Sharing Something Short and Something Sweet

Something Short

Well, this has been a heck of a week. Some highlights:

• Kids have finals and are stressing about that.
• I started asking for the tree to be put up at Thanksgiving. My son finally put up the tree and we were faced with a reminder that our Christmas tree broke last year. Somehow, we forgot. I have no idea why it got put back in the garage after the holiday. I immediately went online and ordered a new tree. The promised delivery date has already changed twice. Hopefully. it arrives before Christmas.
• We all had to have a PCR test done, and I will tell you it’s a challenge to find someone to come to the house and do it when you’re unable to go out. But I did find a lovely person who came and did the test for me. It was negative. and that’s a good thing. (By the way, how crazy is it that we all know what a PCR test is?)
• I’m trying to figure out how to have my kids open packages by holding them facing me, until I make sure what’s in it is not something for that person. I ordered a lot of gift bags to make wrapping simpler for them but it’s going to be an interesting experience for sure.
• We’re scrapping plans to have anybody over really because in our area the COVID statistics are rising at ridiculous rates. Everybody’s frustrated, but it’s just reality.

This is a Christmas to be happy that we are together, living life the best we can and making plans for tomorrow, next month and next year. Merry Christmas if that’s meaningful to you, or simply have a wonderful week.

Something Sweet

These cookies are made from an adapted brownie box mix and are loaded with chocolate. Baking from scratch is a wonderful thing, but it’s not practical for everyone, all the time. Even when I was able to bake complicated, homemade recipes, I frequently made this because the cookies are so good and it’s just so easy. I’m hoping one of my kids will make them this week!

• 1 (18 oz) box Ghirardelli or your favorite other Double Chocolate Brownie mix
• 1/2cup of all-purpose flour
• 2large eggs
• 5tablespoons of vegetable oil or One stick of butter, melted
• 1tablespoon water
• 1/2cup mini chocolate chips or about 30 unwrapped Hershey kisses
• 3/4of a cup chopped nuts, optional if you like them

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl or a stand mixer bowl fitted with a flat paddle attachment, combine all ingredients and mix well, scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed. The dough is going to be very sticky.
3. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Cookies should no longer be glossy, and you should still see little spots of darker batter. DON’T OVER BAKE!
5. Wearing an oven mitt, remove the baking sheet from your oven. Cool on pan for several minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
6. Enjoy right away, or store cookies in an air-tight container for up to one week. They never survive that long in my house!

This is a photo I found on the Internet, but it’s what these cookies look like in real life