Oatmeal Cookies and memories...

it was always our favorite cookie dough...jo-ann lewis and i would make these cookies for her family when we were kids and each sit there with a big spoon laughing and eating all the batter up, ending up with just a few baked ones! man it was good!...all buttery and oatmealy...making us all giddy with happiness. there were always variations on the recipe, raisins, nuts, etc...but we preferred it plain...just sugar, butter and oats...simple. like our childhood. no computer games, no sms's...just baking, barbies and boys...

Oatmeal Cookies

preheat oven to 180c

mix in a pyrex:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt

in a bowl with handmixer beat 1/2 pack butter (125gms)
add: 1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar ...till fluffy
add....
1 egg
2 tsp vanille

then add flour slow with the mixer....

then add 1 1/2 cups oats...mix by hand (stiff batter)

bake on parchment for about 15min...but check at around 12min...if you prefer them chewy. i just baked them 15 as i was busy with the dogs and forgot to check, and they're crunchy..but jan says he prefers them that way!!

HertogJan stew

Sunday afternoon in Assen...dogs snoozing on the sofas and a HertogJan bokbier beef stew simmering happily in the giant crockpot. Had made the same sort of thing for years, but always found the redwine version to be too, well, too "winey". The sweet, dark bokbier adds a subtle sweetness to the stew, and crockpottingit for HOURS makes even impossible Dutch beef, tender. I remember mom making stews as a kid...always big and chunky pieces of meat and veg, ALWAYS done in the pressure cooker. I was always horrified by the "stewbag"veg mom would buy...big potatoes, turnip, parsnips, onions and carrots. Were vegetables SUPPOSED to be SWEET?? NO!!!!...I'd pick those sweet babies out...yuk...and NEVER remember my big sister eating the stew at all...in fact, I don't remember her eating very much at all...but I digress. Back to my yummy stew...

HertogJan bokbier stew

2 packs Dutch beeflapjes (or whatever mystery Dutchbeef is on sale)
2 bottles HertogJan bokbier
bunch of shallots or 2 sliced onions
2 big winterwortels, chopped (carrots)
garlic if you don't have to work tomorrow
2 tbsp dark brown suger
jar of beef soup stock
generous throw of fresh ground black pepper
finely minced red pepper if you like spicy
some italian dried herbs (i like one from Xenos in the little round tin)

method:
cut up the meat in pieces, brown in pan in oil
throw carrots and onions in crockpot
..add meat and other things
pour soupstock and beer over

set crockpot on low and stew for 8hrs or so

we serve this with my mashed potatoes, but if you prefer, you can throw potatoes in the stew.

enjoy!!