...some days are cookie days

Today was a cookie day. You've probably had this kind of day a few times. A day where you have so much on your to-do list, you know you couldn't possibly get it all done. On days like this, I just need to back away from my desk and take a breather.

On my breaks, I often pull out my favorite cookbook: Boo's Best. I do realize this blog is starting to look like a cooking blog...which it is NOT. But when I am pregnant my mind seems to revolve around food, much to the dismay of my bathroom scale.
I think we all have ancestors/relatives that we relate to more than others. Relatives that we seem to take after. Someone that shares your same interests, character traits or humor. My Grandma Boo is that relative for me. I wouldn't dare claim to have all of her wonderful traits, but I know I inherited several. She was a woman who had a passion for design; she always had the latest fashions in clothing and home decor: not your average grandma. She loved to laugh and she adored her husband. She was always serving other people and thought of herself last. She was the ultimate, glamorous hostess. (On one of her last days battling cancer, her good friend was coming over to offer a little service. She came in the door and found my grandmother, who could barely walk, making a treat for her. She was a gracious hostess to the end.)

I come from a family of cooks and Grandma Boo was the best. In fact, when she passed away, my mom couldn't think of a better way to memorialize her than to publish her recipes. I am sad to say this book is not available for purchase, but it SHOULD be!

This is an excerpt of the forward my mother wrote in the book:

It's been featured in the newspaper, the subject of grandchildren's essays, the cause of homesickness, and the victim of larceny - Mom's cooking. Opening Mom's recipe boxes was like stepping into her kitchen and meeting her friends. It was a glimpse at her life. It's obvious she was a woman who liked good things, who liked to entertain and who gained pleasure in service. Her recipe collection is heavy on the "Sweets" and light on the "Vegetables." I hope this book will help you be a better cook, but even more, I hope it will help you to be a little more like Mom - generous, compassionate and sociable.

My copy is full of food stains, kid scribbles and jotted notes. I love this book. I know that I am safe making ANYTHING in it. Everything is delicious and most recipes are accompanied by memories of my grandmother.

My daughter wanted to make chocolate chip cookies today to celebrate her uncle Jerry's birthday. (He lives in another state, so we'll just think of him while we eat them...) When I sent my daughter to fetch "the cookbook", she knew exactly which cookbook I meant.

Here is the recipe we made from my beloved book:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 c. quick rolled oats
1 pkg. chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs. Add remaining ingredients in order and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees until done. (About 10-11 minutes.)

**We will NOT be sharing these cookies with neighbors as planned. My kids stuck their fingers in the dough one too many times.
***Yes, my kids ate raw cookie dough. But, what kind of childhood would it be without a little cookie dough??