Lunch Box Oatmeal Cookies

My grandmother was one very healthy lady.  She contracted polio when she was 5 years old, and it left her with some disabilities.  But when you have a disability, you have a choice.

Grandma chose to make the best of her situation.  Her body was not strong enough to work on the family farm, and her parents didn’t know what else to do with her, so they sent her to college, where she earned a degree in Home Economics.

Because her body was not very strong, she had to keep it very healthy.  She made healthy meals and healthy snacks.  Her dedication to wellness, we are certain, is what allowed my grandfather to outlive his 5 brothers and his father by over 30 years.

When trying to find a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, I managed to get this one from my mother.  My grandma had created it long, long ago, and I remember eating them as a child.

The day we decided to make them, Braden’s friend Courbin was coming to visit.  Courbin is allergic to cinnamon, so, naturally, we left it out (and the nutmeg).  We flavored them with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  Courbin was shocked to find we had made oatmeal cookies without cinnamon.  What else would we have done?  Friends make friends comfortable and safe.  Period.

These will definitely be on the list of things to make on a regular basis once school starts, since Braden and I will be packing his lunches every day.