happy accident

 The other day, we had the happiest of accidents when it comes to cookies. I've been told that my cholesterol is a bit high (and by a bit, I mean dangerously close to 300), so I was on the lookout for recipes that were heart healthy. I have a big sweet tooth, so to me (especially without ice cream being a daily option anymore) that I find some way to satisfy my sweet cravings. 

I figured oatmeal cookies might be safe, but I'm not a fan of raisins. I reasoned semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips might do the trick instead. I found this recipe and got to work. 

Only thing was we didn't have any oats... or white sugar... and I already told you about the raisins. So, I adjusted the recipe, and it came out so good we are keeping it this way. Even Boy Beeton - picky eater that he is - liked it.

Lower Caroline's Cholesterol Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

2 egg whites

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sugar in the raw

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup of applesauce

2/3 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 3/4 cups steel cut oats

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Directions

1) Beat the egg whites with salt and sugars.

2) Add applesauce, vanilla, soda, and cinnamon.

3) Stir in chocolate chips.

4) Stir in oats.

5) Add flour and mix.

6) Chill dough for an hour.

7) Form into small balls (1 1/2 inch) and bake 12 to a sheet at 375 degree for about ten minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on a rack for a minute. Then, use spatula to transfer to a plate. Store airtight. Makes 36 cookies.

Another happy accident? A beach house. Well, not for sure, but we've been looking. 

We've always wanted to have a vacation house, especially with the luxury of our long summers thanks to our jobs. And, with Ella and now our two new - high maintenance beasts - it can be difficult to find a dog friendly place to stay. Having our own place - with a yard for them - would make traveling so much easier. And, as others have attested to, the pandemic really opened our eyes up to what we value most in life. Having a space to go with access to the outdoors is a big bonus, especially if we would have to return to remote work and school. (Fingers and toes crossed we do not!)

Why Chincoteague? Not sure if I ever wrote about our trip to Chincoteague several years ago, but shortly after Mr. Beeton got his PhD, we decided to visit and had a wonderful week. We hadn't been back until this past Easter when we decided to spend the holiday there. Then, we spent a week there this summer and had as much fun - if not more - the third time around. Chincoteague is close (and the drive makes it seem so much closer since the scenery is gorgeous), cheap, and charming.

How in the world is this possible? Mr. Beeton is a real estate genius. Not really, but he did make a good call when he encouraged us to buy this house. Most importantly, we love it, but it's also given us amazing equity; it's more than doubled in value since we bought it. So, we took out a HELOC out for a down payment and are taking it from there. We plan on renting to cover the mortgage which our real estate agent has assured us will be doable.

If it sounds like a done deal, it isn't. We did put an offer in on a house that we loved, but the woman who was selling - after verbally agreeing to our offer - decided to hold onto the house. I guess we reawakened her love of her home. 

We just got back from another visit where we looked at three very cute and very different places - some better investments than others. I'll keep you posted, dear readers. 

Keep sweeping.

Martha

Watching The Mysterious Benedict Society.