The Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

If I said I never had an issue making oatmeal raisin cookies, I would be a big, fat liar. These cookies have eluded me... until now. I had tried every recipe I could find, I tried adding more flour, more oatmeal, less wet ingredients, soaking the raisins, not soaking the raisins, butter, shortening, butter and shortening. But, to be blunt, they all sucked. Today I decided to combine a few different elements from a few different recipes. They rocked. They were chewy, sweet, and just the right mixture of soft and crispy. Plus I made them with my little man, and there is nothing sweeter than that!

Yield-- about 4 dozen

1 c (2 sticks) softened butter
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 1/2 cups old fashioned 0ats
1 c plump raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix in. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just mixed. Add in the oatmeal, one cup at a time, followed by the raisins.

Drop by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on pan for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling wrack.

ENJOY!

Mongolian Chicken

I always order Mongolian Beef from my favorite Chinese food restaurant when I am visiting my parents, but in between visits I make this version to ease my cravings. I made it with chicken this time and it was delicious.

Olive Oil
1 small onions, diced
About a 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/3 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tbs red pepper flakes
2-3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 c corn starch
3 green onions

In a sauce pan, heat about a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about a minute, but be sure not to let it burn. Add soy sauce, water, sugar, and pepper flakes. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes until sauce is thickened.

In a medium sized bowl, add corn starch and chicken. Toss to coat chicken in corn starch. In a large pan or wok, heat about a 1/4 cup of oil until very hot. Add chicken and cook until chicken is brown and slightly crispy, about 7 minutes. Cut a piece of chicken to make sure it is no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel. Drain excess oil from pan and put the chicken back in. Add sauce and simmer for a minute. Add green onions.

Serve over rice with steamed veggies.