Choc - oat chip cookies

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE cookies. Not the store bought kind, homemade is the best. Some of my best memories of my Mom are baking cookies w/ her, as well as licking the beaters.

I used to wake up in the middle of the night, seriously 2 a.m., to the sound of the mixer. If you had known my Mom, you'd know she did a lot of strange things at 2 a.m. For example, she'd vacuum my room.......Yes, at 2 a.m.

I was always worried that if I got out of bed to see what kind of cookies she was making, she'd get mad. I would lay in bed and wonder, trying to find another excuse to go out to the kitchen. I'd always end up going out there, I just couldn't wait another 5 hours to see or taste them. She never got mad at me. She'd plop me up on the counter and give me the beater, as well as several heaping spoonfuls of....whatever kind of dough.

Later on, she teach me how to make all kinds of fabulous cookies. Ginger, snickerdoodles, thumbprints, stained glass, crinkles, etc. My problem now is, that I still LOVE cookies, and the dough. I finally figured out how to get my baking fix and not eat the whole batch in a matter of days. I make a HUGE batch, scoop them on to cookie sheets and freeze them. Then I can stick them in a large freezer bag and pull them out a few at a time. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure this out! Anyway, last night at about 9:30, Ross said he thought it was time for some cookies. So, I pulled out 6 little lumps and popped them in the oven. 8 min later........perfection. From my Mom's recipe box, to yours..........

Choc - Oat Chip Cookies

1 C (2 sticks) butter softened
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C quick cooking or old fashioned oats, uncooked
2 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter & sugars. Add eggs, milk & vanilla. Add flour soda, salt. Stir in oats, chocolate & nuts. Drop onto ungreased sheets. 9-10 min for chewy cookies. 12-13 for crisp cookies.

These freeze very well! You can transfer them directly from the freezer to the oven w/ out defrosting! Hope you love them like we do!