Food Cravings

I'm not sure what is worse... craving something vague that you can't quite put your finger on, or craving something so specific that it's difficult to replicate?

My mom lost a favorite recipe years ago for a delicious bean salad. No matter how hard she's hunted for it she can't seem to find the exact recipe. Yesterday I made a bean and tomato salad that came close...

It's so entirely simple I can tell it to you right here: 1 can cannelinni beans, pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 4 green onions chopped, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. (Thanks, Martha!)

You just mix it all up together. The recipe I was trying to duplicate had radishes so I tossed some of those in as well. We both really loved the salad (my sister too), but I don't think it was quite the same thing.

Then later in the day I was so mondo craving these cookies. The trouble is... that recipe is packed up in a box located deep in my storage unit at this very moment. I did a quick search for oatmeal raisin recipes that don't include cinnamon or nutmeg (a little difficult to find).

I finally just started using a recipe after only glancing at it... took me halfway through to realize that not only did the recipe not call for flour, it didn't call for a rising agent either... I was not headed for the desired results. I added some flour and baking soda and hoped for the best. But of course it was too dry... after various attempts at achieving the right consistency I finally baked the cookies (which took forever). They taste ok... but definitely not what I originally had in mind.

But to be fair to the cookies... I was also in a rush to get out the door to hear these sweet songs at the Doug Fir.

So what do you think is more difficult to quell... a super specific craving or a very vague one?