Date Bars Cockaigne

Yesterday, Matthew was using the computer.
At first, I thought about despairing.

I couldn't look up recipes!

But wait, I light-bulbed.  
I have cookbooks! REAL cookbooks.

So I made the trek to the kitchen, and flexed my muscles to pull down the mammoth, JOY of Cooking. I found my way aaaaaaall the way to the back of the book (man, this takes so much longer than Google...)

Index: A...B...C...D... dates!
These look right. Scan for ingredients.

Alright, lets go.

Gather ingredients:

I had everything but clover.
Not worth a run to the store.

Mix dry stuff:

Cream butter and sugar:

Add the rest of the wet stuff, dates, nuts, zest:

I tore open the dates, took out the seed, and lay them out flat. This made 'em easier to chop.

Baby is awake! So, I leave the kitchen like this:

We nurse, then set up the play station:

Back to baking.
Spread into the baking pan:

Can you see the baby foot to the left of the pan?? =D

Cookies bake...
We play!

We eat...carrots.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Done.

I'll be keeping my cookbooks.
They still work.

Only one question,
Cockaigne - what does it mean? I don't have a dictionary here.

I will Google it.