your 15 second diversion for the day and Veggie Kitchen

You know, sometimes you just need to tickle a cat, and all the problems in the world just melt away.

Surprised Kitty @ Yahoo! Video

Ok, now let me wipe the tears of laughter off my face...

Because everyone either now has or is about to have family at home, and/or everyone has had or is about to have a holiday party to host or attend, I thought today I would post my favorite holiday cookie recipe. I first ran across this recipe two years ago and have made them every couple of months since then. They're not terribly bad for you, the recipe makes a LOT so you can give a lot away and still keep a few, plus they keep a long time as well. So they're pretty perfect, unless you're one of those terribly weird people who doesn't like oatmeal (like my mother).

Scarlethue's Oaty Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick of butter, softened (yes, use butter, no fake stuff)

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 cups old-fashioned oats (in the blue cylinder with the Quaker guy's face on it)

1.5 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsps ground cinnamon

sprinkle of salt (little less than a tsp)

Here's where the fun starts. You can add in any combination of these things or really anything you like:

dried cranberries, chocolate chips in dark, milk, or white, macadamia nuts, raisins, chopped pecans or almonds, etc. In total you can add a cup and a half up to 2 and a half cups of these extras, in whatever combination you like.

In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and stir. In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt), and then slowly add the dry mix to the creamed mix a little at a time. After the two are all mixed, add in your extras. (My favorite combination is 1.5 cups dark chocolate chips and a cup of cranberries.) Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Put them on wire racks to cool.

I especially like these because of the high ratio of oats to flour. It feels more like you're eating oatmeal rather than just a basic flour cookie with some oatmeal mixed in. And I love the flexibility of the "extras." It makes this a good recipe to give to friends-- I have a friend who loves white-chocolate-macadamia-anything, and he devoured these cookies when I added those two in for him. I've also added in some honey before, and it was good but pretty sticky. I think to do that, you need to add in a bit more flour in order to balance it. Something to play with. Enjoy!