Surprise.

It's hard to believe that after about five months from my last post, I'm finally back here. I've probably lost all my readers by now, so anything I write now could be going into some void or jumbled with all the other distractions the internet has to offer. Just a collection of random thoughts (pretending I can write) and experiments with baking, and hoping that there would be others out there who could find a little amusement in my deliberations and pretty pictures (if anyone bothers to read more than the recipe).

At some point, I lost any inspiration and motivation to continue, and started to think about what this was really for, especially since I didn't have too many readers. There were a few somewhat significant events (some really cool, some not as much) that diverted my attention, but I think I fell off the wagon on a few things, not just this blog. For example, I used to be a little bit of a runner, and ran a 10K last year--I might've written about it (I can't remember, it feels so long ago). And then the latter part of last year, one week off turned into two weeks, then a month, and then it was the holidays--and no running or working out ever occurs during that time of the year. But it appears last week was my week to get back on it. There was no particular reason, it was just a choice--kind of like when you feel unhappy, but if you make yourself smile even when you don't feel like it (though that can be very hard), you might feel a little happier after all. I baked up some cookies, started running again, even felt a little bit of renewed vigor at work, and knew it was time to channel some creative energy back into this site.

So here I am, back in the saddle at the beginning of a new year--hopefully for a while. I'm not much of a New Year's resolution type of a person, but I do have a few thoughts for the upcoming year that I hope to live by: (1) give more--Nicholas Kristof recently wrote in the New York Times that helping others really ends up helping ourselves (and I wouldn't mind a little help); (2) pray more--prayer in and of itself may not solve problems, but prayer to a God who loves us infinitely can give us the strength to endure; and (3) no regrets--I'd like to be able to say that I did everything I could in any given situation or circumstance. I'm sure I won't live up to these, but there is a goal to work towards. Oh, and what is this blog really for? I guess I decided it was enough to blog for no real reason at all.

On that note, here's a recipe for what is now my favorite oatmeal cookie EVER. Hope you try it because it's pretty awesome.

Chocolate [Chip] Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Adapted from epicurious.com
Makes about 36 2-1/2" cookies

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. Cream together with an electric mixer:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1-1/4 cup brown sugar

2. Mix in the following, one at a time, on medium-low speed:
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 t. vanilla
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3. Stir in by hand:
- 2-1/4 cups oats
- 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans

4. Roll balls of cookie dough around 1-1/2" in diameter and arrange on the baking sheet about 2" apart. Press down on each lightly to about 1/2" thickness. Bake for about 11 minutes, until lightly brown. Cool cookies on the sheet for about a minute, then transfer to racks.

Good enough.

If you haven't already picked up on it, I try to be healthy. My friends might consider that an understatement. "Health nut" sums it up pretty well. I can border on obsessive when it comes to healthy eating (with all that information on the web, how can it not make anyone paranoid?), which doesn't always go hand in hand with pastries, sadly. I think that's partially why I like to bake for other people rather than myself. I can use all that butter and sugar and other good stuff freely--not because I don't care about their well-being, of course(!), and I do believe there is the right time to let those cares go and really savor food, whether it's "good" for me or not. But when it comes to baking or cooking something only for myself, I can endure the cardboard taste simply because I tell myself it's good for me. Once in a while, though, I come across something that just might be able to be shared with non-health-nuts and health-nuts alike.

Every so often, I go through an oatmeal phase. It kind of warms me up from the inside, especially useful for these cold days. And since last week, I've been contemplating, mulling over, engrossing myself with oatmeal. A bowl of hot oatmeal is wonderful in its simplicity, but oatmeal in cookies, in cake, or as a muffin provides a different indulgence. Oatmeal is the kind of food that makes you feel good about yourself. Eat an oatmeal raisin cookie, and I feel like I'm getting my daily intake of dietary fiber. Add it to chocolate chip cookies, and suddenly I'm convinced they're good for me. Yes, this is all self-deception, but oatmeal always makes me feel like home. So you can put away your bowl and lay aside your spoon, you're not going to need them for this oatmeal recipe.

This recipe originally came from allrecipes.com. What I appreciate about allrecipes.com and other sites like it is that they're usually recipes from people like me--not professionals, just people who have a love for cooking or baking. Of course, it's sometimes hard to tell whether it'll turn out or not--not all the recipes are great, but you do find a gem once in a while. Looking at the recipe initially, it certainly looked healthy, but I wasn't sure if there would be enough flavor or if it would come out dense and dry. Regardless, I was still convinced it had potential. With some tweaking, it turned out pretty nice, dare I say even fool-proof--and maybe good enough for the non-health-nuts out there.

Honey Oatmeal Cake
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes one 8" round cake or 12 muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup low fat buttermilk (or milk if you prefer)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
2/3 cup honey

Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon

Soak the oats in buttermilk for about thirty minutes in a mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a cake pan or cupcake tin.

Add the oil, egg, vanilla and honey to the oats and mix on low until combined. Scrape the sides down, then continue mixing, adding the dry ingredients (no need to sift or whisk beforehand!). Pour the batter into the cake pan or distribute the batter evenly among the cupcake wells.

Bake for about 30 minutes, if using a cake pan, or 20 to 25 minutes if a cupcake pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. You can serve it warm with preserves or any time by itself.