Simple Gifts

Gift-giving is annoyingly complicated.  We have so many THINGS already.  If I give them a gift they'll feel they have to give me one.  She gave me a pair of earrings.  Now I feel bad that I didn't bring something for her.  Even presents for children are complicated.  Plastic toys.  Plastic packaging.  The children I know have the equivalent of toy stores in their rooms already.

Today though, for a moment, gift-giving was simple and joyful.  I bought a 49 cent thrift store tin and filled it with homemade cookies.  I tied a ribbon around it and taped a label on it.  To Sam.  Happy Holidays.  From Diane.

Sam is the manager of Hot Yoga.  He's the person who checks students in.  He's the one who fields complaints about the music, the room temperature or the new teacher.  I talk to Sam a fair amount since I always arrive early and often leave early as well.  Do I complain?  Let's leave that between me and Sam.  But I hear about Sam's pleasure in hot weather and his pleasure in the cold.  I hear about his family and his accomplishments at his job.  One day Sam even gave me a hand massage!  He has such Aloha spirit that I asked where he was from.  Who would have thought they grew them like that in Minnesota?  It must be all the yoga.

And so it was a blushing pleasure to give him a little box of cookies on December 10.  A surprise to make him even happier because somebody thought about him, likes him, and brought him a gift.

 MONTANA MONSTER COOKIES

Warning:  This recipe requires a VERY VERY large mixing bowl.

Ingredients:

2 lbs brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 T vanilla
8 t baking soda
1 lb butter, melted
3 lbs crunchy peanut butter
18 cups of quick oatmeal, which = 42 oz plus 3 cups (or some regular ok too)
1 lb chocolate chips
15 oz (2 1/2) cups raisins
1 dozen eggs

Mix together butter, sugars and eggs. 
Add peanut butter and vanilla. 
Add soda, oatmeal, chips and raisins. 
Chill. 
Dough also freezes well.  (small containers for small batches of cookies are nice)

Form dough into medium sized balls and flatten slightly onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

Thank you, Jane, for this much-loved recipe.