“November is a fickle friend, teasing us with both sunny afternoons and misty mornings”.

November is a slow month at the Manor.  Behind us are the excitement of the Equinox, the Mabon Feast, Thanksgiving with family and Samhain.  It’s gotten noticeably colder and it’s dark by 6pm. Next week we’ll push our clocks back an hour and just like that, we’ll enter the dark half of the year.

I’m making Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, the home is quiet and the rain hasn’t stopped falling all day.  At this time of year the buildings, sidewalks, even the mountains take on a grey tinge, a stark contrast to the colourful lights and glitter awaiting us in December.  It’s the quiet before the storm and I’m more of a quiet person. 

I’m enjoying Autumn as much as I can this year.  It goes by much too quickly, made worse with retailers feverish race to make money, displaying Christmas decorations too early for my taste.  No, I’m staying put.  I’m digging my heels into the wet mossy forest floor and keeping the Autumn spirit alive.  After all it is technically Autumn until December 21st. 

I’m honouring simplicity this month.  The simplicity of cooking a meal, taking note of what’s needed in the pantry for the coming festive season, walking in nature with my husband and movie nights cozied on the couch with our fur babies. These are my priorities.  I’m all for treating myself to mundane material pleasures but I really enjoy the simplicity of being truly present in my every day and  consuming only what I really need so, November will be a no-buy or low-buy. 

“Autumn always seems like the Norway of the year”

I don’t consider myself a baker by any means, in fact I usually skip dessert altogether but I saw the oats and raisins in the pantry today and thought it would be a nice way to spend a while this afternoon, baking cookies.  I haven’t had Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for what seems like forever. A cookie with a warm drink and an Autumn Movie sounds good to me. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

This recipe will make up to 24 cookies so I’ll make half today and freeze the rest of the dough for another rainy day.

Equipment

• Cookie Sheets

Ingredients

• 1 cups all-purpose flour 
• ½ – 1 teaspoon cinnamon to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ½ cup packed brown sugar 
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 and ½ cups rolled old fashioned oats (quick oats can work too just not steel cut or instant oats)
• ⅔ cup raisins

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Set aside
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• Beat the honey, vanilla extract and egg into the butter mixture.
• With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
• Stir in the oats and raisins. The batter will be sticky.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form the dough into balls of about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons and place 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
• Bake 1 tray at a time, on the middle rack of the oven for 9-11 minutes or until the tops look just set.
• Remove from the oven and cool fully on the cookie tray.

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere, I wish you warmth and happiness as we step into the colder months ahead.  For my friends in the Southern hemisphere, I wish you abundance as the sun grows stronger and warmer.  

Many blessings and thank you for joining me today.

Love,