I'm not sure why I don't bake anymore. It makes me sad, to be honest. The simple truth is probably that when I don't have people to share the baked goods with, I don't want to make them. For example, Scott doesn't enjoy it when I bake...simply because he knows he'll end up eating it all. Oh, he enjoys it-enjoys it, but he doesn't want or need to eat 2 dozen cookies and that's what happens when I bake. (We have very little self-control around desserts. Good thing we found each other, right?)
In Alaska, I would take my creations into the faculty lounge. They'd usually be gone before school started. There was one teacher in particular who would always ask what I was bringing in next. He was so grateful and appreciative of the products of this blog! I would take in a pan of rice krispy treats and see half a dozen people eating them with their morning coffee. That made me feel so good. Like I was providing a service. Food, I believe, is my love language. I had an email exchange about this with Kate...people who get fulfillment out of feeding others have to have food as a love language right? Didn't Jesus use food as love anyway? With the bread, the fish, the wine, and all that? (excuse my less than eloquent wording)
Alaska was where I learned to cook. Where I learned to use food to show people I cared.
In Missouri, I haven't had a chance to express myself through food. It hasn't hit me until just recently that this has been the case, and it makes me really sad. I don't work in a tight-knit building. They may claim to be tight-knit, but there's over 50 teachers, and probably 70+ staff. I don't know everyone's name. I still, after 7 months, cannot match names to faces and I've never spoken to half the people there. I very much enjoy the challenge and professional growth I've gotten out of Missouri, but I can't say that I've ever felt particularly loved here. I do have some sweet friends, but they are very much outside of my everyday routine and a treat to spend time with; I don't see them each day.
My only friends in Alaska, after that first year, were at work. It was my community. My support system. My co-workers saw me laugh and cry. They saw me frustrated and happy. They knew me as a person and trusted me as a teacher. How is it possible that I could fit in better in the state of Alaska than I could here? That's something I ponder almost everyday on my way to work...
Anyway, that's a lot of deep thought for a post about cookies.
I baked these cookies for my dad, for his birthday. Oatmeal cookies are his favorite.
They get an added kick of gingersnap flavor from a giant scoop of cookie butter. Feel free to try different kinds of cookie butter…next time, I'll substitute in the cocoa swirl.
Cookie Butter Oatmeal Cookies
makes 4 dozen
1/2 cup of butter (one stick), softened
1/4 cup cookie butter (or biscoff)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cookie butter, and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and mix to combine. Add in the oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Don't over bake. They're best when chewy!
