Sickeningly Sweet

This evening I went with Mauri to her Back-to-School night... I know, I know, so unfair of me as a parent to favor one child over others (remember I skipped the high school one?).  It was very important to Mauri that I attend.  She had some writing to share with me (actually, she wanted to share everything she's written since starting 4th grade -- I had to rein her in).

Honestly, it was a good time.  She suggested we ride our scooters, so even though it's been a very hot day, we grabbed the scooters and off we went.  

After spending some time in the classroom, we attended the "family meeting" in the gym.  Really, it's a parent meeting, but what else are you going to do with all those kids excited to show off their classrooms and schoolwork, and all their younger siblings tagging along with them?  So just go ahead and call it a family meeting, and talk over all the ruckus and hope your presentation can be heard and understood.  Some pretty radical new ideas in the way of grading were presented... it should be interesting to see if all the theories work out.  And I heard the word "kiddos" until it made me queasy.  I don't mind someone using a term of endearment like that occasionally, but not twenty times in the same sentence.  Too sickeningly sweet.  Like you're trying to cover up what you really think of them.

Then we hopped on those scooters and rode home.

My behind will probably be killing me tomorrow.

And speaking of sickeningly sweet, I had a hankering for something like that when we got home.  I thought of my old standby:  No Bake Cookies.  Then I remembered that I told my friend Steph I would get her the recipe, which I haven't done.  So I'll post it, for all to enjoy.  But only after sharing my childhood memories of these little gems.

When I was very young, no-bakes were like candy.  The secret treat my brother, sister and I would cook up when my parents were "out" for the evening.  We had it down to a science... almost.  Of course, when we made them, they were not to share, but were a personal treat for the person willing to pull out the ingredients, mix them in a bowl, and nuke 'em in the micro.  We would cut the recipe by a double half, so it was the perfect amount for personal indulgence.  After a while, we didn't need a recipe... we would just eyeball it.  Sometimes they turned out, sometimes they didn't.  Then we would take our cereal bowl of goodness, grab a spoon, and eat until we were nauseous.  Most times we would carefully hide the evidence of our gluttony, but occasionally, on a lazy night, we would stuff our half-eaten bowl of hard, over-nuked chocolate/butter/milk/sugar and oat mixture under the sofa, to be pulled out during a thorough cleaning, possibly months later.  Those were good times.

After I got married, I tried making no-bakes a few times, but they never turned out.  I couldn't figure out why, but after a few failed attempts, I moved on to something I could make (but as I sit here and try to think what that could have been, I'm drawing a blank.  Maybe I just resorted to cheap treats like those delicious Otter Pops I ate non-stop while pregnant with Taylor.  I still wonder to this day if that little obsession led to his never-ending dental and orthodontia issues.)  Then one day, my neighbor Steph Padilla brought over some of her No Bake Cookies.  They were just as I had remembered the very best batches turning out when I was young.  I asked for her recipe.

So now, I make Steph Padilla's No-Bake Cookies quite regularly.  When I obtain a recipe from someone, I rename it, probably because I am such a sentimental nut.  For example, I have recipes for Lori Weintz's Brownies, Heather Lawrence's PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, Jill Feil's Eclair Cake, Heather McKinlay's Corn Bean Salsa, Nancy McAliney's French Toast Souffle, Robyn Syddall's Cornflake Cookies, and Mom's Whole Wheat Waffles, just to name a few.  And seriously, these are some of my all-time favorites.  And I love that whenever I pull out one of those recipes, I remember with great fondness the person I got it from.  So even though I've completely lost contact with Steph, she is in my thoughts on a regular basis.  And I'm grateful for her recipe, which has brought me much comfort and cheer.  So, to the business of passing it along to another good friend named Steph, who can choose to name it whatever she pleases.

Steph Padilla's No-Bake Cookies

Mix in pan:

1/2 cup milk

1 cube butter or margarine

1 Tbs. cocoa powder (I add 2... cocoa's good for you, you know, flavenoids)

2 cups sugar (not so good for you, but oh so sweet)

Bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Take off heat and add:

3 cups oatmeal (I prefer old-fashioned rolled, not quick)

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash of salt

3/4 cup peanut butter (optional -- I sometimes use less, but I think the addition of some PB helps them set up nicely)

Stir until mixture loses it's gloss.  (I don't usually stir until it "loses it's gloss"-- too much work -- but just until they start to feel a little stiff as you stir.)  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto foil.  Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

The only thing that can make these better:

It balances the sweetness of the cookies.  When you start to feel nauseous, just swig half a glass, and you're good for a couple more.  Delish.