Time? What time?

I couldn't wait for summer break to be over and the boys to return to school.  Not only were they bored out of their minds by August, I was ready for a break!  I naively thought I'd have all this time on my hands with them all in school.  Am I new here?  You'd think this was my first time at the rodeo?
I had such grand plans of taking my daughter out places, just the two of us, take a nap, or read a book.  It turns out we haven't had much time to do anything.

Where has all that free time gone?  Of course it is only the first month of school.  Our schedules and routines are still being ironed out, and moving along quite smoothly if I do say so.    My husband drives  the two older boys to school in the morning while I get the youngest boy ready to walk to school.   I've managed to have breakfasts already made and in the freezer ready to nuke.  Lunches made and ready to be packed. But I haven't read the first book nor taken the first nap!

But I did find the time to make THESE!!! 

 Found on Pinterest, OF COURSE!

The Oatmeal Lemon Creme Bars were excellent.  I LOVE lemony desserts.    But even something good can be improved upon.   And improve it I did.  

With LIME!  COCONUT AND LIME!!!  I added coconut to the oatmeal mixture (toasted would have been really good but sweetened worked just fine), used organic coconut oil instead of butter and egg white instead of an egg. I also used fat free sweetened condensed milk.   HEAVEN!  

The kids loved them!  More than the lemon bars, not that they didn't like the lemon bars.  
Now just to let my culinary imagination go and come up with other variations.  

Raspberry and Almond?
Nutella?
Cranberry and Orange?

I'm salivating over here!  Good thing these are quick and super easy to make. Or maybe that is a not so good thing...

Recipe

Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix (or make your own)

1 egg

1 stick of butter or equivalent substitute

1 can sweetened condensed milk

juice of 2 lemons or limes

zest

Follow directions on oatmeal cookie mix, omitting water.  Press 1/2 of the cookie mix into the bottom of a greased square baking pan. (using a plastic bag like a glove or a piece of saran wrap is good for doing this)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until it begins to brown (but not over bake).

Mix condensed milk with juice and zest.  It will thicken up and get really creamy the more you mix it.  

Spread mixture on top of the baked cookie crust and top with the remaining cookie mixture.  I found it easier to take small amounts of the mixture and flatten in my hand and place on the filling. I did this until the whole thing was covered and then just sprinkled the cookie mixture to fill in the gaps.

Place back in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  The top crust will get nice and brown.  

Let cool before cutting!  I was over anxious and tried to cut it too early.  It got very messy.