Hello Stranger!

Hello Stranger!

Yes I have been a little MIA this past week but for good reason. First my photography business has picked up and my calendar is filling up. Yeah!!!! Also I finally got a new car this week. Let's observe a moment of silence for Mini (Mini Cooper) she was much loved and a reliable companion to the end but it was time to put her to rest. I love my new car but it seems so big in comparison to what I had before and I truly miss my go chart handling ;(  Lastly, my 9-5 gig has also picked up , and hey a sister has to pay her bills, so that is always first and foremost.

But I am back with a new recipe. My sweet tooth has kicked in with a vengeance and the empty donut bag from tonight is full proof. (However, and some of you may hate me for revealing this, I am actually losing weight despite my sweet tooth binge. Crazy right? Once again I am just not eating enough calories through out the day to maintain my weight, which is equally as bad as over eating.) So Monday night I decided at 10 in the evening after coming back from dance class that I would make strawberry preserves. What the hell was I thinking? And me being someone who underestimates how long something will take was then up in the kitchen canning till about 11:30. And as if that wasn't crazy enough I decided while the cans were in for the final boil to just make oatmeal cookies for the hell of it. Why not take a full ride on the crazy train.

We have a ton of oatmeal left from granola craze so why not put them to use. I rarely eat oatmeal cookies and I am hard pressed to find one I truly enjoy but I go bat crazy for these. ( I ate oatmeal cookies for breakfast  the past two days. Does that count as my daily serving of grains and fiber?) And ironically enough it's the recipe that comes on the inside lid of the Quaker Oatmeal canister.  Nothing fancy or complicated. Just plain, easy, simple and good.

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies (Raisins Optional)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter  - Butter creates a flatter crispier cookie while shortening will give a higher lighter cookie. I prefer the flavor of butter and I also prefer the texture it gives the overall cookie.
• 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups uncooked Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned) - I generally add the amount I see fit  but this is the quantity the recipe calls for, but I generally add less than this (2 - 2 1/2 cups).
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350.

1. Beat together butter and sugars till creamy
2. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
3. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well
4. Stir in oats and raisins
5. Drop rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet
6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
7. Cool and remove to wire rack.