Healthy Date Oatmeal Cookies

Description
This recipe came from an estate sale. I obtained it when I purchased the family collection from the Ampere Estate in Arlington, Texas in 1981.
 * Contributed by Catsrecipes Y-Group

Ingredients

 * ¾ cup vegetable shortening
 * 1½ cups sugar or sugar substitute
 * 1 egg
 * ¼ cup water
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla
 * 3 cups uncooked oatmeal
 * 1 cup flour
 * 1 tablespoon salt
 * ½ teaspoon soda
 * 1 cup dates chopped

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 °F.
 * 2) Beat together first 5 ingredients.
 * 3) Sift dry ingredients together.
 * 4) Add oatmeal and combine all together.
 * 5) Stir in dates.
 * 6) Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet.
 * 7) Bake at 350 °F for 15 minutes.