That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

I eat merely to put food out of my mind.
- N.F. Simpson

I used to wake up every morning with the instantaneous thought that I would soon be in a place where stress was high and rewards were low, where tensions and annoyances climbed steadily during the day and peaked early, not to subside until the final exit. At the end of each day, I sat in the car on the way home one of two ways: either quietly reflecting on the lack of fulfillment I felt, or loudly ranting about that lack. I don’t know how I didn’t get kicked out of the car on a weekly basis. However, despite my intense emotions and my inability to contain them, he never got annoyed with me. He always listened and offered the right words, words that weren’t rehearsed or practiced, that were never clichés, never condescending, and were always dead on.

Finding a way to transfer my love of food into a career is not coming easy. I’m experiencing once again the sensations I felt during and directly following college. I’m witnessing myself going through the phases of discovery, of unease and uncertainty, and of constant internal debate. There are multiple things that are intimately affected by whatever choices I make, both physical and metaphorical. The need to feel on course and successful is only furthered by the person who depends on me…by the person who will be affected most, yet who is most supportive of any choice made.

I'm at a place where I am welcoming change, and willing to endure the fear that accompanies it. I have to be rational and realistic. I also knew something had to give, and even though it meant stepping out on a ledge...I can do it with the knowledge that I have someone that will talk me back in if I get too far out there. That knowledge keeps me going, and brings enough solace to allow me to enjoy this phase. What better way to enjoy it than with warm chewy cookies?

These cookies are incredibly easy to make, and versatile enough to be adapted based on individual preferences. The recipe below incorporates dried cherries and chocolate chips, but I've also made them with a combination of dried cranberries & white chocolate chips, as well as dried apple pieces with butterscotch chips.


Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

2/3 cup softened butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
6 oz. sweetened dried cherries
2/3 cup chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mix to combine well
- Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheets (teaspoonful) and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown