Do you know that the National Capital Region (NCR) has been on quarantine for six (6) months already the other day (September 15)? Wow! We had been home for that long! My kids and I have not gone out of the house that long. There was only one instance that we went out of the house but we went straight to our vehicle and we did not get down from the vehicle at all. That was when we delivered a device to my parents’ house in another province but also in Luzon. We did not go inside my parents’ house. We stayed in our vehicle and just opened the windows so we could see them. My husband handed the tablet and pocket wifi to my brother and explained how to set it up and use it. After that, we went back home. Now, we are able to do video calls with my parents and brother because of that device. But other than that, all our transactions are online and if we need anything that can’t be delivered, it’s my husband who goes out to buy.

After finding this out, I felt that it was a perfect time to bake again. We also baked during the summer while on quarantine.

Oatmeal Cookies

First, we baked plain oatmeal cookies from scratch. What do I mean by that? We had been baking cookies and muffins long before the pandemic. But, we used store-bought ready mixes with minimal additions before popping them in the oven. This time around, during the quarantine, we attempted not to use ready mixes. And we were successful! Hooray!

We got the original recipe from the FoodNetwork.com.

These were the ingredients that we used:

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Here are the instructions:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Second, using the bowl of an electric or hand mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Then, the eggs one at a time and making sure scraping from the bottom as you mix.

Third, in another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Fourth, add it in the creamed mixture in 2-3 batches to make sure you are able to mix them well.

Fifth, mix in the oats.

Sixth, drop portions of the dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. You can use an ice cream scoop or a metal spoon. Make sure there are a couple of inches in between the dough because they will expand.

Seventh, bake for 12-13 minutes, depending on how you want your cookies, either soft or crispy.

Lastly, let your cookies rest and cool for 2-5 minutes before transferring to a plate.

We loved how our first attempt at making plain oatmeal cookies turned out. The cookies could have been wiped out right away if I did not reserve some for our late-night snack after our family movie time. We enjoyed the fruit of our labor as our afternoon snack. What was left, we enjoyed with milk while gazing at the stars at our terrace after our movie night.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After our successful first attempt, we made another variation to our plain oatmeal cookies. We, finally, got rains delivered from our supplier. Thus, we made oatmeal raisin cookies next. I lessened the sugar in our original plain oatmeal cookie recipe since the raisins are sweet and to make the cookie healthier. I would advise that you make the sugar 1 cup or 1 1/2 cup instead of 2 cups.

It was another hit! We can’t have enough of our oatmeal raisin cookies! We thought that not only was it comparable to what we usually buy from the grocery, but we thought that it was better. I think we will not be buying those cookies from the grocery for some time. We will just make our own when we have time.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Then, just the other day, we made a third variation to our oatmeal cookie recipe. This time, since we already had peanut butter delivered, we made peanut butter oatmeal cookies. I love that we found a recipe that only needs four (4) ingredients. Since our order of groceries has not yet arrived, we had to make do with the ingredients in our pantry. I’m so glad we had those 4 ingredients! We got to celebrate our thanksgiving for being alive and healthy by baking that day!

Here is the recipe. The original recipe was from this site. I modified it a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of oats (We used quick cook oats but the original recipe said it didn’t matter what we use.)
• 1/2 cup of sugar (We used washed sugar)
• 2 medium-sized eggs

The kids helped gather all the ingredients on the dining table and measure them using measuring cups. Even my 5-year-old is involved when we are baking.

After measuring everything, the kids put them inside a big bowl and mixed all the ingredients together.

I, then, formed them into small balls using a small teaspoon and a tablespoon. We didn’t shape them anymore. We just make drop or round cookies on top of a tray lined with parchment paper. I made sure there is enough space between the cookie doughs so that they would not stick together.

Since we only had 1 big cookie tray, we lined it with parchment paper. It makes transferring the cookies easier and we could just get a new parchment paper for the next batch.

For the third batch, to finish faster, I used our muffin/cupcake tray and just greased it with oil.

The first batch was cooked for 11 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cooled for 2 minutes. But when we tasted it, it was a bit too soft to our liking. Since in the original recipe, it was mentioned that the cookies can be baked for 10-12 minutes, I used 12 minutes to bake the last 2 batches. These turned out to be much better.

Our peanut butter oatmeal cookies were soft and chewy. We baked after lunch like in the past. Thus, we had the cookies as our afternoon snack again. We could have wiped out all of the three batches but I saved some for dessert after dinner. It was a perfect way to cap our evening after watching a family movie.

I love baking and enjoying what I baked. But I love baking with my kids more. It’s more fun when the kids help out and we are able to make the baking a homeschool activity. I also like it when even my hubby is involved by preheating the oven and helping me monitor the timers. Of course, my favorite part is when we are all sitting together and enjoying our baked treats.

These are the memories that I want to remember and that I want my kids to remember about this home quarantine that we experienced.

Aside from celebrating our sixth month on home quarantine, I’ve decided to bake also to relax from more formal homeschool lessons. We just had our homeschool’s Recognition Day last Sunday. My husband suggested that we take a break and unwind a bit. Baking something is one perfect way to relax while learning for the kids. Do you agree?

If you are homeschooling for the first time or relatively new to homeschooling, I invite you to join our support Facebook group called Homeschooling Parents Support Group PH. I started this support group almost five months ago during the quarantine. It was my way of helping out fellow parents as we all face a new normal in educating our children. I share a lot of homeschool tips, activities, and free resources in that group. Click here if you want to join us.