Grandma's warm and soft Oatmeal Cookies

Cold mornings, Windy days and Snowy nights… these are the times when everyone craves a warm, delicious and hearty meal. Well did you know that January is “National Oatmeal Month”?

According to Quaker® Oats, more individuals consume oatmeal during the month of January than any other month during the year.

So in honor of the Real Living HER cookbok , here’s a easy recipe for tasty oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and granulated sugar until creamy. Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well. Add combined oats, flour, salt and baking soda; mix well.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

You could also try adding dried fruit and spices for more flavor. Recipe makes about 5 dozen medium-sized cookies.

Oatmeal Facts
• According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), oatmeal lowers total and LDL-cholesterol levels. In turn this helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Heart disease is the number one cause of death in men and women in the United States.
• The No. 1 most popular oatmeal recipe is oatmeal cookies. The next most popular recipe containing oatmeal is for meatloaf.
• Quaker® Oats was the first brand to put a recipe on a product label. In 1891, Quaker displayed a recipe for oatmeal bread on its packaging.