Big and Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Well here I am back blogging about food. I know this isn't part of the Cooking Light challenge I was doing and sadly most of the food I bought for that challenge went bad while I was laid up. I think I'm calling the contest and will be posting the winner later this week. Most of the family has now fully recovered from the horrible colds we had. Let me just say whatever I really had, doctors all disagreed over a diagnosis's, was the worst thing that has hit be since being a mom. I started off with a really bad kidney infection and ended up with bronchitis and strep throat. The kids were just as sick as I was. The good news is we are all finally feeling better with just a lingering cough to remind us of how sick we were.

I made these cookies just as I started feeling better cause everyone wanted a treat. These were easy to make with great flavor. I'm going to give them a try in the future with chocolate chips instead of raisins. They were very chewy which is how I prefer oatmeal cookies. The recipe makes about 18 large cookies. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest very light in color. Also you can reduce the granulated sugar to 3/4 cup if you'd prefer a less sweet cookie but you will lose some of the crispness.

Big and Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar
1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups (9 oz) old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Adjust the oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.

Decrease the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the oats and raisins until just incorporated.

Divide the dough into 18 portions, each a generous 2 tablespoons, and roll them between your hands into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

An update on Norah

I'm Norah's sister Mary.

Norah has not been feeling well at all. My nephews, her children, also haven't been 100% healthy. Now I'm no mother but I know that being sick and taking care of sick really drains a person of all other energy.

That being said, she has been unable to post new recipes or hold her contest. Once she is well again she will pick up where she left off.

If I had time to cook, I'd be posting but alas no food cooked by me. Unless you guys are really dying to know my secret of pasta and butter. Or my secret of Wendy's late night. Drop a comment and maybe I'll think about it.

Until her return, I like to do 4 things:

1-Look at old photos on Norah's blog and satiate my hungers away.
2-Do the exact same thing at The Pioneer Woman.
3-Ditto on My Kitchen Cafe.
4-Pretend I'm Bakerella.

Cooking Light Challenge Breakfast #2 Blueberry Pancakes

We love pancakes in our house. My husband and I love blueberry but the kids prefer plain. The nice thing about this recipe is you can just skip the blueberries since you don't add them to the batter. The article about the pancakes mention using chocolate chips or bananas too so don't think you have to just use blueberries. These do reheat well so if you make extra you could freeze them then have an easy breakfast through out the week. The batter was thicker than most pancake mixes but the pancakes were still very tender. This is not a sweet pancake but surprisingly the kids really loved them.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Every time you leave a comment on a recipe during my cooking light challenge you will be entered to win a year's subscription to Cooking Light magazine. Feel free to mention it on your blog, websites you visit, and/or facebook. LMK that you did in a comment and I will give you an extra chance in the drawing.

Blueberry Pancakes
Cooking Light August 2009

2.25 oz all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
2.38 oz whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup vanilla fat free yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries

Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine yogurt, and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Top each pancake with 2 tablespoons blueberries. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings (serving size:2 blueberry pancakes).

Calories: 272
Fat: 8.8 g (4.5 g sat, 2.5 g mono, 0.8 g poly)
Protein: 9.5 g
Carb: 40.1 g
Fiber: 3.2 g
Chol: 122 mg
Iron: 2 mg
Sodium: 403 mg
Calc: 192 mg

Cooking Light Challenge Dinner #1 Hoisin and Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken

This was a delicious meal. I loved the chicken as did everyone else. An added bonus was how quick it was to put together and cook. I mixed the marinade up in less than five minutes and mixed it with the chicken. Next time I think I'll freeze the meat in the marinade so it has some added time to pick up the flavors. I used chicken tenders since I had them on hand and it took about 8 minutes to cook them on the grill. The whole time spent working on this meal was less than 15 minutes. I served grilled pineapple rings with the chicken.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Every time you leave a comment on a recipe during my cooking light challenge you will be entered to win a year's subscription to Cooking Light magazine. Feel free to mention it on your blog, websites you visit, and/or facebook. LMK that you did in a comment and I will give you an extra chance in the drawing.

Hoisin and Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken
Cooking Light July 2007

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
cooking spray

Combine hoisin sauce, ginger, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinated in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Yield: 6 servings, serving size 1 chicken breast.

Calories: 243
Fat: 4.5 g (0.9 g sat, 0.6 g mono, 0.7 g poly)
Protein: 39.9 g
Carb: 6.4 g
Fiber: 0.4 g
Chol: 99 mg
Iron: 1.5 mg
Sodium: 618 mg
Calc: 24 mg

Winner of the Magazine Giveaway

Sorry about the delay but I was having computer issues tomorrow. Sara is the winner of the Simple and Delicious magazine. Send your address to n_baron@msn.com and I'll get it in the mail. Thanks!

Cooking Light Lunch #1Open-Faced Beef Sandwiches with Greens and Horseradish Cream

This sandwich turned out really tasty. At first I was a little worried as my husband picked this one but there was no need to worry. I did do a few things differently then the original recipe (which I'll post). I used spinach instead of arugula as every store in my local area was out of arugula the day I did my shopping. Second I left the creme fraiche out of the horseradish creme. And the last thing I did different was used thinly sliced deli meat instead of flank steak. Mainly I used the deli meat because the local store wanted $9.99 lb for flank steak and I felt that was way too pricey. My big mistake was not warming the deli meat up, which the next time I would do, because the sandwich was a little cold. Overall this recipe makes it to the make it again pile.


Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Every time you leave a comment on a recipe during my cooking light challenge you will be entered to win a year's subscription to Cooking Light magazine. Feel free to mention it on your blog, websites you visit, and/or facebook. LMK that you did in a comment and I will give you an extra chance in the drawing.


Open-Faced Beef Sandwiches with Greens and Horseradish Cream
Cooking Light October 2008

Horseradish Cream:
2 1/2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons light sour cream
2 tablespoons creme fraiche

Sandwich:
3 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 2 large)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 (1 lb) flank steak, trimmed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups trimmed arugula
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 (1 1/2 oz) slices Texas toast, lightly toasted

To prepare cream, combine horseradish, sour cream, and creme fraiche in a small bowl; cover and chill.

Preheat broiler.

To prepare sandwich, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden brown.

Sprinkle steak with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Combine steak and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, and toss to coat.

Combine arugula, oil, and vinegar in a medium bowl; toss gently. Spread 2 tablespoons horseradish cream over each bread slice; top each with about 1/3 cup onion, 1/2 cup arugula mixture, and 3 ounces of steak. Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 open-faced sandwich).


Calories: 383
Fat: 12.8 g (5.8 g sat, 4.6 g mono, 0.7 g poly)
Protein: 29.5 g
Carb: 36.5 g
Fiber: 4 g
Chol: 47 mg
Iron: 3.1 mg
Sodium: 543 mg
Calc: 186 mg

Cooking Light Breakfast #1 Muesli with Cranberries and Flaxseed

This breakfast was easy to put together the night before with only combining a few things to finish it off. Prep work took me maybe 5 minutes total. Overall the breakfast was quick and easy to make. The taste was surprising good. I really liked the dish and it kept me full for almost 4 hours. The only thing I would do different would be to use vanilla yogurt in place of the plain yogurt. I just think I would have liked vanilla yogurt better or even the Greek honey yogurt that I love. The recipe makes 6 servings.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Every time you leave a comment on a recipe during my cooking light challenge you will be entered to win a year's subscription to Cooking Light magazine. Feel free to mention it on your blog, websites you visit, and/or facebook. LMK that you did in a comment and I will give you an extra chance in the drawing.

Muesli with Cranberries and Flaxseed
Cooking Light Jan./Feb. 2009

2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups 1% low fat milk
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
3 tablespoons pumpkinseed kernels, toasted (I left these out cause I could not find them locally)
3 cups plain fat free yogurt
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; pour milk over mixture, stirring to combine. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight. (I did it overnight)
Combine nuts and pumpkinseed kernels in a small bowl. Spoon 3/4 cup oat mixture into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 1/2 cup yogurt; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons nut mixture, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.

Calories: 421
Fat: 12.4 g (sat 2.2 g, mono 4.8 g, poly 4.3 g)
Protein: 19.5 g
Carb: 62.4 g
Fiber: 6.6 g
Chol: 7 mg
Iron: 3.5 mg
Sodium: 162 mg
Calc: 457 mg

Cooking Light Challenge

For the next few weeks I'll be posting a recipe a day from Cooking Light magazines. I love this magazine and usually find loads of tips, recipes, and exercises in this magazine. I'll be posting seven recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I may add a dessert or two but I'm not a big fan of serving dessert everyday. The plan is to post a recipe a day and share my thoughts on the dish. Also I've weighed myself and I'll post how much weight I did lose during the week on the final day of posting recipes. I'll be doing exercise too so the weight loss won't just be due to the meals. Also at the end of my "challenge" I'll be giving away a years subscription to the magazine to a lucky winner or two or possibly three. To enter for a chance to win you just need to comment on the recipes. Each comment earns you a chance to win. If you blog about the contest or post it on facebook or any other website lmk and I'll add an additional entry for each one. I'm thinking it will take 21-24 days to post all the recipes at a rate of one per day. Check back later today for the first recipe which will be a breakfast dish.