Wait .. what?

I am going to shock people I know with this statement. The best cookie I have ever made is a VEGAN recipe. Fall down dead now my bacon loving friends, yes I the lover of all things animal (mmm tasty) have seen the vegan light. Hahahaha.. now don't you worry, I certainly am not changing my ways, just opening up to the possibilities that not everything needs to be made with butter, eggs, cheese or bacon.*

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Submitted by Isa
prep time: 15 minutes cooking time: 32 minutes makes 4 dozen cookies
These are soft out of the oven, but as they cool they are nice and chewy. They are a serious crowd pleaser, for crowds with taste buds. Note: I use flax seeds because they make the texture a little chewier, but I've made them without and they're still good!
Equipment:

baking sheets

2 mixing bowls

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 1/3 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup canned pumpkin, or cooked pureed pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

optional: 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Have ready 2 greased baking sheets.Mix together flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, molasses, pumpkin and vanilla (and flax seeds if using) until very well combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet in 3 batches, folding to combine. Fold in walnuts and raisins.Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. They don't spread very much so they can be placed only an inch apart. Flatten the tops of the cookies with a fork or with your fingers, to press into cookie shape. Bake for 16 minutes at 350.

If you are using two sheets of cookies on 2 levels of your oven, rotate the sheets halfway through for even baking. You'll have enough batter for 4 trays.Remove from oven and get cookies onto a wire rack to cool. These taste best when they've had some time to cool and set. They taste even better the next day

Things I changed (either out of preference or necessity)

I used 2/3 cup of applesauce instead of oil.

I didn't add the flaxseed (didn't have it or I would have).

Used 1/2 sugar, 1/2 splenda granulated (ran out of sugar and hey it saved a buttload of calories) Used 2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, no nutmeg.

I would add more cinnamon next time, but I am a freak like that.

I also didn't have any nuts on hand so used 1/4 cup of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips Next time I'll use more in addition to the raisins.

These bad boys run about 43 calories apiece and I got 59 cookies out of this batch. Holy hell they are fantastic.

I found them on this site:

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=187

It doesn't look like its been updated in ages, but the recipes look GOOD! Go forth and veganise your cookies my friends. Now I am going to try a vegan cupcake recipe for sure. :)

KNITTING KNEWS (oh god I am so sorry) Knit these up yesterday. Will felt in sink today and report back. Again, knit out of necessity as I have no slippers. Used Patons SWS in Natural geranium, and just kinda winged the pattern. Cellphone for size reference and please note my Hello Kitty charm/bell because I love my inner 13 year old girl.

Yesterday we made like babies and headed out to Best Buy to get Halo 3. In fact I'm gonna tell ya'll a little secret, my husband went out the night before at midnight but the lines and the cold dissuaded him from indulging his inner geek.Ah well... anyhoo.. to Best Buy right. He got his game and even a free tshirt and camo headset YEEHAW!! Get home, plug in the most anticipated game ever (I have never know Chris to go on opening day and buy a video game. NEVER) and guess what?

RED RING OF DEATH. (oh noes!)

If you aren't an XBOX 360 slave this will mean nothing. If you are you know. Major boo hoo. Well XBOX is sending us a new unit (thankfully) and I guess the GAME OF THE CENTURY will have to wait. The customer service guy was really lovely, so Chris is just happy that a new one will be here eventually.


Here's some yarn porn for you all.. I'm a sad sad woman huh?




*But realistically most everything is made better with the addition of these ingredients. Like most movies would be made better with zombies in them. Who knows, Armageddon may have been watchable with the addition of zombies. Or not. :/