So many raisins to smile...

When Alex and I celebrated Valentines Day a few years ago, I gave him a card that still makes me giggle to this day. On the cover was an oatmeal raisin cookie and inside it read:

You give me so many raisins to smile.

I couldn't resist a card like that, since he knows I'm a pun-slinger. What's a pun-slinger, you may ask? We are a rare and sophisticated breed - able to sling creative puns back and forth, no matter what the topic. Alex will just quietly roll his eyes when my Dad and I get into shooting jokes back and forth. But suddenly, he'll pull out the big guns and crack the Pun to End All Puns, leaving me and my Dad in silence, thinking "man, I wish I thought of that one!" Yet another reason why I love that husband of mine.

Quaker Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
adapted from Quaker Oats website

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 TBS butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (This gave me a chance to use my new cookie scoop - amazing little invention! Loved it!)

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.