Just Out Of The Oven

More baking this morning for our church booth at Squealing On The Square, a BBQ competition and festival. The last recipe I baked today is a favorite. I like it because it's easy to make, it makes a large panful, and bar cookies are faster than drop cookies. Just the ticket when you need a lot of cookies in a hurry. When we were in the middle of our house renovation here at the farm, this recipe was the hands-down favorite of the carpenters. I made them cookies nearly every week. Always good to keep people working at your house happy. 

OATMEAL SCOTCHIES

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

11-oz. package butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and butterscotch morsels. Press dough into a greased 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. 

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan. Cut into bars.

Makes 4 dozen bars.

In the midst of a very full week, I started a new knitting project. The Color Affection shawl has over 6000 project pages on Ravelry which tells me it must be a good pattern. Lots and lots of just plain knitting. No fancy stitches this time. It's a good project to work on when I am feeling overloaded. The Summit shawl that I started a few weeks ago is another matter. It is not a pattern for mindless knitting. It will get attention on days when I am calmer.

People sometimes ask why I knit when I'm so busy with other things. I do it because I find it relaxing. Just like other people enjoy Suduko or jigsaw puzzles or crosswords, I find focusing on a pattern a way to clear my mind. And the rhythm of the actual knitting--the yarn passing through my fingers, the soft clicking of the needles--is soothing to my soul.

Oh...just so my family knows. The kitchen here is closed for a few days. Time to let the ovens rest!