Applesauce bars, but more like cake.

This has been a fun project to post these recipes and pictures. It has helped me to be more computer literate, I can actually download photos, a big step for me. Anyway, I made applesauce in my crock pot the other day and no one has eaten it. It was good, but kind of changed color. In an effort to use it and not waste it I looked up recipes for applesauce cake and found one for "Applesauce Bars" at http://www.about.com/ . They turned out well, very moist, more cakey. To make this recipe more healthy or healthier (yes, I did pass 3rd grade language arts) I would add less sugar and use whole wheat flour or oat flour (I just put oatmeal in the blender or "magic bullet" and grind it up like that). This would also be a great recipe to add pureed veggies (carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash would work best). It was very good. I did not add nuts or raisins. I also used more applesauce. I think next time I make this I will make it in a 9 by 13 pan as cake. I sliced it up and put it in a 9 by 13 pan, so it is like a cake now. I enjoyed it as I laughed while watching "The Middle" (very funny episode. I remember wanting cool jeans, but they didn't cost $112. Not looking foward to teenage issues and being thought of as "so lame" and "clueless") and some of "Psych". Hope you like the bars/cake. My kids liked them and they will make a great snack today. I don't think there will be any left for Mike tomorrow for when he gets home. Oh well, I guess I will just have to make them again.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (next time I will use half whole wheat or oat flour and add some ground flax seed as well. I got a 17 pound bag at a grain sale about 3 years ago and still have some. I try to sprinkle it in everything I can so that it doesn't go to waste. Not sure why I bought that big bag. I think I was going to split it with someone and that just didn't happen)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar (I will use less next time)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1 1/2, I LOVE vanilla)
1 1/2 cups applesauce (I used 2 cups, which may be why it was so moist)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup raisins
(I think I may get fancy next time and add some lemon or orange zest, and maybe some lemon juice. It will give it a nice tangy flavor)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 4 ingredients in one bowl, set aside. In mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, then applesauce, nuts and raisins. Pour mixture into greased 15 by 10 by 1 inch jelly roll pan. When I was spreading this in the pan it didn't look like it was going to cover the whole pan or bake well, but it worked very well. Bake 25 min (I had to bake mine for about 30). After they are cool you can ice these, sprinkle them with powdered sugar, top with cool whip, or just eat them a little bit at a time out of the pan which is how I started eating them.