raisins

We're excited to be planning a shopping trip to Trader Joe's very soon. This weekend Paul and I decided to clean out our TJ's shelf in the pantry. Naturally, we're not completely done yet, but it's great to have a bare shelf to refill. One of the recipes we put together for using up our collection was a trail mix, which I was quite proud of.

Behold, upon close inspection (Sorry, I took the picture.) you will find: golden raisins (Remember, I'm a raisin snob. Only the big, juicy golden ones.), chocolate chips (Semi-sweet, not our favorite-dark-because we're out of dark.), walnuts (Just used what was in the bag, but there's more in the freezer for adding to salads and banana bread.), Tamari Almonds (A little salt to match the sugars.), dried dark cherries (An idea from TJ's Temptation Trail Mix.)

I split the trail mix (although not so evenly) into two glass bowls with lids, and Paul and I hauled them off to our respective offices. What a great, healthy, satisfying snack! (OK, maybe the chocolate isn't healthy, but it does fall under the category of satisfying.)

What do you put in your trail mix. . .or is there a store-bought one that fits your requirements? Please share in the comment section below.

I love to take photographing opportunities to highlight special gifts we have received. I found this olive wood tray that Paul's folks brought us from Greece to be a perfect way to display the cookies. . .although as good as the cookies are, the tray would constantly need to be replenished.

My mom has been making these cookies for years. She's practically famous for them. I remember my folks coming home from a party once saying a gentleman said he reached down and took one cookie, but two more jumped on his plate. My experience with this recipe is equally successful. They truly are habit forming. When I took them to work, one of my EMTs frowned and said "How could you? I'm on a diet." I pointed out that the cookies had no flour in them, which makes them gluten-free and makes them less fattening. Stunned and curious how the cookies manage to stick together without floor, they became more exciting. Also being naturally dairy-free, one of our house guests ate three straight out of the oven because he didn't have to worry about the butter in them. In my opinion, these cookies fall under the "not-quite-20-percent-bad" category.

There are two recipes--one is the original version and the second is the lower cholesterol version. This is also the same recipe my mom uses for her homemade granola.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #1

• 2 C quick oats
• ¾ C brown sugar
• ½ t. salt
• ¾ C coconut
• ½ C chocolate chips
• ½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
• ½ C oil
• ½ t. vanilla
• 1 or 2 eggs, beaten

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl and place onto oiled cookie sheet and pack tightly to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. The number of eggs depends upon amount of added ingredients, such as raisins, nuts, chips, etc. I usually make a triple batch as these cookies are habit forming.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #2

• 6 C quick oats
• 1 ½ C brown sugar
• 1 ½ t. salt
• 2 ¼ C coconut
• 1 ½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
• 1 ½ C chocolate chips (opt)
• 1 ½ C Smart Balance oil
• 1 T vanilla
• 2 t. almond flavor
• 5 egg whites

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl, place onto un-oiled cookie sheet, flatten and pack around edges to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. Cool cookies in pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Push cookies back together if they break apart when taking them from the cookie sheet. They usually set okay. Variations: Try using other foods you might find in granola. Raisins tend to burn. Yield: about 50 medium cookies.

While walking around the beach called Crystal Cove, a retreat that has been around for years where Paul's folks both used to visit as kids and still stands nearly unchanged from its past, we passed a box for maps, and on the sides were stenciled messages. This Raisin Day one was on the front. The back of the box says "Every Wednesday is Raisin Day." For Paul, who can live on raisins and peanut butter, it was a fun joke. For my dad who hates raisins, it was a funnier joke. When I emailed him the picture, he politely requested that we not bring him back any raisins from Trader Joe's. But, Paul did bring back raisins from Trader Joe's, and my plan is to sneak them around to him all day long. I'll try to let you know how it goes.

We don't know anything about the Bakers company, but we certainly know all about Sun-Maid Raisins. Raisins are a great source of iron, and you would be surprised how much protein they pack. Perhaps you'll be inspired to start a Raisin Day of your own.

Possibly, this idea came from allrecipes.com. I won't take the credit for it, but I do recommend it. I'm not generally a fan of oatmeal cookies, but with the additional ingredients, I will eat them with no additional encouragement.

I suppose in my writing I have neglected to point out that my mother taught me how to cook. She helped me get my cooking honor in Pathfinders and still watches over me in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite recipes of hers.

This was such a fun restaurant. We had breakfast there twice during the three days I was in Boston. The staff was very kind and the acquisition of the meal very entertaining.

When you order your bagel, it is picked up near the cash register and dropped down a chute to a conveyor belt carrying it along until it runs into a saw laying on it's side and spinning furiously. The bagel gets sliced by the saw, and the force carries the bagel down to the end of the counter to be toasted, cut into quarters, and buttered. Naturally, this occurs behind a glass partition for safety purposes.

The location we visited was across from the State House on the "Freedom Trail". We passed another "Finagel" that did not appear to have the saw and conveyor belt. If that is truly the case, this experience was even more special