I recently had some friends staying with me during the holidays. They have a son who attends the same college as my son, Kyle. Both boys are living off campus this year and so did not “come home” for their holiday break. The college closes for the two week break which meant they could not eat on campus as they would normally. So they joined us for dinner on more than one occasion over the two-week period. One night I decided to make an easy dessert I knew they would like. Brownies was the obvious solution.

A couple of years ago, my parents traveled to Chennai, India as part of a volunteer program. While visiting, they were introduced to many new things and aspects of Indian culture – from the generosity of the Indian people to their death-defying approach to traffic. But the most recurring theme? “Chai.”

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! There’s just something really fun about getting dressed up and walking around with friends collecting yummy treats. Even better, it’s an excuse to invite all our neighbors and friends over for snacks.

My hubby grew up on great oatmeal cookies, lovingly prepared by his grandma and his mom - Land O’Lakes’ very own test kitchens guru, Becky. And while I prefer the oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips, his very favorites are Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. In the three years we’ve been married, I have pretty much avoided making this dessert, because seriously, people! how can a young wife live up to her mother-in-law’s cooking skills when she is the director of a test kitchen?! Fortunately, Becky is a great encourager and Ryan is always willing to try whatever I attempt. And since marriage is all about sharing and sacrifice, I decided it was time to give my hubby’s favorite cookies a shot. Ryan was delighted by the treat and he even had extras to share at work!