A Day in the Kitchen.....and a Recipe

Dearest Readers,

It has been a quiet day here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains....a little snow, a little sunshine...the perfect day to spend snuggled inside my wee kitchen....

As the sunshine played hide and seek, I started the laundry and tidied up a few dishes from last night....

 I was grateful for the glow of my lamps as they chased away the shadows on the walls.....

(What do you think of my new wall color....I am not quite finished painting, but it makes me smile every time I step inside the kitchen!)

A batch of Dearest's favorite cookies was the order of the day....this is a wonderful lowfat recipe that I thought you might like to try....

Dearest's Delights

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

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4 tbsp. butter, room temperature

1/2 cup applesauce

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

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3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup raisins

(you could use chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts...not so lowfat, but very delicious!)

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix together all dry ingredients (except oatmeal and raisins)

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugars...add eggs, applesauce and vanilla

Add dry ingredients...mix well

Add oatmeal and raisins

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Drop by spoonfuls onto sheets lined with parchment paper (remember, the cookies don't have much fat in them, so they will stick to the cookie sheet if you skip this step)

These cookies don't spread very much on their own...I use a fork dipped in flour to flatten the cookies a little...it helps the cookie spread out and cook evenly

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Bake for 9-12 minutes

These cookies will get somewhat brown around the edges but will not brown like regular cookies

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Pour glass of milk and enjoy!

I would love to hear from you if you have a chance to make these cookies....

Now, I must see to supper...I made a large pot of chili yesterday, so it will just be a matter of heating it up and calling out to Dearest to come and join me...easy peasy, lemon squeasy!

Yours so kindredly,

Shan









January...Soapbox Clean

Dearest Readers,

It is that time of year again....the time to make our homes and hearts Soapbox Clean! We find ourselves ready to scrub our homes shiny bright after all the holiday frippery is tucked safely away.  Everything looks so fresh, albeit a little bare, after all the pine and holly has been removed. What a wonderful time to look ahead to the unspoiled year that lies ahead!

As I have busied myself with the daily chores of packing Christmastide away, I have been thoughtfully pondering my inspiration for this new year.  As so many of my dear blogging friends have done, I too will summarize my thoughts with one word....CHARITY. 

Not just the charity of my pocketbook, but the charity of my time, thoughts, ideas, deeds and prayers! Too often, I find myself folding inward and staying tucked inside my own little world, so this year I  want to share much more with those around me, both near and far.

It is my intent to be charitable with my posting...this will be a bold step for me, as more often than not, I talk myself out of posting for fear that I will bore my readers to death! This is where I would truly like your help my dear friends....please let me know if there is something you would like me to share....

More pictures of my home?

Gardening...the greenhouse?

Sewing?

Victorian decorating tidbits?

Cooking?

What I am Wearing?
(I do admit that this is an area that I dearly enjoy reading/viewing on other fine ladies' blogs, but as I am quite self-conscious about posting pictures of myself, I need to find out if there truly interest in this subject, if so, I purpose to step out of my comfort zone and post pictures of my feminine attire.)

It would so embolden me, Dear Readers, to know that I am writing and sharing in a way that would enhance your day, even if only by the thimble full.

Yours so very kindredly,
Shan