I am Thankful for...

My handsome Husband

Our beautiful Home

Our Health

The time I had with my sweet, sweet Moosey (RIP sweet boy, I miss you so much and think about you every single day)

Our wonderful Family and Friends

and so much more...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  

Count your blessings everyday and hold near those that you love.  Reminding myself and you all to appreciate your life and never take it and those in it for granted, enjoy each moment... 
"for life is short, but sweet for certain"

Comments?? Where are you readers?

Thank you dear, sweet Holly for commenting!  

My one and only comment on the new blog...I was beginning to think no one was reading or that I had incorrectly set up the comments feature. :)

Please let me know you're out there readers...pretty please. :)  I am attempting to be a much better blogger now, as I know I've been not so great in the past.  I would love to know that I've got some people interested in what I'm posting - I'd love to be able to add some more favorite blogs to my list as well, so let me know you're out there. 

Honeymoon pictures coming shortly...instead of posting each individual picture, I signed up with Shutterfly in hopes fo creating a slideshow I can post or link to instead.  Will post it once I complete it. :)  Still anxiously awaiting wedding pictures and will of course share once I am able.

Happy traveling and baking on this Thanksgiving Eve day!

Love,

Rani

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Long enough recipe title for you? haha...

Not only is this recipe delicious, but it is also so healthy - pretty much the healthiest way you can eat cookies and still have them taste yummy.  I received this recipe from a friend, customized it to my preferences and LOVE it, so I had to share!  I have already shared this on allrecipes.com and maybe even on my old blog - but it is a favorite, so here it is again...

*This recipe contains no butter or eggs.  Bakes into the consistency of a soft, chewy cookie or granola bar. You can interchange the ingredients to leave out what you don't like and put in what you do. Other combination options of this cookie could be "oatmeal raisin dark chocolate" with walnuts - or add some coconut...use whatever fruit and/or chocolate and/or chopped nut you like!*

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cooke Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
-1c wheat flower
-3/4c old-fashioned rolled oats
-1/2tsp baking powder
-1/3tsp baking soda
-1/2tsp salt
-1/2c raw sugar
-1 tbsp ground flaxseed
-1/3c soy milk
-1/3c vegetable oil (see considerations below for suggestions)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4c chopped pecans
-1/3c milk chocolate chips
-1/3c cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to bake at 350. Use middle rack for baking.
2. Mix first 7 dry ingredients(flower, oats, baking powder/soda, salt, sugar, and ground flax) in mixing bowl. Wisk oil, soy, vanilla in separate bowl. Add the wet to the dry, then fold in the last three ingredients (chocolates, dried fruit, and nuts).
3. Line baking sheet w/parchment paper or foil. The dough will be a bit sticky. Scoop dough with ice cream scoop, spoon, or simply roll into balls with your hands (I recommend this even though your hands will get a bit covered in cookie mixture - it helps with keeping the dough mixture together and forming them into the shape you want). Bake for 10min (you can do more or less based on your oven and cookie softness preference). Let cool before eating. Yummmm!

Considerations:
Consider switching out the fruit, chocolate, and nuts for different flavors and variety - can also be formed into granola bar shapes for healthy snacks for kids or adults (just bake a bit longer so they stay together better)! I choose to use extra virgin olive oil as my baking oil of choice because its light (you cannot taste any olive flavor) and its a super heart healthy oil - give it a try!  And no, your cookies will not taste like olives. ;)

 Enjoy!

Our Wedding Cakes

Hi everyone!!  We are back and officially, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff May!  (Legally too...I am now Rani May as I already made my way into the dreaded social security office to change it over - hooray!)  I have lots to blog about and plan on starting those posts this week!  Unfortunately I won't have wedding pictures for a couple of weeks, but I can at least post about our honeymoon. :)

I want to direct you all to our cake maker's blog.  Kimberly works out of her home and is an exceptional baker!  If you are in the Houston and surrounding area and need any baked good for a party, event, etc, please contact her - her work tastes and looks amazing and she is just the sweetest person to work with - you will not be disappointed!  And to me, why not have someone bake for your special event that personally cares about what they are baking for you and puts their true passion and time into what they are doing - homemade is the way to go, if you ask me. :)

Check out our cakes here: Seeking Sweetness

Back soon with honeymoon pictures!!!
Rani May

Two Things

Jeff and I received our marriage license yesterday!  

This really makes it feel real to me, seeing our names together and knowing we're almost husband and wife!  It really made my heart happy seeing the license yesterday...just 10 more days!

Speaking of 10 days, starting this morning I began leaving Jeff notes that count down each day until our wedding.

In each note, I tell him the top 10 things I love about him. Today I left #10 in an obvious place - on our bathroom mirror.  I wanted to make sure he saw it first thing.  He was so sweet about receiving it and asked if he'd be receiving more.  Of course I tried to be coy, but I'm sure he knows he'll be getting them as each day goes by.  I do plan on being more creative with where I put them each day, that way he will find them when he least expects it. :)

Basically I just can't wait to marry my best friend and the love of my life.  Can you tell? ;)