Jennifer is on sabbatical from the high school. She has also worked in a rural area vocational school, and she used to fly out to villages where she would spend two weeks at a time teaching home economics. She taught cooking, sewing, and childcare. Now she teaches many other things as well at Skyview High School, as well. In fact, Jennifer was Alaska State Home Economics Teacher of the Year in 1997. In 1998, Jennifer was National Home Economics Teacher of the Year-for all the United States!!

Jennifer takes the first shift in cooking, so that is breakfast, lunch, and food for breaks. She and Wendy Beeler overlap in the kitchen, of course. Wendy and Jennifer are great cooks (see journal of January 26th for more about Wendy) Jennifer bakes a lot of cookies, and they are very hard to resist. Jennifer thought that a cookie math problem would be great. (Do you suppose she suggested that because she has seen how many cookies I have eaten?)

Jennifer takes a recipe (see below) and multiplies the ingredients times 6. Then she converts the measurements to weight. It is more accurate and more efficient to weigh the ingredients rather than using volume as we do for home cooking in the United States. She bakes a third of the batter at a time, and freezes the rest of the batter for baking later.

So, here's the math: take the recipe below, multiply ingredients times 6. Then convert those measurements into weight. What's the recipe for Jennifer 's oatmeal cookies?

First, here are some equivalents:

Butter: 4 sticks = 2 cups = 1 pound

Flour: 4 cups = 1 pound

Brown sugar: 2 cups = I pound

Granulated sugar: 2 cups = 1 pound

Oatmeal: 6 cups = 1 pound

Raisins: 3 cups = 1 pound

Water: 2 cups = 1 pound

Eggs: 2 cups = 10 eggs = 1 pound

"Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" from the box lid of Quaker Oats

1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspooon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins.

Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Stir in oats and raisings; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. (Jennifer uses a food scoop).

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 1 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Watch those cookies vanish!!!