Diet motivation in the face of temptation

I was a little tense — OK, a lot tense– the other night, and so last night I made cookie dough. I only baked and ate one! The other cookies I baked were for a guy/ computer geek I know who has been trying to help me solve a computer-related problem. FYI, it’s no longer a bad thing to call someone a computer geek. It’s more like a way of life or something. Anyway he has called me a food nerd and a flower nerd. I’m proud to be both.

The rest of the dough I made went in the freezer. Sometimes you just need the relaxation of being in the kitchen to help you manage your stress. I have promised myself I will not be eating those cookies myself, even though these cookies are from the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe I have ever come across. So far. I got it from my sister Lauren, and here it is if you want to give it a try:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups oats
• 1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar til creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add combined flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing to wire rack.

Remember last year when the only man I saw that I found attractive was the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada? That is so not the case this year. I have seen lots of cute men everywhere – not at church of course, but everywhere else. I’m hoping all of this will help me be mindful of my eating habits.

And now, more temptation…this weekend’s pie. I’ve bought an oven thermometer and it seems that my oven is cooking some 30-50 degrees high. Armed with that knowledge, I now need to choose a pie to bake. I’m feeling like apples. Here are the options:

1. regular apple with cinnamon
2. grated apple/ raisin tart
3. apple sour cream

I’m leaning toward the comforting regular two-crust apple pie, partly because I want to wipe out last weekend’s failure. I might mix it up with some pears. But who knows, maybe I’ll get adventurous. Do any of you have any apple pie/ apple tart recommendations?