Reader Query: Grind First or Measure First?

Bev emailed me to ask about how to measure the ground oatmeal in my Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:

“For the oatmeal, is the measurement in the form of whole oats or the finely ground? I measured out the old fashioned oatmeal, ground it and now I'm not sure that's the accurate meaning of the ingredient.”

Hi there, Bev! You should grind then measure. If you have extra ground oatmeal, you can freeze it in a Zip Loc bag and save it for another batch of cookies. (Hooray!) But, to prevent grinding more oatmeal--or any other "grindable"--than I need, I tend to process the equivalent of only a few handfuls at a time. I then measure what I have and grind more if I need it.