Easter Baking

The other day we met some friends at the park for a playdate and one of the moms brought some awesome oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that her husband made! They were so yummy and it got me thinking that we hadn't made those in a while. The below recipe is probably the best recipe for these we've found. There are 757 reviews for it on allrecipes! Beware, though, the batter is so good, there may not be any left to cook them with! The past few weeks we've been so busy with birthday parties and house stuff since it's on the market that we haven't done many craft/baking activities together. So today we are making up for that with cookie baking and Easter egg dyeing! Another recipe we will be making Saturday night is Easter tomb cookies. This has become a favorite Easter tradition of ours to help illustrate the true meaning of Easter. It's a really great little activity (I must admit not the best tasting cookie ever, but a neat "experiment" and the result really brings it alive for the kids). I've included the instructions below. Happy Easter!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour-we always use whole wheat flour and my word! is it yummy!
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easter Story Cookies Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter. 1 cup whole pecans 1 teaspoon vinegar 3 egg whites pinch salt 1 cup sugar zipper baggie wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer duct tape or packing tape Bible Preheat oven to 300*F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27 So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED! Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow! Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9. HE HAS RISEN!