Two Important Words...Thank You!

In the March/April 2011 issue of Mothering Magazine I wrote an article about making handmade items for the special teachers in our lives. Within the article, it shared a tutorial or two, as well as additional ideas for parents and kids to make together as a token of thank you. The beauty of the special Thank You gifts were that the items you needed, would be supplies that you have at home.

With the busy lives families lead...many times two special words can be overlooked, which are "Thank You". In my eyes, these two words really are not used as much today as they were even 20 years ago. It is kind of sad, I think, because they are special words that have a lot of meaning of how it show others you feel, how the person has helped them, how they have helped you learn something new; and expand your current skills, etc.

While working on the article, it made me think of how teachers in our immediate family lives have made such an impact on my daughters over the past six years, as well as in my life. Many times, we think of teachers academically but that is not necessarily the case. Teachers can be your ballet, tennis, art instructors, etc. It is an adult that has made an impact in the childs life, in learning.

One of my daughters this week, volunteered her and I to bake. Of course, I have no problem with baking (and her volunteering us as well) so we tried a new cookie recipe (Oatmeal Raisin with White Chocolate Chunks), in hopes that it would be a keeper of a recipe. The baking was for a group of teachers who would be participating in a cookie exchange, roughly 45 different families would be baking for the group of teachers, who would be receiving these delicious yummies for them and their families.

Our family loved the recipe so much that we thought you might enjoy the recipe as well.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats
1¼ cups raisins
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 ounces white chocolate, cut into small chunks (you can also use small morsels)

*something else that you could add would be nuts. We thought walnuts, almonds and pecans would be good.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and cinnamon until well combined. Next stir in the oatmeal and raisins.

In the bowl of electric stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one-at-a-time, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

On low speed, gradually add the flour and oatmeal mixture; then add the white chocolate chunks.

Proportion out the cookies onto your baking tray and keep them about 1 inch apart from each other, they tend to spread out a little. Bake the cookies for 18 to 22 minutes. Have them sit on your baking tray, once out of the oven, for about 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the baking pan to the wire rack.