Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I don't know about you guys, but I've been feeling the need lately for a good, hearty breakfast before work these days. A good, hearty breakfast that is also a cookie. Yeah, it's been that kind of week.

Firstly, I've been training a temp to take over reception duties while I'm off next week. Or I should say, trying to. I'll be training my third temp in 5 days today. The first one was great. She had reception experience, she picked everything up quickly, she was friendly and had a good personality. Only problem was, she could only make 6 out of the 10 days we needed her. The temp agency really screwed us on that one. The second temp was everything the first was not. She had no reception experience, she was rude and bossy, didn't pay attention to what we told her, came in late both days of training, and was dropping calls even after 2 days of learning the system. So fingers crossed on the one that's coming in today-- she's apparently a recent college grad whose last job was lead lifeguard. I'm willing to give her a shot because I was in a similar situation when I started (my last job was "playtime activity associate" at a kennel. I took the dogs out and played with them and got paid to do it. True story), but she better learn fast because I don't have time to babysit.

And then we come to my second problem. We've been abnormally busy at work lately. We picked up a new contract, so I'm fielding dozens of interviews a day, in addition to any other visitors, consultants, or out-of-office employees coming in for meetings. Not to mention the training class that comes in everyday, and my usual work with the security badges for ours and a handful of other sites. And of course, the phones. Busy isn't usually a problem; it's never fun, of course, but since on a normal day I get a good chunk of downtime, it's easily handled. But since I've been babysitting temps, everything's just gotten compounded.

Especially when an elevator motor burns out, sets off the fire alarms, and my boss is coming in late, and his boss is at another site. I had to track down the landlord, find out what was happening, convince people that yes, the blaring alarms mean you need to evacuate the building, no I don't think Mindy cares that her 9:00 is here at the moment, please hang up the phone, and talk to the fire department to make sure that this wasn't something that was going to come back on my (the facilities management) company. And then tell every curious employee who came up to me what had happened.

Is it really only Wednesday? Mother $@&#^%

Yeah. Cookies for breakfast. With a kiwi lemonade slushy. Because I've earned it, gosh darn it.

Of course, while I feel I'm completely justified in eating any cookie I'd like for breakfast, I also need some good nutrition so I can keep up with whatever the job wants to throw at me. And these cookies provide that. Oats, banana, peanut butter, and one egg. And sugar, because I need the energy.

You don't really taste the banana in these puppies. They end up just being these big, soft, peanut-buttery oatmeal cookies. I also used Peanut Butter & Company's Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter, and dude, that flavor was meant for these cookies. Cinnamon, plus raisins, plus peanut butter, plus oatmeal cookie=perfection for breakfast.

Nice, thick cookie. Nom nom nom.

So, if you're having a bad week at work, I recommend cookies for breakfast. At least you can make sure the day starts well. And I hope that my job at the very least makes you feel slightly better about yours. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got cookies to eat before going back to the circus...

... I meant work.


Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies {Printable Version}
Yield: About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
3 small bananas, mashed
¾ cup Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter*
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick oats
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together the banana, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well-blended. Drop the batter by the tablespoonful on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat, and flatten into disks about 1 inch thick. Bake 10 minutes, or until cookies are set and the edges just begin to brown.

*If using regular peanut butter, increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, and add raisins, if desired.

Recipe by Kim