I must admit, I have not been baking as much as I used to. I used to bake every single day, and now I bake about two or three times per week. Not out of laziness or because I don't want to, but because I have lost about 20lbs. since December and I plan on continuing the weight loss! I am dieting but I still eat something sweet or chocolatey every single day. If I deprived myself of sweets and chocolate, I don't think I'd be able to lose weight successfully because I'd constantly be craving things.

This won't become a diet blog. Because I wouldn't read a diet blog. It might be a food blog that also includes photos and stories from my life. So much has changed since I last posted here, it's been just less than a year! I'm almost a completely different person and so much happier now. Hopefully some people out there are still interested in reading about it :)

To kick things off, my mom showed me this oatmeal cookie recipe from Cooking Light recently - only 78 calories per cookie! I left the walnuts out, thinking my sister would eat them but I was wrong, so on the second batch, I studded each cookie with a walnut piece before baking. Feel free to add or subtract anything you'd like.

Oatmeal Cookies with A-Peel (their title, not mine)
Makes about 4 dozen cookies. A lot of dough. I refrigerated mine in plastic wrap and I bake in dozens when I feel like it :)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
(I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Because I like my oatmeal cookies with cinnamon.)
3 cups oats (I used quick-cooking, they call for regular, it doesn't matter)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine cranberries or raisins in a small bowl and cover with the orange juice, set aside for about 10 minutes.

Beat the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup and egg and beat well. Add in the orange juice mixture.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (and cinnamon) in a medium bowl. Add the oats, walnuts and orange zest. Add to sugar mixture and stir well.

Using about a tablespoon for each cookie, form small balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. I like my oatmeal cookies (and all cookies, really) chewy, but if you like crispier cookies, bake until the entire cookie is golden brown.