
• 1 t vanilla
• 3/4 cups chopped walnuts (I didn't use)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in oats and salt. Reserve 1/2 cup dough for topping; press remaining dough into an ungreased 9-inch square pan.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until dough puffs and appears dry. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together caramel topping, flour and vanilla until well blended. Sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust; drizzle with caramel mixture. Crumble reserved 1/2 cup dough mixture over caramel.

Bake 20-25 minutes longer of until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered.