Week #2- John (and the peanut butter oatmeal cookies)

First off, I just want to thank those of you who reached out with such kind words over the past week.  I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in reading, but planned to keep this project up regardless.  I've been so pleasantly surprised by the response I've received!  Your sweet words of support make me even more excited and motivated to continue The Give and Bake Project.

Today I met a friend for lunch in River North, and armed with a bag full of peanut butter oatmeal cookies, thought I'd take the long route back along Michigan Avenue.  It's a cold and biting day here in Chicago, so at first there didn't appear to be any homeless people seeking help along the avenue.  As I crossed the over the Chicago River and neared my place of work, I decided that I may just have to put my project on pause for the afternoon and look again tomorrow.  Right then I noticed John huddled up in a nook at the base of a Michigan Avenue bridge watchtower.

I crossed the street, offered him the cookies, and introduced myself.  I told him it was nice to meet him, and he very curteously replied "the pleasure is all mine."  He explained that the Michigan Ave. bridge is his spot of choice during the day, and while it sometimes it can be a good place to collect change from passing tourists and businesspeople, today he hasn't been too lucky so far.  Perhaps there is time in the day for his luck to turn around, for right after he said that, a sweet little girl walked up to him and dropped a handful of change into his cup.

I pointed out that he was smart to pick out the spot nestled in one of the watchtowers, as it seemed to be relatively shieded from the wind whipping down the river.  He agreed, but said that he was still quite cold.  On nights like this when conditions are less than ideal for sleeping outdoors, he tries to stay at the housing shelter in the Loop.  When he doesn't have the cash for that, he'll hop on a train and ride it end to end until morning.

John is originally from Arkansas, but moved up here about a year ago for a job in construction.  After three months of working, the company lost funding for the project, and John found himself out of work and therefore out of income.  Since then he has worked odd jobs here and there, mostly as a dishwasher, but they generally didn't last long.  He's had a few apartments, but his income hasn't allowed him to keep up with his rent, putting him in what seems to be the all-too-common cycle of homelessness in Chicago.

John's family is all still down in Arkansas, and he hopes to relocate back there soon.  His hold-up is that he doesn't have the funds; most of the cash he does find himself with is spent on food or a night of warmth at the shelter.  I did get the sense that there may be more to his story- perhaps he hasn't returned to Arkansas yet because he is worried he let his family down?- but I certainly didn't want to pry.  However, I did chat with him enough to gather that he has clearly hit a rough patch in his life.  All I can do is hope that, like the point in our conversation where the little girl tossed him her contribution and well wishes, John will soon reach a point where things turn around for him.  I hope that when that happens, he makes his way back home for his family to welcome him with open arms.




Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
(Side note- this recipe yields four dozen but can easily be halved)
-1/2 cup shortening
-1/2 cup butter (softened)
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-3/4 cup white sugar
-1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky- take your pick!)
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 cups flour
-2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-1 cup quick-cooking oats

Cream together shortening, butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in oats until just combined.
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.
The original recipe calls for baking 10-15 minutes on 350, but it really depends on your baking sheets and your oven.  I bake mine for 8 minutes, then let them sit for a few minutes before taking them off the sheets.  The result is a slightly crisp but still soft and chewy treat that will hold up for days in an airtight container.

Two Christmases ago, my former roommates and I had just finished infusing our apartment with the holiday spirit.  With the sound of Christmas carols in the air and the twinkling of our tree lights, all we were missing was the smell of cookies baking in the oven.  So we took an inventory of our baking supplies and chose peanut butter as the theme.  We did a quick search on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and chose this one.  It's easy to make, always turns out yummy, and as result has been added to my recipe box as one of my favorites to bake and share.

Credit: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Peanut-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx