Outside cold air bullies its way through the front door. Home from work, we give out a sigh loud enough to mute the furnace’s humming. Thank goodness someone has been cooking and baking. Aromas of simmering vegetables and baked oats and chocolate envelop us like a warm-from-the-dryer blanket.

While there are loads of oatmeal cookie recipes out there, we always come back to the back-of-the-box Quaker Oats Vanishing recipe. Instead of baking the cookies, we opt for their bar version. Hot from the oven, sprinkled with chocolate chips that melt into little pools, a thick bar with a before-bedtime hot cocoa will wrap up a cold winter day nicely.

Mark Twain once said, “To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” We think that goes for cookies, too!

Send your comments to Connie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Box 61, Medway, OH 45341 

Doug’s Cheesy Potato Soup

½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced, cooked ham
1 can (4 oz.) mushroom pieces, drained
6 medium yellow or gold potatoes, peeled, diced
Water
Salt & pepper
2 cups milk
½ cup processed cheese spread, boxed or jar

In large Dutch oven, cook celery, carrots, mushrooms, onion and ham in about 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine for about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and enough water to barely cover potatoes. Boil over low heat with lid on until potatoes are very tender. Mash slightly for chunky soup or a lot for smooth soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to simmer and add milk and cheese. Stir constantly until cheese is melted and blended in. Serve at once.
We like yellow potatoes best for this soup because they tend to have a clean, sweet taste. Russets or others will do just fine if of good quality. Celery can be left out if preferred but the other vegetables should stay. We have added a bit of broccoli flowerets if on hand.
The cheese is important because it needs to be melted and blended well. Shredded cheese will melt but also can become stringy. So we use the boxed Velveeta or jar of Cheez-Whiz. Start with the ½ cup but add more if you like. For thinner soup, add a bit more milk until it is just right and make sure to heat thoroughly.
And finally, about the ham. Yes, you certainly can substitute fried, drained, crumbled bacon.

Quaker’s Vanishing
Oatmeal Cookie Bars

½ cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups oats, old-fashioned or quick
1 cup raisins or chopped walnuts
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter (can use solid margarine instead) and both sugars with electric mixer until blended well. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Add oats and raisins or nuts and mix well. Spread dough in an ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan. We have found that a foil lined pan will also allow the entire baked batch to be lifted out of the pan and cut easier. Also keeps pan clean.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately after taking the pan out of the oven sprinkle half a cup of semisweet chocolate chips over the top. Wait for them to melt. You can leave them in little pools or use a spoon-back to spread the chocolate around. Cool. If using the foil, lift bars out of pan, cool, peel back foil and cut.
An easy way to line a pan with foil is to turn the pan upside down. Use piece of foil that is a bit longer on all four sides. Place foil piece over top of pan bottom. Press all sides and corners to cover pan. Then, lift shaped foil off, turn pan right side up and nestle shaped foil in pan, turning extra edge over to hold it in place.