There are two things I like to do when I get back from a trip:
(1) Eat a burrito;
(2) Bake something.

When Craig and I got back from D.C. last week, I led him along to the same destination I headed to when I returned from Paris last winter: Chipolte. Nothing hits the spot after a long day of traveling like a big, fat, oozing burrito---even it is from a company owned by McDonald's. (Boy, Ray Croc must be smiling on this website lately.) Yes, we each got a burrito---mine with chicken, black beans, sour cream and salsa; Craig's with cheese---took them home and watched TV.

Then when TV grew boring I got a hankering to bake.

"Aren't you tired?" asked Craig.

"Nope," I said zipping off to the kitchen.

And in that kitchen I threw together the cookies you see above---Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies, my first time making them. The smell was heavenly---buttery, sweet, comforting---and the taste was smooth and soft, like a newborn baby. In fact a newborn baby was one of the ingredients.

Because I made so many cookies and I didn't want to get fat (ha! too late for that!), I gave Craig a bag to take home for his roommate. Craig later reported that the roommate loved these cookies. "She wanted to know where you got the recipe."

And that my friends is what I'm here to divulge. Are you ready? Write this down. The recipe comes from the side of the butterscotch chip bag. Buy butterscotch chips and you'll have the recipe. But in case you don't live anywhere that sells bags of butterscotch chips, I'll type it out for you. Please enjoy the next time you return from a trip:

Oatmeal Scotchies
[from the side of the Nestle Butterscotch Morsels Bag]
[this makes 4 dozen cookies; you can halve it, like I did, and make it 2 dozen]

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11 oz. package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.