This recipe has been past down from my father's family.
Filling
12 oz dates
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
Add dates, sugar, flour and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over slow heat, stirring to keep from sticking until thick. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and margarine. Stir to combine.
Crumb crust
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Combine the brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cut in margarine until thoroughly combined and crumbly.
Grease a 9 x 13 pan and spread half the crumb mixture evenly across the bottom. Press firmly. Spread filling over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over filling and pat lightly. Bake in a 375*F oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.