Whenever I get together with my siblings, it is pretty much a given that we will die laughing over what our Mom used to pack in our school lunches.
I love you Mom, but the world needs to know the truth.
Sandwiches were never on store bought bread. Only dry, crumbly homemade 100% whole wheat bread. When we were lucky enough to score lunchmeat bologna, it never came with mayonnaise because she was afraid it would go bad.
Instead of chips, she would toss a few salted soy beans in a bag. Mmmmmm.
And of course, our little apples were always mushy and mealy.
My lunches were so embarrassing that in the 3rd grade, I would stash my lunch in the mail box before hopping on the bus. I would then be forced to buy a school lunch since I had no food. It was a great plan until my Mom got the bill from the school.
I never claimed to be a smart 3rd grader.
You think I exaggerate, but if it wasn’t for the treats she would occasionally toss in, I might have gone into child labor just so I could buy a school lunch. (Again, I love you Mom!!!)
Taking after my Mom, I too love to surprise my kids with the occasional lunchbox treat. I used to pack enough treats for them to share with their friends as well, but once the school’s food service discovered what I was doing, they shut us down. Thanks Food Nazis.
These cookies will be a great surprise for your kiddos lunchbox. They are the trifecta of cookies with all three of their favorite flavors! They are perfectly crisp on the outside with an amazing chewy center. The peanut butter flavor isn’t overwhelming, and I love the chew and texture from the whole oats. I love making them as really big cookies….it makes the coveting by fellow lunch-mates even greater. You can always go smaller, but don’t tell your kids that you heard that from me.
If you can’t tell, I’m trying to be the “cool” packed-lunch Mom 🙂
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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 C flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 C rolled oats
- 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars for 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, then beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula then beat again. Add all of the dry ingredients then mix on low until combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix one more time.
- Use a cookie scoop and generously over-fill it to about 3 Tb of dough all together. Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on top. Cool for about 7 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to finish cooling.
I can’t believe the school told you to stop sending cookies. That is crazy. It think the whole thing about national laws about what you can and can’t serve in lunch is crazy. They have a law you can’t have 2% milk, I mean seriously? I send plenty of cookies with my girls to share. I am the cookie mom 🙂
Wait they now have rules about what you as a parent can put in to your own child’s lunch box?!? WTF!?! My daughter is only 3,so I haven’t had to deal with school nazis yet… And honestly the more I hear the better hiring a private tutor is sounding.
HI,
Did you use Old Fashioned Rolled Oats or Quick Oats? Or does it even matter?
Thanks!
Tracy – great question. Yes, the type of oats does matter in the end product. I always use whole rolled oats in my baking and that is what I used here. You could certainly use quick oats, but the texture will be a bit finer and less “oatie” 🙂 -Carole