DAY 146 - and OREGON TRAIL COOKIES

It is absolutely hard to believe that it is the first week in August with the temperatures we are experiencing. Yesterday morning when I got up the house was 73 degrees F with the A/C set at 76 degrees F. I walked out on the back pork and Wayne was sitting in his chair wearing a sweatshirt and said it felt like we were in Ventura, CA (which he wishes he were). As I saw it, it meant I could turn the oven on and bake some cookies I have been wanting to make but hated to heat up the kitchen. It is supposed to be back to 90 Saturday and Sunday. Haven't noticed what next week is calling for.

Our daily routine hasn't changed much recently during this COVID-19 time except we have stopped dining out. Dr. Rex Archer, the Director of Health for Kansas City and his wife Janet are friends of ours from church. I kept hearing doctors on news shows say people should stop dining out at restaurants so I asked Janet what they recommended since I had not heard any particulars from our mayor, Quinton Lucas. She said the problem was restaurants' a/c systems were not strong enough to remove any virus fast enough. She said it was better to order curbside and take it home to eat. So we are eating home more (which is probably better for us) and just ordered out once last week. 

I have started going to the YMCA and walking 30 minutes in the lazy river. That seems to be working me more than walking on the treadmill. Our numbers (cases and deaths) are rising in Missouri and school has been delayed around here until September 8. I hope before then the numbers drop. I worry about our grandchildren and my teacher friends.

The recipe for the cookies I have been wanting to make is on the back of the Bob's Red Mill's bag of 100% whole wheat flour. I didn't have all of the ingredients so made a few changes. I also used brown sugar blend for the brown sugar. They are so good!

OREGON  TRAIL COOKIES

1-1/4     cup whole wheat flour
3/4        rolled oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats)
1           teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2        teaspoon baking soda
1/2        teaspoon baking powder
1/4        teaspoon salt
1/4        cup butter, softened
1/4        cup peanut butter
3/4        cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar blend)
2           tablespoons honey
1           egg
1           teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2        cup almonds (I coarsely chopped mine)
1/3        cup pumpkin seeds (I used roasted sunflower nuts)
2           tablespoons flaxseeds (I omitted)
1/2        cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease cookie sheet).

Whisk together in a bowl, the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey

until smooth.

Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and

stir until just combined.

Gently mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons at a time.

(I used my cookie scoop that holds 1 tablespoon when dough is leveled and made 2 scoops that I rolled into a ball.)

Place balls on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with your fingers. 

Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.  (I baked mine an extra minute or two since I was using the parchment paper.) Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes about 20 cookies.