Do Something Good: Rainy Day Cookies

So.
If you know me in real life, you know what I do for work.

Somebody got me my first big girl job working in an office nearly TEN YEARS AGO this March.
I hadn't even graduated college.
But I had a full time job secured.
I even got to work with two really great friends, and made many more.

And it wasn't a teaching gig.
I was in a Teaching Program for my Undergrad.
I thought I'd check out the business world for a year or two...

Teaching and Business are two totally different worlds.

Props to the teachers out there. You are worth every dollar. Times a gagillion.
Seriously.

But back to the world I live in.

In the field I am in, rainy days are no fun.
At least for a few of my coworkers.
(Word on the streets is they aren't that hot for teachers either.)

Me? I love the rain. But I try not to bring it up around the office.

Try being the key word.

You can't keep love like that a secret.

As rainy season approached my coworkers would shout out:

"Oh no, rain forecasted Monday!" 

and a few days/hours/whatever later:

"Good news, forecasted rain has cleared!!!"

Last week - there was no such clearing.
The rain was forecasted.
The rain arrived.

I offered my coworkers a little wager.
The first to receive a rain crisis call would win a prize.
From your's truly.

I figured that it might be fun to add a little perk to the first downer of the season!

Julie over at Joy's Hope also encouraged us to Do Something Good to encourage those around us - this month's encouragement, Feeding People.

It took me a while to figure out how I could do this.

After all, I barely make meals for myself.
I'm just not home enough.
And I don't feed children or a family, so it's hard for me to know what is realistic, practical, and tasty for people with different tastes than my own.

But cookies.
I can do cookies.
I can actually do a pretty mean cookie.

A few years ago I  came across a Sweet Potato Raisin Cookie.

You had me at Sweet Potato. And lost me at Raisin.

I am a chocolate chip girl.
Through and Through.

So I took this recipe and I swapped out the raisins for chocolate chips.
Which obviously makes it a gagillion times better.

Here is another fun thing about the recipe,
(if by fun I mean doing more dishes, but in this case I do)
it requires a full set of measuring cups.

One cup, one half cup, one third cup, one quarter cup.
They all get used. (and then washed).
Actually it's almost two full sets.
But you only use the 1/3 cup once.
Except for me, b/c I was missing my second 1/4 cup. I had to improvise for the photo and use 1/3. LAME.
I don't know what makes me love that fact.
It's the nerd in me I guess.

So I am affectionately naming these cookies

"Cuppa Kim's Full Set Sweet Potato Cookies"

So bust out your measuring cups and let's go:

1 Cup: Mashed Sweet Potato (I bake them in foil, pricked with a fork for 1+ hour, and they are turn out mushy! Two-Three small or 1 or less large sweet potatoes will net one cup of mush)

1 Cup: Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 Cup: Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup: Coconut Flakes

1/3 Cup: Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup: All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup: Canola (or Vegetable Oil)

(Makes about 20)

Combine everything. And mix.
It mixes together pretty easily, so even without a KitchenAid it is a snap!

I use a cookie scoop, and scoop out drops onto a baking sheet.

And then, this part isn't life or death critical, but I think helps a lot - I use the back side of the scoop to flatten the cookies.

These guys don't expand or puff up or spread out while baking, so the shape you drop them on the sheet in is the shape they bake in. So be sure to flatten, just a bit.

And then bake.

350* for 18-22 minutes.

I bake them until the coconut edges start getting a little toasty.

Let sit for about 5ish minutes to set, and then remove from pan with a spatula. And EAT.

Since these cookies don't have a lot of binding ingredients (think: eggs) they don't set very firmly, and stay soft when cool.

And that is it. They are SUPER easy.

And makes people's rainy day jobs just a smudge more enjoyable.

Coworkers are happy.

Tastebuds are happy.

Tummies are happy.

And for the cheater method - you can even use canned sweet potatoes - which saves you a step - and a full hour. I haven't tried them, but I know people who have, and they still turn out great! (I always bake my sweet potatoes the day before, and in bulk, so I have enough for a batch or two of cookies and sides with dinner).


And last but not least, these cookies are actually kinda good for you (just a little oil, and a little brown sugar)! I think I calculated them about 70 calories a piece. But I will have to double check that.

And also linking up with Heather of Life Made Lovely.