Deep in the Heart of Winter

It has been some time since my last post....Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and now it will soon be February.  I have to say as far as weather...this has been a terrible winter.  It snowed a week or so before Thanksgiving ...eleven inches of snow....we still have every snowflake that fell.  I think.  Anyway the ground has been cold and white for the last 2 months.

Weather aside...It has been a pleasant winter.  I have about 13 little bunnies that come to see me every morning...and of course I put out carrots for my visitors.  I had so many birds, and I felt sorry that it was so cold and snowy I made the mistake of  putting bird seed on the porch.....Now I have to have someone come and de..bird it and de...seed it.   They made quite a mess.  Now I have been putting their seed in the bird bath....come spring.  Birds will be put back in their proper places.
My girls, Emily and Sara are so anxious to be outside.  We did spend one afternoon of the porch, it is such a sunny place.  The sky is so blue and beautiful, the air so clear, the sun so warm.. Hope today will be one of those days, so we can spend the afternoon outdoors.

Yesterday I decided it was time to bake cookies again...So, I looked on the cooking shows. and found a Oatmeal Cookie recipe by Barefoot Contessa....looked good, and tasted better.  They were nice and crunchy and sweet....so here it is........

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cup pecans....(I used walnuts, didn't toast them)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter  (mine was salted)
1 cup dark brown sugar               
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats..(I used regular oats.
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Put pecans in oven and toast for 5 minutes. (I didn't do this for my walnuts)  Chop coarsely.

Beat butter and brown sugar and granula
ted sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time and the vanilla.
Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl.  Mixer on low slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Add the oats, raisins, and nuts and mix, just to combine.

Drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto pans lined with parchment paper. 
Flatten slighthtly with a damp hand.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Transfer to baking rack....Cool.      Eat!  Enjoy!

                                               

This was all that was left....so, it seems everyone enjoyed them.

I'm going to try and get a picture of my bunnies and birds, but the bunnies run and the birds take flight the minute I step out on the porch.  My granddaughter, Karie  has a special long  range camera.  I'll try to capture her this weekend and see what she can do.

Until next time.........Be thankful....Enjoy the day.