Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My DF’s cousin and his girlfriend came up to visit a couple of days ago and we made plans to go have dinner at a restaurant in San Francisco. My DF and I rarely cross the bridge just for dinner, but we figured it’d be fun to try something new and explore the city a little bit instead of being little hermits. We ended up at Bix, a brick-walled restaurant hidden in an alley way with live Jazz music. I’m not gonna lie, I’m usually a little intimidated by fancy-schmancy restaurants. You know what I’m talking about–the ones that ask you if you prefer a black or white lap napkin. The ones that have a “bread crumb” guy to scrape off all the extra scraps of crust lying on the table. The ones where the customers are all wearing $600 shoes and $1000 suit jackets. I’m much more comfortable in a “ma-and-pa” restaurant. I like it when the hostess knows everyone’s names. I like seeing the regular grandpa sitting in his usual booth drinking his cup of joe. I like having freshly made muffins and fried chicken rather than a filet mignon in a balsamic reduction with caramelized pears (Okay, I don’t know how that would really taste… I just made that up). Point is, I’m a simple gal. Although Bix had that ritzy environment, the entire experience was nothing but inviting. The meal came out extremely fast and the waiter was joyful and friendly. When we finished our meal, he promptly brought out the dessert menu. Looking over options like vanilla creme brulee, buttermilk panna cotta with plums and ginger, and french butter pear & concord grape sorbet, how was I ever going to make a choice? I was completely torn between the bananas foster with dark rum and vanilla ice cream or the chocolate brioche bread pudding. When the waiter came out to take our dessert order, I asked for his advice. Do I want the bananas foster or bread pudding? After debating it with me back and forth a bit, he recommended the bread pudding. I went with the bananas foster because I wanted ice cream. When dessert was brought out, he surprised me and gave me both! The bread pudding was on the house. I couldn’t believe it. It was like I just won the lottery! The waiter must have known how much I loved dessert from the five minute debate going back and forth on which dish I should get. It’s little actions like that that can make someone’s day. I try and do that whenever I bring cookies and treats to my crew! Come and share your stories about random acts of kindness with The Best Part from Folgers. The Best Part is an online community that’s dedicated to brightening your day—every day. How? By spreading optimism, one share at a time. The Best Part posts inspirational stories, encouraging quotes, good news and other upbeat items on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—and encourages fans and followers to share that optimism with their friends. Because when optimism is shared, it grows, making an even more positive impact on our world. Check out what others are sharing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As for these cookies, it’s a pretty standard oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Nothing to write home about, but they sure do satisfy any sweet tooth cravings.