Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I LOVE Oatmeal Raisin cookies, but I've tried several recipes and just haven't found one that I've fallen in love with...until today!! I decided to try a new recipe and they turned out great!! They are so soft and moist and chewy...my mouth waters just talking about them :) Here is the recipe:

Whisk together and set aside

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cream wet ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Then stir in

• 3 cups oats (not instant)
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
4. To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
6. (Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
7. Fill cookie scoop with dough.
8. (Use a #40 cookie scoop; it measures 2 tablespoon of dough) Press against side of bowl, pulling up to level dough.
9. Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
10. Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
11. Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

I did make a few modifications. First, I didn't have dark brown sugar, so I just used light brown sugar. Also, I didn't use a cookie scoop - I just used a tablespoon and shaped them into balls - I fit 12 on one cookie sheet...they were a little smaller, but it made about 5 dozen! Also, since they were smaller, I only baked them for 8 minutes.

Anyways, here is a picture of the finished product:


YUMMMMMMMM!!!!

American Idol anyone?

So, in case you didn't know, I am an American Idol addict (and an Office addict, but that's an entirely different subject). I must say that I am already hooked on this season. I am not crazy about the first few weeks of auditioning in different cities, but once the finalists reach Hollywood, I'm glued!!! I think there is definitely some real talent there this year - it should be a good one. However, there were some people that they put through to the Final 36 that should NOT have been put through...namely Tatiana, Nick Norman (or whatever his name is today), and Nathaniel Marshall (the gay drama queen). I'm not sure I can stand another week of these three...they can't sing and they are SOOOOO annoying. I'm sure the only reason they were put through was for the ratings!! I was very sad to see Jamal (or Jamar...not sure his name) go home...he was definitely a good singer...by far much better than the three previously mentioned! Anyways, I am looking forward to a very exciting season!! It will be nice since there are only a few more episodes of The Bachelor (my other favorite reality TV show). I'm really not a TV junkie :)

On a separate note, Jason took the day off today! YAY!!! He had taken it off awhile ago, but just told me yesterday. He was going to keep it a surprise, but I had such a rotten day yesterday that he told me then so that it would help brighten up my day. It's been nice having him home, especially since the boys have been extremely difficult AGAIN today!! I'm not sure what is going on with them, but the past two days have been miserable...they have been a little more than I can handle.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day - YAY!!! I'm not sure what Jason has planned - he's keeping it a surprise. I'm just looking forward to getting away with him without the boys...I don't care if we just go to McDonald's :) Yesterday, Landon and I made a big heart-shaped cookie and we decorated a Valentine...well, I put it together, but had Landon decorate it.

Well, Landon is driving Jason up a wall, so I better go rescue him - I bet right now he is wishing he was at work...I know I do :)

YAY Uncle Dathan!

Last night we went to Lancaster for my brothers' basketball game. It was a rough game and we ended up losing. We have a very strong team this year, but one of our best players is out with an ankle injury and we just couldn't pull off the win last night. BUT, my brother Dathan (who scored his 1,000th point last year as a junior) broke the school record in high scoring!!! CONGRATULATIONS DATHAN!! We are so proud of him :) He is now at 1,513 points! It was such an awesome moment and a huge accomplishment for him! He is currently the leading scorer in our county and he's had a great year!! Last night, his fellow teammate, Jason Carman (also a senior) scored his 1,000th point with 1.8 seconds left in the game - it was incredible!!! Jason was the 3rd guy on their team to reach 1,000 points. Josh Conover, another senior (who is out with an ankle injury), was the 2nd to reach his 1,000 points. To have three guys on a team reach 1,000 points while playing together is a rare trifecta (according to Reading Eagle - our local newspaper). Anyways, I thought I'd put up some pictures from last night...I didn't get many good pictures during the game, but I got a few "still" photos :)

The team during the National Anthem: Dathan is the 3rd in from the right; Jordan is the 2nd in from the right

The team huddling up before the game:

Landon cheering for his uncles:

The scoreboard after he scored the record-breaking point:
Family shot after the game (of course the boys wouldn't look at the camera):

Dathan and Jason:

Landon with his Uncle Jordan (Uncle "Jo-Jo") and Uncle Dathan:

Dathan after the game - CONGRATS!!!!

One of the countdown posters:

Dathan and Jason with their families:
Jason's parents, Jason's sister, Jason, Dathan, Jordan, my Mom, Jason's brother, my Dad

Josh, Jason, and Dathan - the three 1,000 point seniors:

WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!

Cookie Fun

Yesterday, Landon made sugar cookies with me for the first time. We had so much fun!!! I was surprised how well he did! He cut out the cookies, put them on the cookie sheet and after I frosted them, he put the sprinkles on! After he would cut out a cookie, he would get so excited and say "YAY!" - it was so cute!! We were about halfway through and he looked at me and said, "Landon having fun!" (he still talks in 3rd person!). Anyways, he got quite messy and it was hard to keep him away from the cookie dough...he's just like his mommy!! He was so desperate for it that at the end, he was eating it off of the rolling pin - as if he were eating corn on the cob :) I thought I would post a few pictures of our fun time making cookies:


I look forward to many more memories of making cookies with Landon and someday Cole...when he's old enough :)