"raisins" in the sun.

In a city where the sun rarely shines, and in a house where there’s almost always an indispensable ingredient missing when dinner time rolls around, it can get a bit gloomy.  Today, we broke the mold in one fashion: the sun came out.  Though frigidly cold, the most resilient of college students bundled up in colorful fleece blankets and convened on the back patio waiting, hoping, yearning, desperately basking in the limited yet treasured rays of vitamin D.  The back patch of most Seattle homes goes unused for the majority of the calendar year, viewed longingly from the kitchen window.  Today, bolstered by Mr. Punxsutawney’s recent prediction of an early spring, these robust “groundhogs” of the Pacific Northwest unveiled their porcelain sun-robbed skin, though only for a brief five minutes.  Harsh reality: it’s only 41°.  Heartless forecast: “wintry mix” this coming week. 

[Wintry mix: variable precipitation consisting of rain, freezing rain, sleet, or snow]

To combat frustrated desires for Spring, I have chosen to find my vitamin D (figuratively) in the warmth of:

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from smittenkitchen.com thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies)

Preheat oven: 350° (bask in the warmth that fills the kitchen)

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed.

1 egg

1 stick of butter

.5 tsp. pure vanilla

.5 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

.5 tsp. cinnamon (vital)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1.5 cups rolled oats

.5 cup chocolate chips (“raisins”)

In large bowl, cream butter, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar (don’t anguish in the disobedience of a hand mixer, clumps of butter can be calmed with a spoon).  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork.  Add dry ingredients into the brown sugar mixer until a deliciously gooey batter forms.  Introduce rolled oats and chocolate chips (original recipe called for raisins, which I’m sure would be excellent).  Optional ingredients: chopped walnuts or pecans.

Roll spoonfuls of dough into Ping-Pong ball sized cookies.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet with room to grow.   

Bake for 8-11 minutes, check oven periodically.  Cookies on lower shelf may prove over eager.