It's bitterly cold outside and snowing right now. From where I'm sitting I can see the windows lit up from outside by the white Christmas lights that I wove through the white-painted birch branches in the cedar planters outside. So pretty!
I finally put some lights on the holly and burning bush outside the front window today. It was a cold, rainy afternoon...so I took advantage of the few hours before it started to snow to go ahead and run some lights out front before everything would be blanketed with a fresh coat of snow.
I do have to admit, although the decorations are pretty and I love to see pretty red and gold bows festooning the outside of my house...I really do not like winter! I think I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - either that or I'm part bear and just want to hibernate all winter.
I actually ordered one of those therapy lights for SAD (which I'm impatiently waiting for!). I'm hoping that might knock me out of hibernation mode and get my creative juices flowing.
There is so much to do before Christmas - so many cookies to bake and a Christmas Eve menu to plan!
I decided to make a batch of cookies tonight...from whatever I had in the pantry. I ran out of butter, so I had to work with butter flavored Crisco. And all I had was one package of chocolate-peanut butter swirl chips and a packet of premelted unsweetened Hershey's cocoa. Here's what I came up with:
Chocolate-Peanuty Oatmeal Whole Wheat Messes
1 c. butter flavor Crisco
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. Quaker oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package chocolate-peanut butter swirl chips
1 packet Hershey's premelted unsweetened chocolate
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 6 ingredients until smooth. Add combined, oats, flour, soda and salt; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes for chewy or 10-12 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen.
I finally put some lights on the holly and burning bush outside the front window today. It was a cold, rainy afternoon...so I took advantage of the few hours before it started to snow to go ahead and run some lights out front before everything would be blanketed with a fresh coat of snow.
I do have to admit, although the decorations are pretty and I love to see pretty red and gold bows festooning the outside of my house...I really do not like winter! I think I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - either that or I'm part bear and just want to hibernate all winter.
I actually ordered one of those therapy lights for SAD (which I'm impatiently waiting for!). I'm hoping that might knock me out of hibernation mode and get my creative juices flowing.
There is so much to do before Christmas - so many cookies to bake and a Christmas Eve menu to plan!
I decided to make a batch of cookies tonight...from whatever I had in the pantry. I ran out of butter, so I had to work with butter flavored Crisco. And all I had was one package of chocolate-peanut butter swirl chips and a packet of premelted unsweetened Hershey's cocoa. Here's what I came up with:
Chocolate-Peanuty Oatmeal Whole Wheat Messes
1 c. butter flavor Crisco
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. Quaker oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package chocolate-peanut butter swirl chips
1 packet Hershey's premelted unsweetened chocolate
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 6 ingredients until smooth. Add combined, oats, flour, soda and salt; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes for chewy or 10-12 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen.
They're probably a million calories each...but it's winter, so who cares! They actually taste pretty good...a hint of peanut butter and chocolate, but not too much. You could probably use pure chocolate chips if you want it more chocolaty.
