Extraordinarily Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

I always find myself being very kind to telemarketers, because I have a certain amount of respect - sometimes grudging, sometimes freely given, but respect nonetheless - for people with the gumption to work in commission-based sales. Yesterday, for example, I stopped at Wal-Mart on my way home from work in search of cat-litter, and found myself halted by an unusually hyper greeting from a stranger poised somewhere halfway between juniors clothing and the pet food isle. All in a rush, she informed me that she was "simply struck" by my "fabulous style," and "just had to come over and introduce herself." Now, as flattering as this comment may seem, I was dressed in scrubs, and while I try to wear the cutest, most stylish scrubs I can find they are still a long way from Oscar de la Renta, I was on my way home from work at the end of the day, and thus my hair was escaping frizzly from its ponytail, and to add to all of this I seemed to have developed a reaction to the same moisturizer I've been using for months and thus was graced that day with a large red spot in the middle of my forehead. This stranger may have stopped me for any multitude of reasons, but I am quite certain it was not because she was "struck by my style" at that particular moment.

She was, as you may have already guessed from a similar experience, part of some pyramid sales company, but while most of my energy was occupied with escaping the conversation as rapidly as possible I did have to admire her bravery for being able to thus accost a complete non-acquaintance in the middle of a shopping market with such confidence.

Needless to say, there is a reason why I'm a nurse and not a salesperson. I'd much rather quietly patch up boo-boos, and then come home and bake cookies!

These particular cookies are akin to my beloved oatmeal breakfast cookies from my childhood... Extraordinarily healthy, packed with goodness, and barely sweet, with just a hint of dark chocolate for luxury. Perfectly appropriate for a special occasion breakfast, in my opinion, or for dessert after dinner any night of the week, or for when one has been startled by a surprise encounter at the shopping center and feels the need for a cookie in order to recover...

Extraordinarily Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup blueberry applesauce or any other sort of berry-applesauce without added sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 egg whites, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 60% cacao)

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
~ Whip together the Greek yogurt, berry-applesauce, and honey until creamy.
~ Beat in the egg whites and vanilla
~ Stir together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
~ Stir in the rolled oats.
~ Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
~ Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, and bake for around 14 minutes - until the cookies are lightly golden brown. Of course, they're oh so very good warm...