Squirrels, Seattle and Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips

I'm tucked in bed on a blustery evening, watching a grey squirrel as he laps up water from a puddle, then dashes over to a large cedar tree, grasps a dandelion stem with two paws, and starts nibbling. :-) So cute. :-)

I had a lovely walk today, storm clouds black in the east as the sun shone brightly from the west, glimmering through new green leaves, dappling the stream.

The wind was gusty and cool, reminding me of my recent trip to Seattle when my pals Trish and Todd took me to fabulous little park overlooking downtown Seattle...

...and the ocean. We huddled against the chilly wind, delighting in the pearly sky, so peaceful after the rain.

We ate deliciously greasy burgers, salty fries, and thick milkshakes at Dick's Drive-In.

Then used Gowalla to find all sorts of interesting places like this Lenin monument in Fremont!

Next time we're going to track down the Fremont Troll! :-)

After our adventurous weekend, I was craving oatmeal cookies with chunks of dark chocolate. My favorite recipe is Betty Crocker's because they always turn out and are wonderfully chewy. Using dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet renders them heavenly. :-)

Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips

(From Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients except oats, flour and chocolate chips. 
3. Mix oats, flour and chocolate chips in separate bowl, then stir into wet mixture. 
4. Drop dough my rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. 
5. Cool.