Oatmeal Cookies

This is an astounding oatmeal cookie recipe. You know it has to be- Wonder Daddy is snitching pieces every time he walks through the kitchen, AND I managed to make a batch with a brand-spanking-new baby in the house. To make it even easier, I pressed the mixture into a jelly-roll pan to make granola bars and baked it a few extra minutes. One bowl, one spoon, one measuring cup, one cookie sheet!

I have big plans for this recipe. It's fantastic with raisins or dried cranberries. It's lovely with a smear of peanut butter on top. Wonder Daddy loves chocolate chips- I could press a few handfuls into half the baking sheet, to satisfy his cocoa cravings. What would happen if I replaced some oil with apple sauce? Or threw in some maple syrup? Or toasted pecans? Or melted peanut butter and stirred that in?

Are you interested yet? I found the recipe here, on bloggy-buddy Lera's recent post over at The Sky is Pink. She is a mother to six, wife to one, and totally rocks the thrifted sheets-turned clothing look.

Here's a copy of her recipe, too. I used between 3/4 and 1 cup flour and that seemed to work just fine. Of course, it's more forgiving if you make bars rather than drop cookies. This is basically oats loosely bound with flour and egg.

Home-Style Oatmeal Cookies

• 4 cups quick oatmeal
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/c cup flour (I did add a little more to hold the cookies together better)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup raisins

Mix oatmeal, sugar and oil. Let stand overnight (or mix during the day and make the cookies at night). Add vanilla, walnuts, eggs, flour, salt and raisins. Drop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.