How to spice up your love life

Jigsaw puzzles are a fun, low-cost way to spend quality time with a loved one. And best of all, they're great for brain health and cognitive skills. The spouse and I are doing our best to stave off Alzheimer's one puzzle at a time.

We popped our puzzle cherry with this classic Western scene:

Next, we tackled a close-up of a brazen kitty in a suitcase:

We finished the second one in less than a week, so next up is something a little more challenging. I dunno if we even have the table space for it, but a 3,000 piece monster is on deck.

I think the reason that jigsaw puzzles aren't more popular among my demographic (and the reason that everyone I've mentioned this to has laughed immediately) is because the themes are so cheesy and cliche-- horses, cats, fairies, teddy bears. Come ON. You can do better than that, puzzle creators. Let's rejuvenate the entire industry with some kickass puzzles that will inspire and delight.

Chocolate Chip Apple Oatmeal Cookies

(note to self: figure out how to take clearer pictures)

I'm a very poor cook. I can slap together decent casserole-type dishes that require minimal skill, but other than that it's usually a wash. I'm a decent baker, though--probably because I'm good at following directions but have no chef's instinct. This recipe is an interesting twist on an old favorite and yields deliciousness.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. rolled oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 small dash of freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 large apple, peeled and diced, about 1 c.

Directions:

-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (lacking parchment paper, I used foil and it worked fine).

-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.

-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

-Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.

-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips and apple.

-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. (Or, just eyeball the dough and plop some on the cookie sheet with reckless abandon)

-Top dough ball with extra chocolate chips.

-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy, about 12-15 minutes.-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

Blogging with a purpose

My memory is sketchy at best. I can remember the entire theme song to Today's Special but routinely forget important conversations I've had and events that took place days (or hours) ago.

Now, armed with this handy blog for reference, I'll be able to call up important details that will enable me to amaze friends and relatives, stun coworkers and wow strangers. Or at least have access to a record of events that'll help me win an argument with my spouse every now and then. It'll be like tying a string around my finger-- but with the internet!