Plain old Oatmeal

Of all the Cookies I make these are simple but always good. Enjoy!!!!


Oatmeal Cookies

¾ cups unsalted butter softened Mix together
2 cups C&H brown sugar
½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla


1-cup flour (I like Gold medal Organic Flour best)
3 cups Snoqualmie Falls Oatmeal uncooked Add and mix well

The original recipe calls for ¼ cup water; depending on the size of the egg sometimes you need it. The dough will be fairly firm.

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper press down slightly till about ¾ thick. Bake what you can eat that day and freeze the remaining unbaked dough following all the above instructions, I freeze mine unbaked in balls pressed down and ready to go in the oven. They will stay fresh for about 2 months if well wrapped. To cook remove from freezer, I cook from frozen but you can thaw them if you wish

These are a great plain cookie with the bit of caramel flavor that comes from the use of all brown sugar and no spices.
You can add 1 cup raisins or dried fruit, ½ cups pecans or other nuts, coconut, chocolate somewhat covers the oaty flavor of the cookie but if you are a chocoholic by all means add it.

Snoqualmie Falls Oatmeal is a thick cut oat.

Bake on 375 till done on edges and not shiny in center

A winter day at Detour Farms

Alexa from the Fat Duck Inn and I (Barbara from the Inn at Blackberry Creek) started our road trip to detour farms with a scary encounter on the triple roundabout at the edge of town. Poor Alexa was wishing she had driven at this point but we were on our way. The drive to Detour farms winds through miles of pasture land and rural homes until you arrive at this beautiful property. Neal and Steve Johnson have created a dreamlike retreat just outside of town.


When you walk through the gate you are greeted by 3 great pyrenees, and a corgi, as you walk to the farmhouse you can see alpacas, horses and chickens and feel the calm of this ideal setting.

Once inside Neal greeted us with a warm handshake and her infectious smile, and you knew you were truly welcomed into her home.

We got to work, the class for us today was baking "Baguettes", Neal had already measured and placed in bowls all of the necessary ingredients. Using the french techniques she showed us, we mixed the dough and then began to knead this very interesting bread, the technique is different from standard bread making and was at first a challenge but then we quickly caught on.



Of course there was lots of fun and laughing, and we set our dough aside about 11:30 to enjoy a boxed lunch Neal had provided. In the living room in front of the blazing fire, we each were presented with an antique lunch pail, filled with homemade sandwich, a ginger cookie, chopped fruit and mini bottle of wine. We dined and talked while our bread was rising in the background. (In the summer lunch is served on the veranda)
After lunch we were back to bread baking. We shaped our dough (with close instruction from Neal) into small boules, large boules, Epi's, fougasse. Neal's instructions were great and we were feeling like professional bakers.

I hope those of you out of town will make it a point to try one of Neal's Classes on your next visit to Walla Walla and will of course stay at one of the 11 beautiful Inns that are the WWBBIA. Check them out at www.wwbbia, and Neals classes at www.detourfarm.com