Oatmeal Raisin Chews

I think Katharine from Girl About O-Town may be single-handedly responsible for turning me into a lucky person. A couple of months ago, I won free tickets to a premier showing of Creation. Then, just last week, I won another set of tickets from a contest she was running on her blog to go see Greenberg. When does luck turn into greed?

Here's the preview for the movie:



The movie stars Ben Stiller, who plays an emotionally unstable, self-centred guy, with little direction, empathy for others and social skills. The film was directed by Noah Baumbach, who also directed The Squid and the Whale (a movie I really enjoyed).

Despite finding Ben Stiller mildly annoying in a lot of movies, I actually thought he played his part pretty well. In the end, though, I think this movie would be just as interesting as a rental or torrent download. The plot is pretty flat (perhaps intentionally so) and I found myself feeling pretty depressed about the interactions in the movie (not a negative critique of the movie -- but perhaps a deterrent for those looking for a light-hearted film). The preview gives you a good sense of the tone of the movie.

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I realized, just last week, that I had not posted one of my favourite cookie recipes. Well, let me remedy that. I made this a batch of Oatmeal Raisin cookies for some colleagues at work. Based on their reactions, I think they either really liked the recipe and/or really liked that someone brought in homemade cookies.

Oatmeal Raisin Chews
Mrs. Fields


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup quick oats (not instant)
1 cup (packed) dark brownn sugar (I use light brown)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces raisins (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 ounced walnuts, chopped (about 1/2 cup) -- optional

Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen without walnut

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and oats. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, blend sugars with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add honey, vanilla, and eggs. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the four mixture, raisins, and walnuts, if desired, and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or ntil cookies are light golden and brown. Immediately transfer cookes with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.