Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some days you just need a cookie. Today is one of those days  for me. We had mountains of laundry to wash, fold and put away, homeschool work to get through, floors that needed swept desperately and 2 bedrooms that frankly scare the crud out of me. Side note: Little girls are supposed to be lovely, not live like pigs, right?????

I took a deep breath, tried to still my rapidly beating heart and declared it time to make cookies. I tend to bake when I'm overwhelmed in other parts of my life (which, by looking at this blog, you can see is quite often) because it gives me some temporary control. I can settle down, get my thoughts straight and move on to other jobs after I bake. It's therapy for me- and HEY! if you end up with a cookie you can munch on at the end of it all the better in my book.

I chose to make a simple, classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie today. Let's face it- I needed a dose of chocolate and FAST and I knew these would get that job done. It also makes quite a few and you know by now (I hope) how I feel about recipes that give me enough to pass around and have some left over for later or lunches tomorrow.

I have to admit that sometimes I feel guilty about the number of bread/cookie/sweet recipes I post here. I do cook real food, everyday in fact, I just don't always have the time to photograph food at night when it's time for dinner. It's usually dark, my kitchen has zero natural light so photos are always terrible in there and my natives are always restless and they want to eat now. It just doesn't work out very well for me most of the time. Should I feel guilty? No! But I still do. It's silly, I know.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup shortening (I used lard :))
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups oats
• 1 package chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars. Add in eggs and beat until light in color and very fluffy. Add in the remaining ingredients, except the oats and chocolate chips, and stir well. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

We have to add cleaning the kitchen to our list of things to do, but it was worth it. I feel calmer now. I can handle my day and I will get it all done. Everyone has a much better attitude now, post cookie baking. It's amazing to me sometimes how powerful something so simple can be. 

I blame it on the cookies.