Cookie Revelation

Sooo.... Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies trial 2, not as successful as I had hoped.  Very positive responses for both trials, though.  But testers favored trial 1.  So as promised... here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (one stick) plus 6 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2  cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oats (I used Quaker old fashioned oats)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup toffee chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
Process oats in food processor until in small pieces.  Add oats, chocolate, and toffee.  Mix well.
Drop dough in rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely.

Lots of people liked this recipe, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.  So, onto the next recipe, and I'm thinkin butterscotch!!

Why I cook

It is nights like last night that remind me why I love to cook, bake, and entertain.

Yesterday was Veterans' Day.  The day was emotionally tougher than I had expected, seeing as my husband came home from his most recent deployment only a short six months ago. Although it was inspiring to see all the Veterans' Day comments and thoughtful words my freinds were posting as their Facebook statuses, it takes a whole different meaning when you can picture faces when some one mentions "those who gave the ultimate sacrifice."  Appreciation is something you can never be shown enough of, and sadly most people try to show it when it is already too late.

So I invited some of my friends, family, and Marines from Hubby's unit over to our house last night for a big 'ol steak and potatoes dinner.  I can't describe the joy that I feel when I see the smiles on people's faces when they have full tummies and a warmed heart.  Having laughter from those I hold close fill my house.  Seeing the sparkle in people's eyes when they tear up from laughing so hard.  That is why I cook. If I can make one person happy just by throwing some stuff on the stove, then count me in. 

It's the littlest things that you often find the deepest sense of satisfaction. And for me, that's filling bellies and making smiles.

Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies, trial 1

Christmas cards are designed, printed, and stuffed.  Just need address lables and stamps.  I. Love. Christmas.  Sending the cards, naturally, will have to wait a few weeks until after Thanksgiving.  But considering how life happens and all the extra fluff and stuff we don't normally expect usually delay plans, I usually like to get my Christmas cards done early.  But now that Halloween is out of the way, and I usually just attend Thanksgiving, I can start to focus on all my sweet treats that I give out to the fam bam as gifts.

So, creating sweet treats begins.  First on my list, perfecting my Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal cookies.

I wanted to make something different this year. Last year my new treat was the peanut butter brownines, so this year I had to come up with something good.