The days fly by and all of the sudden it's been a week since I last put up a recipe.  Winter should be the time when I'm really cranking out all the slave-over-a-hot-stove kind of recipes (cuts down on the heating bill, for one!), but with the oft-waning energy, I'd sometimes rather not worry with cooking.

But times are looking up -- I made a very rudimentary cold frame this morning with some of the scrap wood from our old kitchen cabinets.  And, with seeds being sent through the mail to us, I am eagerly awaiting signs of new life!

For now, sit down with a cup o' joe or tea for ...

52.  Wheat Germ Balls, pg. 291

Hailing from a home about 5 miles down the road from where we live, these little dough balls are a surprise hit.  My personal philosophy often seems to believe that a cookie could never be "healthy" and still satisfy my very demanding sweet tooth.  But, my friends, a venture into More-with-Less may slowly be changing my beliefs ... though I wouldn't wonder so far as to say "revolutionizing" ... :)

Accustomed to making cookies using the creaming method (butter & sugar, then add eggs, then flour, etc.), I decided to mix these my way, versus mixing everything together at once, as stated.  It might be an interesting trial to make them again, mixing everything at once, and then compare the two.  (I'll let you know if I do this and they turn out differently.)  Instead of wheat germ, I only had wheat bran on hand, so I toasted the 1 c. in the oven at 350 for about 6 minutes, tossing it gently in the middle of that time.  If I would have thought through it more, I would have also added the wheat bran/germ that the dough balls are rolled into.

These little guys do not spread much during baking, so you can put them close together on the baking sheet.  It was a bit difficult to know when they were done baking, but at 15 minutes, mine were crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside.  They go really well with tea or coffee, or with applesauce or other fruit.  Don't expect them to be a huge conversation piece, but they do pack a lovely sweet punch.  An idea for a future batch would be to use lemon zest instead of orange -- and more than just a teaspoon.

Overall:  3.5 out of 5  Simple but substantial, sweet but healthier than your average cookie.