So when I was 10 years old we were evicted from our home and had to move into my stepdad’s tool shed that became our home with no running water or electricity. We had been poor before but now we were really poor. Honestly though I didn’t really know it until I reflect back on that time as an adult. However, because we were poor, my mother bought our food in bulk and in the form of baking supplies. We didn’t get packaged cookies and breads. We got homemade ones. (Oh, that kids today could experience such wonders). My mother also did not buy extra food to be snacks. No pizza rolls, potato chips, cookies, cheese sticks, etc. for us. We just had to wait until dinner to eat which was usually 8 p.m. in rural MI because that was when Mom and Dad got home.
Now my siblings and I were quite enterprising and also a bit mischievous. We found a work around. We would make our own snacks. Of course, we weren’t supposed to do this, so we had to hide the extras to eat them throughout the week. But that didn’t stop us. We made many things and one of my favorite snacks to make was no bake chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies. See the recipe below.
Gather your ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
- 3 tablespoons powdered baking cocoa
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups oatmeal
Pour the sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix until sugar is mostly dissolved and butter is melted.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
For next part image is missing because I was having to move too quickly to take a photo.
Mix in vanilla, chocolate an peanut butter until well combined. Remove from heat and add oatmeal. Mix completely ensuring the oatmeal is completely coated.
Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or parchment paper. Let cool. Yummm!
