August Foodie Holidays: Week 1

August is National Catfish Month, Peach Month, Sandwich Month, and Panini Month.

August 1: International Beer Day (1st Friday), IPA Day, Raspberry Pie Day
August 2: Ice Cream Sandwich Day
August 3: Watermelon Day, Grab-Some-Nuts Day
August 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
August 5: Oyster Day, Waffle Day
August 6: Root Beer Float Day
August 7: Raspberries 'n Cream Day

I feel a little like a broken record when I say this, but if you get multiple recipes for the same thing, include all of them (unless they're identical, of course, or have one minor change that you could include as a recipe note). It seems like a simple thing: you have five different recipes for chocolate chip cookies, so you pick one and set the rest aside. Except one of those that you set aside will invariably be someone's favorite (and now it's not in the family cookbook) and the family member who contributed it may have hurt feelings (because it was excluded), and now the next family reunion or holiday gathering is going to be uncomfortable for no good reason. Unless the finished size of the cookbook is a significant concern, include everything.

This particular recipe for chocolate chip cookies comes from one of my husband's aunts.

Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C. butter or margarine, softened

2 C. sugar

2 C. brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 C. flour

5 C. quick oatmeal, powdered in blender

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

24 oz. chocolate chips

8 oz. Hershey bar, grated

3 C. chopped pecans

Directions: Cream together the sugars and butter in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla; mix well. In another bowl, mix together the flour, powdered oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Gradually add to the sugar mixture – dough will be stiff. Add the chocolate chips, grated candy bar and nuts. Make golf ball sized balls, and flatten a little on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375ºF for about 15 minutes. Don’t overcook.