Post #1

Happy Thursday!

Most of the blogs I read start of with people mentioning how blogs are shameless and narcissistic and then a few sentences about how they never thought they'd ever start one, blah blah blah. I always feel like saying, "the disclaimer is not needed- you're writing one. Enough said." 

Over the last few years I have become fond of randomly reading blogs: food blogs, acquaintances' blogs, and of course, stalking those "Facebook friends" who I can't recall exactly when or where I met them, but somehow they appear on my friends list and their blog links randomly display on my newsfeed. While my government salary is nothing to phone home about, job security is of utmost importance to me at the moment, but my job is not stimulating nor time consuming enough to dissuade me from eyeing up several blogs daily. Thus I have thoroughly enjoyed learning new recipes, reading stories of weight loss/attempted diets, watching videos of my "friends'" children taking their first steps, and reading about how my peers meander through their 20s and 30s. I know I'm not the only person creepily stalking "random" people's blogs.

I still feel like I'm 19. I look forward to summers because half of me (the better half) still thinks that entails a summer vacation. Basically, I feel like every time I see an engagement, a wedding, or baby announcement from people I went to high school or college with, I gasp. The better half of me still thinks, "don't these people know they're getting married too young? They will probably be divorced before they're 30." Oh wait, I am almost 30...

I don't have a particularly exciting life, but that's sort of the irony about blogging- the people that have exciting lives don't have time to blog, and the people that don't, well, like me, they blog to help fill the "need for excitement" void.

After this first entry, I will try to have themes and include recipes and/or funny stories. There is no theme for this one- only rambling, but I promise they WILL get better. I wish I was still in my blind date mode and then I could include stories from the 30+ blind dates I've been on. Fingers crossed, those days are over.

RECIPE SECTION
I recently discovered Gluten Free Rolled Oats (http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=251) from Trader Joe's (recipe below) and decided to try their recipe on the back. I only made a few adjustments and next time I think I'll also cut the sugar down by 1/3.  Anyway, I used a little less than the required butter, added in a few (2-3) tablespoons of applesauce, skipped the nuts, and cooked for only 9 minutes because I like mushy cookies (though I'm not sure that extra minute would have changed anything). I brought them to my work party, and they were a HUGE hit- for those that decided to try them at least. Everyone loves oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies- except for my boss apparantly.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 

1/4 cup butter (I used a little less)

1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar (I think 1/2 cup would be fine)

(OPTIONAL: 2-3 Tbsp applesauce)
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar (again, next time I'd only use 1/2 cup)
6 oz chocolate chips
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans/walnuts (skipped these)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter (and applesauce if you're using it) in a large bowl.  Beat until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda: mix well.  Add peanut butter and mix.  Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and nuts.  Place dough by heaping teaspoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until light gold on the edges.

Makes approximately 48 cookies.  Try not to eat them all in one day