Still Eating Dirt ... One Cookie at a Time

Less you all think I have completely thrown my plant-based diet to the wind in exchange for multiple bowls of ice cream every night, you would be only half correct.

Yes, I am eating my fair share of ice cream (for two) during this pregnancy, and I never passed the doughnuts at Kohler's without downing a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles before I even get to the first food isle. But I have not forgotten my enlightened eating habits of 2008.

We recently started buying chicken and beef to cook for dinner, and we quickly remembered why it was so easy to give up chicken last year when we ran out of money -- we don't really like chicken (Of, there are exceptions to this rule). Tim complains very passive aggressively about all the beans we ate, but in the end, he doesn't actually like the alternative. So as we have been painfully topping off the chicken, it has been easier to remember why we switched things up in the first place.

So, it comes down to this:

• I still prefer beans to meat
• The more wheat and fewer ingredients in my bread the better
• A day full of Adam's peanut butter is a sign of a great day
• I am always willing to eat or bake with dirt -- wheat flour is just a jumping off point for me.

I was at a great neighbors house a few weeks ago, and she served us Monster Cookies. I loved them on first bite, and then fell in love with them when I saw the recipe -- very earthy.

They are a little expensive to make because white sugar is replaced with pure maple syrup. I bought the ingredients and got the recipe right after eating the cookies, but I was too preoccupied trying to eat chicken that I never made them until yesterday. I loved them. They are good, peanuty, and work wonderfully as a breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert -- or all four.

I was so relieved to be back on the dirt bandwagon that I even pulled out my wheat and grinder to do as the recipe suggests and use freshly ground whole wheat flour. I didn't have nuts, so I picked about a cup of assorted nuts out of my trail mix, and I used Adam's Creamy instead of chunky peanut butter. I don't think I mixed the chocolate chips in enough because some of my cookies were all chocolate (no complaints), so I might use 1 or 1 and a half cups of the chips next time. And then, of course, I used semi-sweet chocolate because, well, it tastes better for me ... (I said I enjoyed them, I didn't say was being rational!)

Enjoy!!

MONSTER COOKIES -- Recipe Supplied by Kati Kofford

Preheat oven to 350

3 large eggs

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp molasses

1 stick butter, softened

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups chopped nuts

1 cup brown sugar (you can use less if you desire)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter

2 cups freshly ground wheat flour (spelt & kamut will work, too)

2 cups mini M&M's or chocolate chips

Mix until well moistened. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Don't flatten. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack.

P.S. The name comes from the shear size of these huge cookies. Biggest I've ever made and so fun.