Charity’s Blog

Do you ever look up a recipe on the internet and the author wants to tell you about what made her love this recipe? She wants to tell you what the weather was like and how she felt when she first stumbled upon the delicious concoction she is about to grace your computer screen with? Well, yeah, I’m going to do that too. Feel free to scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

When in college, I was able to intern with a company that owned a lot of Arby’s restaurants in my junior and senior year. There were 10 of us total interning at the restaurants in Lafayette and West Lafayette. I learned a lot from the people there. My GM, Mike Garrity, was the best. He knew how to lead and how to have fun at the same time. He seemed to be able to balance the craziness of food service with his family life. He had the respect of his team which made people want to have his respect in return. He was engaging with the customers and ran a tight ship. I was incredibly lucky to have had him as one of my first important managers and leaders of my career. Those managers can shape a person’s career in either a positive or negative way. Even if I wouldn’t have continued into food service, I know the lessons I learned from him would stick with me and mold me into the person I am today. I am eternally grateful to him and my time spent at the West Lafayette Arby’s .

So what does this have anything to do with No Bake Cookies?? While there, another manager, Mary, gave me my first No Bake Cookie recipe. I have been following this recipe since 1999. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks, Arby’s team of 1998-1999 for the lessons and the love!

Stay Peachy, friends.

-Charity

NO BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients: 2 cups sugar, 1 stick butter, 1/2c peanut butter, 3 Tablespoon cocoa, 1/2c milk, 3c oats, splash of vanilla

Instructions: Combine sugar, cocoa, butter, & milk in sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add PB. Stir till mixed well. Add vanilla and oats. Stir until thick and completely blended. Drop by the spoonful onto parchment paper and let cool. Enjoy!

If you would have asked 18 year old me where I’d be in my 40’s, my answer would not have been still here!

I went to a small country school in Shelby County, A Spartan I was and a Spartan I still am. I didn’t really enjoy high school much. Even then, I didn’t like to sit still. I wanted to learn quickly and move on to the next adventure. Sitting in that building for 4 years was an eternity! I could not wait to get out of there and see what was next.

What was next was more school. A Boilermaker I was and a Boilermaker I still am. Those 4 years were not quite as agonizing. They were filled with excitement of internships, school trips, friends from across the world, and the endless possibilities of what was to come. I had grand ideas of moving to Chicago or New York. I wanted to oversee beautiful restaurants or magnificent hotels. I wanted to do anything but come back to this town.

I think a lot of young people feel like that. They don’t quite understand the importance of hometowns. I know I did not. I finally understood when I met my husband. He taught me patience and how to plan for what I want. I knew how to go after what I wanted but the patience to achieve it, well, patience was never my strong suit. So after 20 years of working for others, dreaming of how to become what that 18 year old me thought I’d be, I sit in my beautiful café and I am humbled. I am humbled that a God who can lead me anywhere, led me here. I am in awe of the community support and love. I am so grateful for my family & friends that jump in and do what needs to be done whenever it needs to be done And I am proud. Proud of what we have achieved in such a short time. Hometown Love. Hometown Pride.

Life is short in the grand scheme of things. Live it. See the world. Meet new people. But always remember where you come from. Your hometown might not be for you but we’ll always be here. I am so thankful my path brought me home. So, yeah, I’m still here and I’m loving it!

Stay Just Peachy, friends.

-Charity