Urge to bake

Today was pretty busy – running, office job + other job craziness, yoga, dinner, applications, laundry, baking, and Thursday night TV. My days usually look something like that, but no matter how packed my day is, if I have the urge to bake, it’s going to be tough to stop me Cooking, on the other hand, takes more motivation for me.

Today, I had a serious urge to bake!

[NOTE: These are not very sweet (I generally prefer cookies that way), but feel free to add brown sugar or more honey to sweeten them up]

Oatmeal Craisin Chip Cookies

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl:

• 1-1/2 c. old fashioned oats
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c. ground flax seed
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 heaping tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp . salt

2. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/3 c. natural fruit-flavored applesauce (I used blueberry pomegranate)
• 1/4 c. smart balance oil (or canola)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

3. Add wet to dry; mix well. Fold in:

• 1/2 c. (scant) craisins
• 1/2 c. (scant) dark chocolate chips

4. Scoop heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake at 330-340 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (Makes about 30 cookies).

Whenever I bake something, Ben usually asks, “Are these breakfast cookies or dessert cookies?”

I think that’s a pretty accurate way to categorize what I bake, because often my baked goods are on the healthier end and not very sweet.

These are more of breakfast cookies for sure – not a bad way to start the day!

I would bake cookies every night if I had time and enough people to eat them all! I love baking – it totally relaxes me and I love enjoying the result or watching others enjoy it. Cooking is a different story. Sometimes I still don’t have much confidence in the kitchen, and I sure have made my fair share of “just okay” dinners, especially when I don’t plan.

But last night something sort of rare for me happened. I had nothing planned for dinner, came home around 7:00, and was able to throw together a real meal that tasted great.

Enter my tired-self thought process: Do I want something easy, like an omelet or pasta? Not really, and I have so many veggies to use up.

Chopping helps you think of dinner ideas

Carrots, celery and peppers would be good in some kind of stew. Lentils!

Olive oil, garlic, onion, chopped veggies, veggie broth, and lentils, chili powder and cumin – added in that order. Nothing was really measured except for 3/4 c. lentils and 1-1/2 c. broth. (I let this all simmer for 20-25 minutes).

Oh yeah, protein. How about tofu?

No time to pat dry – I’ll just throw the little blocks it in the skillet with sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.

Despite not taking the time to drain out all the water, the tofu browned up nicely and was not mushy/spongey at all!

Proof (to myself) that I can, in fact, make a nutritious “real” dinner on short notice and without much planning, and not just bake cookies

Do you prefer cooking or baking? Does either relax you?