Cooking from my Pantry Menu....Oatmeal Cookies recipe

With finishing the bedroom and having my family retreat here this last weekend my budget has gone overboard. In a desperate effort to keep it somewhat on track I have planned a menu to last through the end of the month to just cook from my pantry. I love trying new recipes but I also love having an assortment of recipes to use supplies I generally have on hand. Learning to cook from your pantry is also important in rotating your food storage and all those great coupon deals. Most family cook about 10 different meals. We do more than that but it can be said that my pantry is stocked based on about 10 different meals. I am also hoping to cycle through some of the "goodies" that are collecting dust at the back of the cupboards....

Menu

Crockpot Stroganoff (I have planned this several times but never actually made it)

Spaghetti- dear hubbies favorite, if he is NICE I may even make homemade bread sticks!

Homemade Pizza and sauce with green salad

Chicken and Rice Soup- yummy since we are in the beginnings of a series of storms to hit ever 24hrs.

Roast, Potatoes and Carrots

Parmesan Chicken

Pancakes- my boys love breakfast for dinner

Ham and Potatoes with home canned pickled beets

Some of the goodies I hope to make:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Bread sticks

Jumbo Pretzels

Raisin Bread

My favorite cookie is Oatmeal Raisin. I have tried lots of different recipes but Quaker just GETS IT! I got this from the lid of their oatmeal. Yep, the cookies vanished all right. Occasionally I add chocolate chips too.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

from Quaker

2 sticks margarine or butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned)

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350. Beat together margaine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded spoonfulls onto ungreased cookies sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookies heet; remove to wire rack. 

Makes about 4 dozen. You can also make bar cookies. Bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 9x13 metal baking pan.