Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Cream: 1 cup shortening and 2 cups sugar
Add: 2 eggs and 2 cups mashed pumpkin
Add and Mix Well: 2 tsp soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt
Add: 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups oatmeal, 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix well and drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

To make your own mashed pumpkin: Cut a medium size pumpkin in half. Scoop at all seeds and "gooky stuff." I usually remove the stem also. Place halves face down on a baking sheet. cut some slits in the sides to allow steam to escape (10 or so slits for each half). Bake at 350 for about an hour (good way to warm the house in the winter). When it is ready you should be able to press on the top of each half and it will mush down. Allow to cool. The skin should come right off. Then smash with a potato masher, blender, etc. I then freeze it in one cup portions (yogurt containers) for use in recipes (muffins, cookies, spice cake, pie, etc.)

My kids like to grow pumpkins and various other kinds of squash, so we have tried this recipe with butternut squash and hubbard squash. Both turned out really good.

I have even made pumpkin pie with butternut squash. The kids liked it a lot.