Traditional Travel Food

When I was a kid, my mother and her best friend decided that our two families should go on a vacation together: a day-long drive to our vacation spot and a week of letting their children run around together and then a day-long drive home.  That same summer, the two friends discovered a new cookie recipe and introduced it to us.  They were called "Monster Cookies."  We blissfully ate the treat all during the vacation; it was like magic to us kids.  My mom decided that they were a little too much of an indulgence to eat on a regular basis and she didn't bake them very often for us.  We ended up seeing these cookies only on more special occasions -- like vacations.  These were not the cookies we whipped up when we were bored on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  These cookies were the signal that we were about to have the time of our lives.  I'm not sure if my mother intentionally reserved this recipe for vacations, but my childhood memories associate these cookies with long car drives.  Even now, when I make these cookies memories of my family and friends against a backdrop of a myriad of our vacation destinations flood my mind.

These blissful memories prompted me to create this tradition for my children, which leads me to my tip for today: designate a treat or a snack that is reserved for road trips or equally special times.  Pick something that everyone enjoys, isn't too hard to make or buy, and isn't needed at other times during the year.  Our monster cookies don't make it on every single road trip, and they're used a little more often than the times we pack up the van and go for days at a time.  However, I do use them sparingly because I know how powerful such a recipe can be when it is used in moderation.  I like that baking these cookies and taking them on our trip sets the tone and communicates to the kids that our intention is fun, not torture.  They are in happy moods knowing that they'll be the recipients of this delicious treat.

I particularly like the monster cookie recipe for this because it makes a giant batch.  Even when I half the recipe I have to use my largest bowl.  The dough freezes well, which allows me to do a little bit of preparation well in advance of my need.  Because of how much it makes and how well it keeps in the freezer, it makes for a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone type of a teacher gift for the end of the year.  I give them a plate of cookies (with a corny note attached saying "Thanks for all you do for our 'little monsters'") and freeze the rest of the dough for use later in the summer when we go on vacation.  I'll share the recipe for our family's tradition in case you're in need of the perfect cookie for your own road trips.

Monster Cookies
1 lb. margarine or butter
3 lbs. peanut butter
2 lbs. brown sugar
4 c. white sugar
1 doz. eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 T. maple syrup (optional)
8 tsp. baking soda
5 lbs. oats
1 lb. chocolate chips
1 lb. M&M's

Mix together in order listed.  Drop by ice cream scoop on ungreased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

(As mentioned earlier, I always half this recipe.  I sometimes use the suggested ice cream scoop and I sometimes make the cookies the regular size.  The recipe is very flexible.  It also works well to create a giant cookie.)