Guest Author - Phyllis Doyle Burns
This article was written by our previous editor, Phyllis Doyle Burns, and all rights are reserved. For inquiries and comments, please contact the current editor, Jane Winkler.
Many Native American tribes gathered wild berries and nuts to supplement their diets. Berries could be eaten fresh or dried for the winter months and added to pemmican, soups, or other recipes. Nuts are a good source of protein and also could be eaten fresh or stored for the long winter months.
With summer coming up a lot of children are going to be out of school and looking for snacks to grab quickly when too busy playing to sit down and eat a meal. It is a good idea to have nutritional snacks on hand like berries and nuts for kids on the go.
One great snack packed with nutrition and disguised as a treat is oatmeal cookies. You can put a lot of good things in these all-time favorites -- nuts are a great nutritional addition and taste good.
Bake up a batch or two of oatmeal cookies and watch them disappear. Make sure you save some for yourself to have with a cup of coffee during those quiet times when the kids are outside.
Oatmeal Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups oats (quick cooking)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk (buttermilk can be used if preferred)
1 cup raisins or chopped dates (or 1/2 cup each)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, peanuts, or hazel nuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Blend the oats in then set this mix aside.
Cream butter and sugars until light. Add the vanilla to the eggs and beat into the creamed mix. Stir in the flour mixture and milk, alternating each. Gently fold in the raisins and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep an eye during the baking time as some ovens burn hotter than others. Let cookies set for five minutes on baking sheet after removing from oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Oatmeal cookie recipes are very versatile. You can make them spicy with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg; sweeter with chocolate chips, dates, or raisins; crunchy with nuts; or pack in many of these treats for a jumbo type cookie. You can even add peanut butter to the mix. If adding peanut butter, cut the butter in half and replace that portion with peanut butter.
Bake up a batch or two of oatmeal cookies and watch them disappear. Make sure you save some for yourself to have with a cup of coffee during those quiet times when the kids are outside. Do not forget the Elders. A basket of oatmeal cookies taken to an Elder is so much appreciated.
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For your cooking and enjoyment, try these wonderful cookbooks:
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