California Waldorf Salad: from Moosewood

Well, here was my first recipe from the 100$ for 1.50 cookbook. I like it ok- just wouldn't serve it for dinner (which is what I'm doing).

3 large apples, chopped (I used 1 large golden delicious and 2 medium pink ladies, skin on)

juice of 2 lemons, divided

2 tangerines (I would use mandarin oranges next time - no seeding)

2 stalks celery (I used 2 instead of 1)

1/4 cup dried currants

1/2 cup cashews (I didn't toast them)

Dressing: (sweeter than I thought, would use less honey next time)

1 cup plain ff yogurt

1 small avocado (maybe the world's perfect food)

zest of half lemon

3 T honey (I used orange blossom)

Toss apple mixture with juice of one of the lemons.

Mix dressing and other lemon juice in a blender till smooth.

Mix together gently.

Serve over mixed greens.

I would serve this for a brunch in the summer. Pretty and light and sweet. Would be good paired with muffins.

Goodwill Find: The Moosewood Cookbook

So, a few months ago on my google reader came a list of cookbooks that were great to have. One on the list was the Moosewood Cookbook from a restaurant in Ithica, NY. This cookbook was published in 1977 (the year I was born) and I do believe is currently out of print. They do have many other cookbooks if you want to get one.
Some of the reasons this cookbook is worth so much is because of its hand-written recipes and pencil drawings. There are plenty of great vegetarian, whole food recipes. I am looking forward to trying many of them.
I was out shopping at my local Goodwill here in Raleigh the other night and came across this. It was AMAZING. I couldn't believe it. I picked it up and horded it so no one else would come steal it from me.
Now the question: what will I cook from it?
Sweet Potato Pancakes, Brazilian Black Bean Soup, Polenta Pizza, Minestrone, Salads, and some of their sauces
Second question, will I keep it or try to sell it?
Depends on if the recipes are any good...
What are your thoughts on valuable cookbooks - keep or sell?

Molasses Maple Ginger Cake (2009.46)

Ok - I've fallen a little behind - just because I don't have anything to make out of these last few cookbooks and I'm making tried and true recipes these last few weeks for the holidays. But, I'll try to squeeze some out here.
This is out of a new cookbook I won at Taste and Tell's blog - Get Cooking is the name of it. Some good recipes, pictures with almost all if not all of them. Great instructions in this cookbook for the novice cook - so if you are just starting out or know someone who is young and getting married with little to no cooking experience - this might be a good choice.

I ran out of molasses so I had to change the ingredients and therefore changed the name too. It was Gingery Gingerbread, but I changed the name. My friend said "I like the bite in it. It is subtle, but then Pow - you get the spice in your throat at the end".

1 stick softened unsalted butter
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 T ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
3 T grated fresh ginger
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Mix dry, cream wet. Alternate adding the dry with the wet - alternating the buttermilk. Till all combined. Pour into sprayed 9x13 pan and cook in a 350 (325 glass pan) oven for 35-40 minutes.
Let cool. Serve with anything: cool whip, powdered sugar, lemon curd, chocolate ice cream, whatever you fancy!

Hershey's Toffee Snickerdoodles (2009.34a) - Updated

Believe me, I was a little skeptical on these based on the raw dough. But, bake them - they are some of the best cookies. I love snickerdoodles - ever since Erin and I made them back in the Durham apt. They are so good and just sugary. These are even better. When the toffee pieces melt - they taste like brown sugar (which we all know I love).
So, try these! These came out of Hershey's Decadent Delights (Thanks Joneses)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (regular crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp (scant) cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag Heath bits (toffee pieces)

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter, shortening. Add sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Blend dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Fold in toffee pieces. Scoop and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 9 1/2 minutes. Cool on rack!

AMAZING warm. Taking them tomorrow to a member meeting at Sojourn!

Martha Stewart's Turtle Brownies (2009.33)

Martha Stewart brought you this week's recipe. I made her Turtle Brownies out of the Cookies book that bears her name. The brownie part was good and easy and dense (with not much flour) but the caramel making part was not as easy as she said it was (took much longer and it still wasn't medium amber), so I gave up because I had other things to do. So, I still did the sauce and added the pecans, then let them set up, and turned the whole thing into a trifle - which was very yummy!

1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/c cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup milk (or heavy cream)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter and chocolate. Cream eggs and sugar about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, add vanilla and milk. Add in dry ingredients. Bake in a parchment sprayed lined 8x8 pan at 325 for 27 minutes (25-30 depending on oven).

Bring sugar and water to a boil, swirl around for 5-7 minutes (or 25) till medium amber. Take off stove and immediately add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour over cool brownies and let chil for 30 min to an hour till set. Cut and serve.

I made a trifle using light cool whip and chocolate pudding. Very rich and chocolaty - yum!

Sunshine Mini Cupcakes (2009.14)

This week's recipe turned out much better than last week's. I have spent 4 out of the last 5 years working at Williams-Sonoma during the holidays. While I was there I spent a lot of my income on stocking my kitchen. One of those things was this cookbook: William-Sonoma Cakes, Cupcakes, and Cheesecakes.
These were light and fluffy and moist from the zest. We'll see how they are once they've sat till tonight when I frost them for Community Group.
UPDATE: So, I think I mixed these a bit much because they had little holes in the inside (that's what happens when I overmix). And they were pretty dried out by this evening - so i didn't bother with frosting them. I like things that can stay good and moist even if I don't serve them immediately from the oven!

Sunshine Cupakes (mini)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup skim milk
1 1/2 tsp each grated lemon and orange zest
1 large egg
1 egg yolk

Mix dry and sugar. Melt butter, milk and zest. Mix together. Add eggs. Spoon into mini muffins tins that have been lined with wrappers. I used spring wrappers because its spring! Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Frosting (Glaze)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 T lemon or orange juice
1 cup 10x sugar
1 tsp zest (of whichever juice you use)

Melt butter with juice. Add the sugar and zest to cooled butter mixture. Glaze immediately!

Couscous and Spring Vegetables with Lemon Dressing (2009.12)

I actually really liked this recipe - but would change a few things for future makings. I think this would be great in the spring as a side dish (and even people at it as a dip tonight). Serve it with a salad or with any meat.
I got this cookbook my first year working at W-S for the holidays. I have never used it. Even though it is the Essentials of Healthful Cooking - there is no nutrition information. Oh, well.

Couscous with Vegetables
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup couscous (whole wheat too)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 T olive oil
juice of two lemons - I would add some zest too
1/4 tsp kosher salt
pepper
1 small garlic clove - zested
1/2 cup each diced English Cuk, red pepper, green onions, frozen (thawed) tiny green peas
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Boil water, add couscous and salt, stir, put a lid on it, off burner - 20 minutes. Mix dressing (oil through garlic). Chop veggies and parsley. Fluff couscous with a fork and let cool. Stir all together, serve at room temp.

Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad (2009.11)

Recipe week #11 is out of my favorite cookbook - Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. But, this was not my favorite recipe. I loved the salad - but who wouldn't. But, I tried to make the dressing for just one (because there is only me) and I got the ratios a bit wrong - some things in it were a little strong. If you were making the recipe as is - I'm sure it would be great.

Salad
rotisserie chicken
greens
red pepper
celery or bok choy
green onions
cilantro

all to taste and salad size pieces - whatever that means to you. I loved the pop of color with the red peppers!

Salad Dressing
zest and juice of one orange
2 T light soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
2 T fresh grated ginger
2 scaliions, minced
2 minced garlic cloves
2 T toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
2 T toasted sesame seeds

Mix all together - pour lightly over salad.

Black and White Cake-Like Brownies (2009.10)

Black and white is usually used to define a high class or dressy party. I love wearing black (besides the slimming effect) and white I think of calm and summer...
Well, these brownies were amazing without the black and white effect, but even better with it. I'm so glad I took the time to melt the chocolate drizzle.
These are out of The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook. These are definitely going in the keeper file! The brownies are more cake like - but moist and fudgy - if that makes any sense. I had to adjust the recipe a little bit just bvecause I didn't have enough sour cream - but really yummy... And these got made unlike any other brownie recipe...a winner.

1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup ff vanilla yogurt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup each white chocolate, semi sweet - divided
1/2 tsp in each canola oil

Mix flour through salt in mixer. Add butter and mix till it resembles small peas (about 2 minutes). Add in the wet ingredients. Fold in the chips. Bake in 8 in square pan, lined with parchment paper, sprayed. 325 for about an hour till done (9 inch is about 45).
Let cool. Melt the chocolates. Add in the oil. Drizzle with fork white chocolate than semi-sweet. Let harden.
Cut and give away - unless you eat them all!

Menu Week: March 8

This week is a lot of leftovers - primarily because I don't have a lot of money to spend and I have leftovers. So...here you go...
Monday - every lunch this week will be training. Shiraz for dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert.
My leftovers are: veggie soup, chili, chicken salad, turkey soup - I'll switch these out throughout the week.
My recipe of the week for 2009 is out of The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook - for my friends Shana and Toby will get some for his bday.
I get to make some granola that i'm excited about.
Making a Kraft egg dish recipe for our Secretary breakfast on Friday morning - in honor of Bonnie who has a bday this month and usually brings the egg dish.
The two other baking things will be for community group (oatmeal, cherry, white chocolate chip cookies) and Bar night at Bloom - butterscotch blondies - both of these things I found online in my google reader.
Looking forward to leftovers and baking this week!

Rachael Ray's Winter Vegetable Stew (2009.7)

Rachael Ray is ok - definitely not my favorite. This soup is an example of that. I got this cookbook from my mentor, Phyllis. It is Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2. This is the winter vegetable stew (p. 112). Its ok - especially since it is going to be a cool week and I am really wanting vegetables. I added the broth, white blush wine, and some cut up roasted turkey breast. Everything else is almost the same...

Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped and quartered
16 oz mushrooms
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (she had 2 cans of regular tomatoes)
1 cup homemade chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp rosemary
1 cup chopped roasted turkey breast

Saute, heat vegetables through with broth and wine, add turkey and seasonings, simmer for about 15 minutes. Enjoy.

Herbed Polenta with Portabellos (2009.6)

Mixed reviews. That is how I would define this recipe.
The herbed polenta I used (the only kind I could find in Kroger, roasted garlic and herb) I didn't care for at all. It may have been better with homemade polenta, grits, angel hair (which I what I'll do with the leftovers), but the store bought refrigerated section polenta didn't cut it.
The mushroom mixture - ok, who doesn't like sauteed shrooms. Definitely one of my favorite savory foods.

Here you go, this was out of the Weight Watchers 15 Minutes Meals (p 71)

1 16 oz tube of herbed refrigerated polenta (found in produce section usually)
1 container sliced portabellos
1 onion, sliced
3 T parm cheese, grated
s/p/rosemary
1/2 c white wine (they said red)
1/3 cup water
1 T balsamic
olive oil, 2 T unsalted butter

Saute slices of polenta till done (about 4 minutes on each side). They out on paper towel to drain. Add the shrooms, onions, seasonings, and liquid. Saute till done.
I'll use the rest of the shroom mixture sometime this weekend for a quick dinner at home - maybe Saturday night. It was yummy. I like the mix of the olive oil and butter to saute them in, then the white wine and balsamic. Rosemary rounds out the flavor.

Menu Week: February 9

This week is really busy, but most of it includes cooking - so it should be fun!
Monday - I am the RA where I live, so we are having our spring get-together. I'm using 2 cider mixes to make some Apple Cider. I just got the Foster's Market Cookbook in the mail so I am making three cookie recipes from the book: Chunky Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Raisin. Looking forward to seeing how the cookies turn out and getting the leftovers out of my house. My meals today will be lentil butternut squash soup and an egg white omelet with sauteed spinach and other vegetables.
Tuesday - Chicken salad for lunch and then heading to a friends' for dinner.
Wednesday - For the 2009 recipe of the week I picked out the 15 Minute Weight Watchers Cookbook. I am making a vegetarian meal of Herbed Polenta with Portabellos. For Community Group, in honor of Valentine's Day this weekend, I am making Red Velvet Cake Truffles.
Thursday - Lentil Soup and Chicken salad - I'm working in the housing office till late anyway and then will get some cardio in at night.
Friday - Lentil soup (I love leftovers) and then we are having our women's event. I am supposed to bring a sandwich - so I am making homemade pimiento cheese with some bread from Panera or Plehns.
So, for me it is a healthy eating week - I just gotta get the goodies outta my house! :)

Roasted and Broiled Veggies on Greens (2009.5)

I love salads! There isn't a lot of food I don't like - but this salad had one of those things, and I thought I would give it another shot - eggplant. This time in a way I hadn't had it before - broiled. Nope, still didn't do anything for me.
But, the salad, recipe of the week out of Salad, cookbook of the week, was a winner. I bought mozzerrella balls to go in this salad, but accidently left them in the grocery bag over night - not a good thing. Since I had some shredded romano cheese - I used that. The Mozz balls would have been better, because the cold creaminess of the cheese would have been a great contrast to the vegetables. Yet, this was still good.
The winner of the salad - the roasted garlic on the roasted sweet potatoes. Roasted garlic is sweet and amazing! Roasted sweet potatoes - almost a comfort food - pop in your mouth goodness. Warm for a really cold night! I could have eaten the whole pan, but didn't. Still have two servings left.

Roasted Garlic, Sweet Potato, Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Salad
2 large cloves, zested (with a zester grater)
2 sweet potatoes, sliced and cubed
pepper
olive oil
2 large red pepper
1 eggplant
romano shredded cheese (or better yet, mozzerrella)
Greens
balsamic and olive oil as the dressing

375 toss garlic and potatoes in oil and roast for 30 minutes. Toss halfway. Turn broiler on and place sliced eggplant and sliced and seeded peppers on sheet pan for 10 minutes. Put on greens (I used my favorite, organic baby spinach leaves). Dress with balsamic and olive oil, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Favorite Cookbooks

People have started to ask me what my favorite cookbooks are. Well, I have 62 and counting (adding one this week - more on that later). Also, my mom has tons at home - maybe double what I have - so I have a lot to choose from.
These are it right now - and have been for a while. Their menus are fresh, simple ingredients (not cheap and boring however), simple dishes, favorite flavors, seasonal ingredients, and from the beginning of the meal to the end of it.
Favorite cookbook hands down:
Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day. This cookbook has great pictures, simple recipes, seasonal ingredients (and ways to mix up same recipes with seasonal ingredients. I have definitely cooked many things out of there. Some of my fave would be: chicken cacciatore (saw Sara herself demonstrate this at the W-S store I worked at in Durham where her cafes are), Foster's homemade granola, pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies. Some recipes that I have yet to try but need a reason to (any takers?): roasted mushrooms, green peas, and tomatoes (since I've started roasting everything else), roasted corn salsa (will wait for summer when I get corn at Hubers), roasted red bell pepper salsa, black-eyed pea salad with roasted b-nut squash and goat cheese. How yummy do all those things sound - and healthy!
New addition mentioned earlier: I just ordered The Foster's Market Cookbook which came out in 2002 with over 200 recipes they use at the market in Durham/Chapel Hill. I am anticipating great things from it. I also am anticipating going there in May when I am in the area. I loved going there when I lived there - it was just down the street. And, I liked the one in Durham better than the one in Chapel Hill.
Second favorite cookbook: Tyler's Ultimate (Tyler Florence from Food Network). I started watching Tyler back in the day he was doing Food911 and How to Boil Water. I love watching his Ultimate show. He has so much fun and also takes everything up a notch - and makes a whole meal.
Today was a snow day so I took some time to look through this one again. Here is what I have made: Hunter's Minestrone (the only one I've made so far, but that doesn't stop it from being in the top two). I also judge a cookbook on how many dog-ears one has when I have first looked through it. This one has TONS - definitely 2/3 of the book has been marked - to cook. So, again - do I have any takers for a dinner sometime? Here are some on the immediate cook time frame: roasted cauliflower soup, white bean and roasted shrimp salad with cherry tomato vinaigrette, baked rigatoni with eggplant and pork sausage (and I'm not a huge eggplant fan), tagliatelle with mushrooms, cipolline onions and bacon. Those all sound amazing and "comfort food".
So - what are your favorite cookbooks? I'm always looking for new ones. Any suggestions - and why?

Pineapple Raisin Bran Muffins (2009.4)

I knew I would have some recipes like this. Where they are ok - but nothing spectacular. Ones I normally wouldn't put on the food blog, but this is part of my new year's resolution. So, whether they are spectacular or not - they go on the blog.
This is from the Plant City Primitive Baptist Cookbook (the church I grew up in) #2: Seasoned with Love. I definitely think the best recipes (for the most part) got in the first one. These muffins were submitted by Flo Ziglar. I remember some things about Flo: she was tall and lean with short peppery hair. She was really nice and always came to Ladies Circle.
These weren't bad, but they weren't great either. I guess they were fine as far as bran muffins go. They weren't as dark as normal bran muffins. The pineapple and raisins definitely helped these muffins make it into the ok category. i will put these in my freezer - they aren't "throw in the garbage" worthy.

Pineapple Raisin Bran Muffins
1 1/4 cup all bran cereal
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 t baking powder
2/3 cup raisins
8 oz crushed pineapple with juice (don't drain).

Let bran and milk sit for about 5 minutes - soaking together. Mix dry ingredients together. Egg butter and egg to cereal. Mix with dry. Fold in pineapple and raisins. Spoon into greased muffins tins. 400 for 16-19 minutes.
Let's hope next week's recipe turns out better than this one.

Morning Glory Muffins (2009.3)

New cookbook this fall - Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur Flour. This is week 3 of baking out of cookbooks - so far so good! :) This is the premier cookbook by anyone who likes to bake with whole grains. If its a grain - it is probably in here.
I have made similar muffins to these, but these used whole wheat flour. They turned out darker than the others I have made - but have so much goodness in them. I liked them warm out of the oven. We'll see how others like them today.
I kept the recipe mostly the same, but used both sugars, used wheat germ instead of sunflower seeds (the option) and used blood orange juice for the oj.
So, the question - are these healthy? Well, the question would have to be answered in how you define healthy? They have a ton of fruit and fiber in them. But - they also have 350 calories, 20 whole grains, 18 fat, 7 protein, 19 sugars, 26 complex carbs. So - while not WW point friendly, they are a good filling source of fruits and complex carbs!

Morning Glory Muffins (make 12-18 muffins) -

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup each light and dark brown sugar
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp EACH salt and ginger
5 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup wheat germ
3 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fresh oj (I used blood orange juice because I had those lying around)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in hot water, drained)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients together, add fruit. Mix wet ingredients, fold into dry. Fold in raisins.
Line muffin pan, lightly spray, pour till the tins are full. Bake for 24 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve

Pear and Apple Crumble Pie (2009.2)

I don't know what it is about warm brown sugar - it can make probably even spam taste yummy. This is week two of the new year and that means week 2 of new recipes. I was a little skeptical about this one because I've had mixed results (ok, but not great) from the recipes I've made out of Get Togethers from Gooseberry Patch. But, when the crumble topping goes on - and its warm right out of the oven - every forkfull is yummy. This is fall and winter combined. It is for Community Group. I like it.

Pear and Apple Crumble Pie
1 deep dish frozen pie crust (set out when starting filling)
4 cups sliced apples (I used 2 cameo, 2 granny smith)
4 cups sliced pears (I used 4 bartlett I think)
1/2 cup white sugar
juice of one medium lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 T flour

Combine all and put into pie shell. Preheat oven to 400 and bake on cookie sheet for 35 minutes.

3/4 cup flour
1/2 packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
5 T unsalted chilled butter, diced

Put all in food processor and pulse till it resembles course crumbs. Take out and chill. Put on top of pie. Take oven down to 375 for another 30 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream or cool whip.

Vegetable Tagine - 2009.1

This is my start of the new year resolution. Cooking a new recipe out of each of my cookbooks this year.
Got a healthy start out of the Great Cooking Every Day by Weight Watchers. I've never cooked a tagine before (and don't have the "right" pot, but a dutch oven works very well).
Tagine - a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Morocco, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving. (According to Wikipedia, a "trusted" source - ha)
Anyway - this used some leftover chickpeas, other things I had - but I used parsnips and other root veggies in here.
It was good - and supposed to be a huge serving, but I'll probably eat 1 1/2 cups each time. It is great on this cold night!

olive oil
1 big onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cumin
ground pepper
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 butternut squash, cubed and peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, sliced
3 parsnips, sliced

Cook onion, add garlic, then seasonings and water. Add the rest - I just diced them right into the pot as it was going. Cover and let simmer for about 50 minutes. Very easy, healthy, and great flavor. A little sweet from the cinnamon, and savory from the cumin! Better than I thought it was going to be!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (from Durham)

This recipe is for a special lady I work with. She has been my "secret sister" this fall semester and this is her favorite cookie. So, tomorrow for our reveal - she is getting a big container of them.
Earlier this fall I found this recipe in Fresh Every Day from Foster's Market in Durham. My favorite place to hang out in Durham and I so love the cookbook. It is my go-to cookbook because I know its going to be great! Everytime I make these I can just imagine myself sitting there on 15/501 eating, chilling, maybe seeing Sarah herself!
So, the dough is phenom and the cookies are great too - nice and warm and chewy, just watch oatmeal cookies should be - with chocolate all the way through them. You can't go wrong.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup each light brown sugar and white sugar
3 eggs, one at a time
2 tsp good vanilla (I used some from Trader Joes)
3 cups oatmeal (I use old fashioned Quaker Oats)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinamon and baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Mix dry and spices. Fold in chips.
Lightly spray cookie sheets. Oven at 350. Big cookies (about 1/4 cup). Bake for 13-17 minutes depending on how you like your cookies. Mine were a little smaller and I let them cook for 13 minutes.