Harmony Hill - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This blog is titled Kaleidoscope for a reason, you never know what a twist of the kaleidoscope is going to produce. This is the first recipe I've posted in the few years I've been writing the blog. This morning Vickie told me that she'd be using about all of my crunchy peanut butter. I wasn't too thrilled at the idea at first because, after all, my peanut butter is my peanut butter. I don't know how it is in your house, but we have smooth and crunchy because Vickie likes smooth and I like crunchy. If there is only smooth I'll eat it, but if there is only crunchy she won't eat it - so usually my peanut butter is pretty safe, but not today.

Today is rainy and cold, hardly what we usually have in Richmond on September 2 (when I'm writing this). It's a good day for a hot mug of tea, and I just found out it is a good day for this recipe. Please be forewarned, there is a problem with the recipe - it is hard to only eat one or two of these cookies at a time, just ask my stomach.

Nota bene: don't miss the coconut in the recipe.

The recipe comes from Harmony Hill B & B in Arrington, VA (that's right, Arrington and not Arlington): http://www.harmony-hill.com/

and is found a Bed & Breakfast cookbook put together by Melissa Craven and published by 3D Press: https://www.bigearthpublishing.com/3d-press/

Makes 48 cookies

Here's a note from the Innkeeper: "These delicious cookies freeze well. For variety, try using half white chocolate chips."

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a large bowl, with a mixer at medium speed, beat together peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in oat mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut by hand.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonful, spaced about 1 inch apart, onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool. 

Reflections on a Career - 1

It sure looked like I’d be in the homebuilding business as a career. I was advancing up “the ladder” and was enjoying my job. I worked for people who treated me well. I was given opportunity upon opportunity. I was learning about leadership, project management, budgeting, and I had a fair amount of authority to “make things happen”. My immediate boss trusted me and his boss trusted me - people knew they could count on me. I loved the pressure of building and delivering homes on schedule, I thrived on it. That is one thing I have always missed about homebuilding in my property management career - the thrill of making something out of nothing, the thrill of having a non-negotiable delivery date and doing what you needed to do to bring the house in on time and on budget. I have worked, along with others, late into the night and into the next morning to deliver homes on time - especially at the end of a quarter or the end of a year. Those times were exhilarating to me - pure challenge and pure fun. I think, at times, some of my property management colleagues and staff have thought me a bit strange in my push to get things done, not waiting, being proactive, and not taking “no” for an answer. My background in homebuilding has been a great help in my property management career (it may have hurt me as a pastor!).

But as well as I was treated there were things going on that I couldn’t live with. When my division president was made, I believe, a scapegoat during a national scandal in the industry, was fired, and shortly thereafter committed suicide, it greatly affected me. He was a wonderful man, gentle, kind, had once considered the Roman Catholic priesthood, a family man, and had a long history with the company and the founder of the company. He treated me with respect when I was just a “kid”, gave me the responsibility of negotiating the settlement of a significant lawsuit - he was humble and I will never forget him.

The man who took his place also treated me quite well and I learned a lot from him as well as from my immediate boss. I had no complaints about the way I was treated. But...the inequity in the way others were treated bothered me more and more. I saw hardworking project managers who were honest and did their jobs well treated differently from others who were not honest; I saw someone promoted to a position who had not been honest and who stole from the company and who also was involved in drugs. The questionable people had long work histories with each other that predated their employment with our firm - so in retrospect I can only guess that something in their shared history bound them together - my boss’s boss was a part of that group. Again, I was treated well, but the injustice of the environment became too much for me.

Even though my future, as far as one could tell, was secure; even though I was being given more and more responsibility; even though I was the “go to” person for more and more important projects - I was deeply troubled by what I saw, my soul was troubled.

One of my roles was working with homeowners’ associations; I was the developer’s representative on the boards of directors, I worked with our attorneys on drafting association governing documents, I was the in-house person who dealt with this aspect of the business. I enjoyed the legal and organizational aspects of this work.

One day I saw an ad for a property manager for homeowners’ and condominium associations. I took a business card and wrote on the back, “I can do it all” and mailed it. In a few days I got a call from the owner of the company, had an interview, received a job offer, accepted the offer, resigned from my position, and began my career in property management.

When my boss’s boss received my resignation and came into my office he asked me, “Why?”

I replied, “I can’t trust you anymore. I see too many things that shouldn’t be happening. You have always treated me well and I’ll never forget what I’ve learned, but I can’t stay.”

In light of the above it’s kind of ironic this man taught me one of the most valuable things I’ve ever learned - spend time with your people. I hope I’ve practiced that over the intervening decades. I’ve tried to instill this in my managers - there is nothing more important than spending time with your people. As a pastor I’ve tried to practice that, as a small group leader, and as a friend - there is no substitute for time spent with others.

A Prayer of Origen

Jesus, my feet are dirty. Come even as a slave to me, pour water into your bowl, come and wash my feet. In asking such a thing I know I am overbold, but I dread what was threatened when you said to me, “If I do not wash your feet I have no fellowship with you.” Wash my feet then, because I long for your companionship.

(Origen, c. 185–254)

See John Chapter 13