These are the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie. It is good to use the shortening with the butter because it keeps the cookies from spreading out and getting too thin or crisp. Be sure not to soften your butter too much either, as this, too, will cause spreading. I lined my baking sheets with wax paper first so they wouldn't stick, but also so I didn't have to grease, which, like so many other things, will lead to spreading. I am only saying this because it seems to be the number one problem in baking, and with these tips, your cookies will come out perfectly. I doubled the cinnamon, and I plumped my raisin by covering them in hot water for a few minutes and draining well before adding to the batter. You can't fail with this recipe, and the cloves only makes it more seasonal tasting. Enjoy!

I give this a five, but with my changes. Those not familiar with tofu will need to know the following: Remove the tofu from the box with water. Drain water and place tofu on a tray or plate lined with two paper towels. Place two more paper towels on top of the tofu. Put another plate on top and finish it with something heavy to lightly weight it all down without making it crumble on the sides. (I use a four cup measuring glass set on top of the final plate for weight) Let the tofu set for 20-30 minutes on countertop. This will drain all of the water out and prep the tofu for cooking. The paper towels will be SOAKED when you take it out. Discard them and cut the tofu into 1/4" stips longwise. Cut those strips in half diagonally to make triangles. Put these on a plate and freeze them for 1 hour. They should be frozen on the edges, but not too stiff to move. Do not thaw before cooking. This will make the tofu chewy and "meaty" rather than the undesirable soft and gooey-centered tofu. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Cook the flash-frozen tofu 3-4 minutes on each flat side, being sure to shake the pan often so as not to allow the tofu to stick. When the tofu is brown and crispy, turn the heat down to low-medium. Pour bbq sauce to taste directly in the pan and shake around until tofu is completely coated. Cook 2 minutes until sauce is crispy set to tofu. Serve on toasted wheat buns topped with light cole slaw. (Cole slaw pre-slic

I served this dish with bbq tofu sandwishes (recipe on this site with my review) and fresh cole slaw. I used two large sweet potatoes--it is all they had at the market--and after cutting them into fries, I ended up only using 1 1/2 potatoes for my husband and me. There was so much leftover that we had lots to feed our two dogbabies. I seasoned with salt, cracked black pepper, cayenne, and coriander. This made for a sweet and spicy seasoning that didn't overwhelm the potato flavors. I only used a tbsp on oil, as I have heard too much oil can actually just make them soggier and soft. I spray the foil with pam and put the potatoes on a baking pan, like others have suggested, and I made sure to put the fried in a single non-crowded layer. In my gas oven, I baked the fries at 450 for 20 mins, turned them, and baked ten more minutes. I ended with a short broil, 2-3 minutes, to crisp them a bit. This made for perfect fries. They were not super crispy, but they were delicious. I give it a four because of the changes I made, but I hope you will try this simple, nutritious (packed with beta carotene and vitamin A), and delicious recipe.