Milk and Cookies!

One of the best things about working part-time is that I have re-discovered the joys of baking. I haven't baked cakes and cookies for years so I have been making up for lost time these last few weeks by baking up a cookie and cake storm! I think that my husband and children are also enjoying this new passion for baking! When the kids come home from school we have been sharing stories about our day over some milk and some freshly baked cookies and biscuits. 

Well, my son and I have been loving the milk and we could drink it all day but my 13 year old daughter doesn't enjoy milk very much so the cookies are more of a bribe to help her drink it.  I think she takes after my mother because Mum is not a big milk drinker either. 

Perhaps after they have read this post they might think differently about drinking milk.

So, Mum and Miss M, did you know that:

1.   Milk contains protein which is essential for healthy brain development, body tissue growth, and heart health. It is also a natural treatment for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) with studies showing that women taking 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium rich foods such as milk experience significant improvements in their mood and less pain and bloating during the menstrual cycle.

2.   Milk contains Vitamin A a well known anti-infective vitamin required  for the immune system to function properly. Fat-free milk with vitamin A comes with 10 percent of the vitamin A that a person needs each day.

3.   Milk contains Vitamin B12 which is needed to produce red blood cells for a healthy nervous system.

4.   In order for the body to absorb calcium, it needs Vitamin D. By getting about 15 minutes of sun each day you can get a healthy dose but we don't seem to be getting adequate amounts of sun exposure these days. Milk can help us here! There is a bonus when it comes to Calcium too- it can keep us trim and help prevent osteoporosis!  A study of adolescent girls showed those who consumed the most calcium were also the leanest. Researchers found that calcium at the cellular level causes fat to be broken down in the cell and speeds up the rate at which calories are burned. If we drink a cup of milk and we will get 31 percent of your necessary daily calcium, making it a great food to help prevent osteoporosis.

5.   Milk contains Potassium which helps to maintain proper electrolyte and acid base balance in the body, lowers the risk of high blood pressure, and ensures that both nerves function properly. A study titled Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), showed that people who consumed a diet rich in fruits and vegetables had lower blood pressure. Add three servings of milk products and the blood pressure lowering effect is doubled!

See Mum and Maddy-you need to drink your milk!!!

 Now, I can't provide the same kinds of scientific evidence to support the idea that eating 3 serves of cookies is a healthy thing to do but if it helps the milk go down then maybe once a day could be OK? 

So, if you need a yummy cookie recipe to help the milk go down you should give these a try. 

I found a delicious recipe for oatmeal cookies at the super yummy blog Thibeault's Table. I first discovered Ann's blog when I participated in the Saturday Blog Showcase that she hosts along with Lori from another yummy blog, All That Splatters. 
So for Tablescape Thursday, Foodie Friday and the Saturday blog Showcase I am going to share Ann's recipe for the best Oatmeal cookies.

 The full recipe can be found here.

You will need:

1 Cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup
packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 2/3 cup flour
3/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon
baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

 

I also added some craisins and some ground LSA (Linseed, Sunflower kernels and almonds) mix. It gave it a nice nutty flavour.

 

You just mix all of the ingredients together, form them into balls and bake in an oven set at 350/180/gas mark 4.

 

 

Ann suggests that you don't let them get too brown.

 

I have to say that these really are the yummiest oatmeal cookies I have ever had and they went beautifully with an ice-cold milk!

 

I decided to have a couple of warm cookies before the kids came home so I set up my laptop to do a bit of blogging at our new breakfast bar.

 

I used one of my white square Maxwell and Williams plates, a Luigi Bormioli crystal glass and one of my vintage linen napkins.

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting today and thank you to Susan, Michael Lee and Lori for having me at their lovely linky parties and thank you Ann for a fabulous recipe!

I really hope that you try out Ann's yummy recipe; I can personally guarantee that the cookies go beautifully with a glass of milk!

Best wishes always,

Natasha In Oz