Nicole's Banana Bars

    Some of you may have noticed I have posted anything new in awhile.  We recently moved into a new apartment, and needless to say most of my kitchen was packed away in boxes.  Thank goodness for frozen pizzas and spaghetti during that time!  But I must admit I am super excited about eating homemade food again, even if it does mean more dishes!  So in celebration of having everything clean and organized in my new kitchen, I decided to make a mess with these banana bars.  This recipe is another that I "borrowed" from my mom  because it is so delicious.  I am always taking all sorts of goodies to school to share with the other teachers in my lunch, but one of the teachers I work with gets upset because she can't eat much of it.  She gets  really severe headaches from chocolate and all sorts of other things, so for her birthday I took these banana bars into school for her (and the rest of us) to enjoy during lunch!

Base:
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup Crisco
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2½ cups flour
1 tsp. of baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 cups quick oats (the recipe says you can use old-fashioned oats too, but I don't think it tastes as good)

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2-3 ripe bananas, sliced
2 tbsp. Crisco
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt

     Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 13 x 11 baking pan.  Combine the brown sugar, 1 cup Crisco, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until well blended.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt.  Mix in the oats.  Pour 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan, reserving the other 1/3 for the topping.  Press mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
     For the filling, combine the condensed milk, bananas, and 2 tbsp. Crisco in medium saucepan.  Cook and stir constantly over low heat until mixture thickens and resembles banana pudding.  Remove from heat, stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Spread over base.  Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over the top of the filling.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Refrigerate.  Makes about 24 bars.