Momma's Oatmeal Cookies

This oatmeal cookie recipe came from my mother-in-law.  I found it a few months ago on a handwritten piece of paper, but hadn't had a chance to make them until last night.  I had always called my mother-in-law,  "Umba" which was a nickname my stepson gave her a really long time ago.  I can probably count on one hand how many times I called her by her given name, Cecelia!  A few years before she passed away, she was telling me that she didn't want to be called Umba anymore, so I started calling her "Momma." All three kids would still call her Grandma or Umba, but the hubby and I would call her Momma.  My mother-in-law was one of the strongest women I ever met.  She outlived her parents, all of her many siblings and her husband.  I was kind of close to my mother-in-law when she lived in Cleveland, but when she moved to an assisted living facility closer to us, I became ultra close to her. One of the hardest and most heartbreaking things for us to watch was her decline into advanced dementia.  We really didn't know that was what she had until about six months before she passed away.  I know it was extremely difficult for her to move out of her house and into assisted living.  She was not able to entertain or cook or bake.  When my husband would visit her she would give him something from her lunch or dinner (like a cookie or a piece of pie). No matter how often he would tell her not to do it, she still would.  I think in her mind, she was still entertaining.  One of my fondest memories of Momma was when she, my husband and Lauren tried to make kolaches one Christmas.  I think in both of these pictures she was trying to dispense some advice :)

 

I am so glad that I keep finding her handwritten recipes and making them. It kind of makes me feel that she is still with us (she passed away in January 2011).  Hope you enjoy Momma's oatmeal cookies!

Ingredients:

2 cups white flour
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

In large bowl put flour, sugar, butter, shortening, baking soda, salt and eggs.  Mix with electric mixer or by hand with large spoon until smooth.  Add oatmeal and mix by hand until well combined.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge at least one hour.  When ready to make, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough into small balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 18 minutes or until cookies are starting to get brown.  Remove from oven, let cool five minutes and then remove to wire rack. Makes four dozen.