I picked this because asi es la vida! Subtitulos Espanol!
First, I really want to thank everyone for the messages of concern, the hugs and, yes, even the “WTF WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!?!” scoldings after my last post. I’m totally fine, albeit still just the tiniest bit annoyed/shaken up, but it was really surprising and touching to realize how many people were concerned for me. Thanks for caring, homies! I love you, too!
So I’ve tried to stop airing out all my drama and problems on social media, because I’m private and it’s boring and I’d much rather use Facebook to ask for book recommendations and post delightfully nerdy stuff like this. But I guess this is kind of social media too, right? In my mind, since I am both a grump and currently a hermit, this blog is more anti-social media. That sort of justifies, for me at least, all the whining I do on this thing. Feel me? Hope so, because I’m feeling complain-y!
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Vermont, ignored all my many health problems, and climbed a friggin’ mountain. Ok, we hiked the thing, but it was still pretty damn scary, especially toward the cold, windy top, where I almost lost a precious Mets cap and my balance. Notice how I mention the hat first. Priorities, kids.
Anyway, I think I’ve mentioned about a bajillion and one times that I have moderate-to-severe asthma, and I think I’ve also maybe mentioned that sometimes I try to pretend I don’t and hike mountains. That’s how things like chest pains, panic attacks and altitude sickness happen, methinks.
Ok, only the chest pains occurred right after descent. The other two came in the days after our trip to the Green Mountain State. My very, very wise decision to go straight up and straight down the highest point in Vermont, combined with my lack of proper hydration and general moronic tendencies have led to a couple of weeks of dizziness, loopy-ness (more than usual, yes, thank you for asking) and sadness. I’ve been trying to get a doctor’s appointment just to make sure something didn’t fly into my ear on a peak and that I don’t literally have rocks for brains now, but my appointments keep getting cancelled by the office. The service I book through, however, has offered me an Amazon gift card for my troubles. Free monies guys! Priorities!
All of this sickness has been helped along by a really, really difficult week that’s left me wondering what…well, what the hell. I hate to be all me, me, me on this thing (that’s an invitation for any good news from you, readers… I’d love to celebrate some happy stuff on the blog!), but, well, life’s been tough on me lately. I mean, you can do everything possible to try to make your life a positive, happy, fulfilling one, and then something completely out of your control can come along and make you want to give all that positivity the finger. That’s life, right Mr. Sinatra?
Anyway, baking because sad, comforting recipe,easy deliciousness, on and on, you know the drill, please let’s just do this.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pie (makes one 9-inch round pie)
adapted from Serious Eats
For the pie
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats
1 stick of softened butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of granulated white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of raisins
For the icing
1/3 cup of confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of heavy cream
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease either a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and oats, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Gently fold in raisins.
Spread batter into pan and use a rubber spatula to flatten and even out the top as much as possible. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let pie cool in pan for 5 minutes before releasing. Let cool completely.
Now, on to the super-easy icing. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle atop the pie, in any fashion you’d like. I poured the icing into a small sandwich bag and snipped a corner off to drizzle, since I don’t trust the fashion I’d like.
Pretty, right? It was also yum. AND I cut down the sugar quite a bit and it was STILL yum. I swear. I even got confirmation from two kids (who cannot tell a lie, I’ve been told). One exclaimed “I LOVE it” several times before going for extra helpings, and one announced “It’s bad,” in between large bites and before also going for a second helping. That’s life.
Sad Shibow 