Strawberry Jam Crumble Bars with Nutella

Strawberry Jam Crumble Bars with Nutella! Strawberry jam is sandwiched between a crust and a oatmeal crumble topping and finished off with a swirl of Nutella.

I am constantly juggling the daily tasks of growing a business and staying home with my growing boy. I love both, but it takes a lot of time, energy and patience to dedicate time to each every single day. I spend Cole’s nap times working and his awake times playing, and I’m always looking for fun yet educational activities to do with my little guy. So, the ideal scenario is when my two worlds collide and I can gather inspiration for the blog while keeping Cole entertained.

It’s rare to find opportunities that mesh well with both “jobs” {Cole isn’t into extended dining experiences just yet!}, but every once in a while I discover events and adventures that lend themselves to the two perfectly.

A few weeks ago, I asked a girlfriend if she and her son would want to join us on a trip out to Swank Specialty Produce to try our hand at strawberry picking before the season came to a close. They were as excited about the prospect of fresh picked berries as we were, so we made a plan to meet bright and early “on the farm.”

Except, if you know me, you know that my sense of direction is nothing to be envied. I rely HEAVILY on Google Maps, and I don’t know what I did before GPS tracking came along. {Yes I do. I got lost a lot.} Armed with my phone and a robotic-sounding co-pilot leading the way, I figured I had nothing to worry about as the overview seemed pretty clear cut.

Down the back roads of Loxahatchee we drove, Cole and I, filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. We took our lefts and rights on streets like “Avocado” and “Persimmon”, and it seemed to me we were on the right track to pick some produce.

When we got to the dirt roads with unclear signage, I let my phone do the navigating and listened carefully to her orders as she told me to veer right into an unmarked entrance. I drove in and found myself at what seemed more like an RV camping spot than a farm of any kind, so I pulled over to try to get my bearings and figure out where the GPS had lead me.

As I scanned the area from the driver’s seat, I finally caught a glimpse of a cheerful looking sign that cleared up any confusion as to what I had wandered into: A Naturist Resort.

Since my mind was still fixated on strawberries, the word “naturist” didn’t ring a bell until I noticed a smaller, more cautionary-looking sign stating that there was nudity on the property. Ah, yes… it all came together for me then. Naturist = Nudist. My trusted Google navigator had lead me to a NUDIST COLONY. My suspicions were confirmed seconds later, when I spied a nice looking older gentleman retrieving his mail wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a smile.

Gone pickin’. {Always attempting that perfect Instagram shot.} Photos of me & the boys courtesy of Erica Dunhill.

Now, I’m no prude, but I sat there stunned for a second before I burst into laughter. Cole, all the while, was observing his mother’s manic behavior from the carseat, and probably wondering what in the world got into me. This will be a story to share in the future, for sure.

Anyway, we did eventually find our way to Swank which was just one dirt road entrance away, and I’m happy to report that strawberry picking was a success with both boys. {And that everyone at Swank was fully clothed.}

We came home with a heaping pint of hand-picked strawberries, but we also found out that they sell jam and other produce as well. Though I didn’t pick any up this time around, I hope to on our next visit. In the meantime, I was inspired to use up a jar of jam from Parksdale Farms that I’ve had for a while in these ridiculously easy Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars.

I love that the base and the crumble topping for these bars are made from the same mixture, meaning less work. A layer of sweet and gooey jam {really, any flavor will do} is sandwiched in the center of the bars, covered with a crisp oatmeal and hazelnut topping and then drizzled with chocolate hazelnut spread.

The result is truly irresistible…. and that’s the naked truth!