Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies

I baked these to celebrate two amazing events - a best friend's birthday and a best friend's pregnancy! I love how they turned out! Peanut butter, oats AND chocolate?! oh yeah!

About 3 dozen cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, slightly softened
• 1 1/2 cups creamy natural peanut butter, well-mixed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
  
• a medium sized bag of plain m & m's

About 1 cup chocolate candies or other mix-ins. Preheat oven to 350F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in baking soda, then oatmeal and mix-ins. Drop onto cookie sheets with an ice cream scoop and flatten slightly. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes. Do not over bake / don't let brown too much! Remove from oven when slightly golden. Let cool on the sheets for a few minutes until they have firmed up enough to remove to wire racks. If they bake for too long, they lose their chewiness and are dry.
thanks to thekitchn.com for a delicious idea