Not Just Another Day

The day has come at last. The inevitable day that I have been anticipating with chagrin has arrived. I knew it would, although I thought I had a little more time. Another month, maybe, or at least a couple more weeks. But no, I knew as soon as I awoke and peeked out the bedroom window that today would be that fateful day that will serve as a constant reminder in my mind of where I now live; of The North. Today...

...it snowed.                     

Now I'm not saying that it snowed a lot (if you don't look closely you won't even see the flakes); in fact the sun is already peering over the treeline and it's going to stop very soon. It certainly won't stay on the ground or even snow again tomorrow (the forecast is looking a bit warmer again). But I know that it has snowed and that much more is on the way before there will be Spring in The North. 

Today was also a momentous occasion as it was Reina's first encounter with the white stuff. (As a side-note, Reina's "Bieber ears" are no longer: they are now up and at attention 24/7, listening for the baby pup so that she can pounce, most likely). Admittedly she was not treated to a frenzied jaunt in the powdery coldness, but she did peep out the door to see what the fuss was about. She seemed in awe and was somewhat hesitant to go out amidst the swirling flakes. Nanuq couldn't have cared less, although surely when the backyard is covered in a freezing blanket he'll have no choice but to pay more attention. I'm looking forward to that day. Despite my current anguish, I actually do like colder weather, particularly when I am indoors, snug and sound, with a good book and a mug of something warm.  

I decided to consecrate this first snowy day of Fall with a treat. We recently bought a Tassimo coffeemaker, and it makes a delicious Chai Tea Latte. Now, I'm hesitant to indulge too often, since every time a cup is brewed there is a piece of plastic that is thrown away because the individual servings are pre-portioned. I am quite weary of our society's Throw-Away Culture, but I also can't afford a super expensive machine that makes good lattes without the plastic, so for now I just imbibe infrequently and call it a compromise. I enjoyed the latte even more with some homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup ground flax-seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips  (or really, as many as you want!)



Cream butter with sugar, add egg and beat, then stir in vanilla. Mix flour, oatmeal, flax-seed, powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Add raisins or chocolate chips and mix into batter. Spoon batter onto cookie sheet and flatten with a fork (if the fork tends to stick to the cookies, dip it in some water first). Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown but still chewy on the inside. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips because they're a bit healthier and I like the bittern taste against the sweetness of the brown sugar. To this batch I added unsalted sunflower seeds (shelled) to the mix, perhaps about 1/4 cup (once again, you can add more or less depending on personal preference). 

Let me tell you, there is nothing better than a sitting in a cozy kitchen on a snowy day with a sleeping dog on your lap, another on her cushion beside you, savouring a warm drink and eating homemade cookies. There just isn't.

Snow, snow, go away...but please come again some other day.