Christmas Cookies for Every Craving

Everyone has different reactions to stress. Some people nap, some eat, some exercise, but personally, I love to go into my kitchen and bake. Normally I will just bake something like chocolate chip cookies that I have the recipe memorized for because it is a mindless task, but this year I have been using that time to test out new recipes from the Martha Stewart Living magazine, Pinterest, etc. With finals approaching and Christmas being one of my favorite seasons, I have already tried quite a few holiday cookie recipes and plan to try even more in the coming weeks. Below are some of my favorite recipes that I've made, or want to make. Believe it or not, I think my current favorite recipe comes from Taylor Swift. Also, I promise all of these can be made without the aid of an electric mixer or food processor since I have neither... seriously, I hand-whisk everything. I did ask for a mixer for Christmas though, so maybe that will all be changing...(*wink wink* Momma)

Peppermint-Candy Sugar Cookies

I definitely used too much flour when I made these last week, but people still enjoyed them! Personally, I would recommend buying pre-crushed peppermint or candy canes for this one because those peppermint rounds are a lot harder to crush than I realized! This is basically one of Martha Stewart's great sugar cookie recipes with just a subtle hint of peppermint, definitely nothing overwhelming. However, I think next time I make them I will add a dash of peppermint extract to the batter to really enhance the holiday flavor.

Gingerdoodles

These cookies kill two birds with one stone. I actually stumbled across these while searching for a good snickerdoodle recipe and thought these would be a fun holiday variation of a cookie classic. Plus, it makes me feel less guilty about using the pre-made Pillsbury gingerbread dough that you just have to roll out since I will at least be making something with a ginger flavor.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

These sound amazing. I feel like the same few flavors get all the attention this time of year, neglecting other wonderful flavors like cranberry! So, I haven't actually made these yet, but I probably will soon...do you think the twins will like them? I hope so, since I use them and their friends as guinea pigs when I am home (they don't complain).

Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Cake Cookies

When I made these, I had to tweak the recipe a bit due to Kroger having largely insufficient holiday baking supplies. Seriously, they had no peppermint chips of any kind, Christmas sprinkles, cake mixes, or Christmas Oreos (I needed them for Christmas bark). I was more than a little annoyed after that trip, but I substituted chopped up Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares for the peppermint chips and they turned out just fine. I also used a devil's food cake instead of dark chocolate which was perfectly good as well!

Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies

When I was going through my list of holiday flavors to include, I realized I had totally skipped over anything with nuts! There are so many options out there for praline, walnut, chestnut, etc. cookies too, but I love using pecans, plus I already have some in my kitchen from various other projects. On the note of nut-flavored items, I highly recommend the new Chestnut Praline Latte at Starbucks. I got a skim one over Thanksgiving to try and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it!

Chai Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Spice Glaze

Thank you, Taylor Swift. These cookies are basically like a chai latte and I love it. The sugar cookie recipe she recommended is one I am going to use for years to come. Plus, she also introduced me to two new cooking blogs through this post, so I am doubly grateful. I would definitely recommend adding the icing glaze on the cookie because it wouldn't be quite sweet enough without it, but to each their own. I hope you enjoy my favorite cookie of the season...maybe even the year.*

What are your favorite Christmas cookie recipes? I'd love more suggestions!

xx

erin

*just kidding, the salted caramel dark chocolate chip cookies are going to take that title

It's a (Dinner) Party

Those of you who've seen my 22x22 list know that I still have a few things to check off before my birthday rolls around two weeks from today. There are a couple things that I unfortunately will not get to do, but I am doing my best to finish the rest. One of the items was to host a dinner party so I decided to invite some of my friends over for a casual Friday of food, wine, and relaxation. It was the perfect evening because we were all pretty tired and wanted to save our energy for last night's 7:30 football game!

I also got to kill two birds with one stone on this one because I used Pinterest for a couple of the recipes.

 

I had work all afternoon, so I just prepared the Chili in the crockpot before I left for work and prepared everything else when I got back. It was so much fun to be able to host everyone and try out some new recipes! One of my friends commented that she had been thinking about how she wished people made more plans like this and I couldn't agree more. It is so nice to be able to organize time together when people's lives get so crazy, especially since it's our fourth year.

Plus, this dinner was so easy to make. I kept the menu simple since I knew that I only had a little bit of time to prep after I got off work:

Menu:

Chili with Rice

Corn Muffins
Spinach Salad

Apple Galette with Ice Cream

Wine

As I said before, I threw the Chili in the crockpot before work so that was easy. The recipe I used called for butternut squash, which I didn't use, but I also wish that I had added some more salt and garlic powder for a little more flavor. For the Corn muffins, I just used Jiffy mix which made the perfect number for a small dinner party. The Spinach Salad was a Dole kit (doesn't get easier than that). I love this Apple Galette recipe. It was incredibly easy to make and it is basically an open face apple pie. The recipe called for a homemade dough, but in the interest of time and sanity, I just used a 9in pre-made pie crust from the grocery store and I think it turned out perfectly fine!

Thanks to my friends who came over for this little dinner party, I am so lucky to have friends like y'all!

xx,

Erin

Flavors of Fall: Baked Goods

So my birthday is right around the corner and I still have quite a few things to check off of my 22x22 list! One of them is to make ten Pinterest recipes, which may have been a bit ambitious from the start. Luckily, I bake something for my Relay For Life committee meetings every week so I have been making some progress on these recipes through that. Right now I am loving all the fall recipes they're featuring and I wanted to share a couple that I've tried and a couple that I am looking forward to trying. Also, these haven't been Pinterest fails at all luckily for me, so I definitely recommend trying them!

Already Made

Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Bars

I got really excited about making these since I love the taste and smell of pumpkin pie. They were a definite crowd-pleaser for those who actually like pumpkin, and even some of my committee members, who don't like pumpkin said they liked them! One little thing though, these do take a while to make and cool so don't make these if you are on a time crunch.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Okay, technically not totally a recipe, but it is important. I couldn't find pumpkin spice at Kroger yesterday, but luckily a quick search for Pumpkin Spice mix helped me make my own. Plus, now I have a couple more spices in my kitchen cabinet!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

I mentioned these in a Friday Five a long time ago and finally got around to making them a couple of weeks ago. They were amazing and I would totally make them again.  Salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors and this was the perfect amount without being totally overpowering

Want To Make

Apple Pie Cookies

How great do these sound? Its a nice variation on a traditional apple pie, especially if you don't have a pie dish. Plus this actually calls for apple pie filling instead of making your own, so it shouldn't take too long to make.

Buttery Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

So I had no idea these were pumpkin flavored when I first went to pin this, I honestly just thought they looked delicious. Usually I just stick with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies when I want a pumpkin flavor, buy now I want to try these.

xx,

Erin

Beach Body in One Week

So you are leaving for Florida on Saturday and that whole "beach body" routine you'd been planning on doing sort of fell off to the wayside thanks to Girl Scout cookie season and those winter blues? No worries. There are still ways to improve your body in the last couple of days before your big vacation for you to kick it into gear. No, I am not promising some sort of crazy weight loss pill or diet...that is unrealistic and unhealthy. If you want to lose 5lbs by Saturday, my only recommendation would be a stomach flu, kidding, but you get the idea.

These are some tips on how you can improve your beach body in the last couple of days before the big vacation. And if you still aren't happy? Wear a PFG and let's get in shape after Spring Break as we prepare for Beach Week (this is my plan...those Girl Scout cookies get me every time, whoops)

1) Drink More

Drink more: water, tea, detox water.

Drink Less: caffeine, carbonation, and alcohol.

Essentially keep yourself hydrated. Detox water can be as simple as adding any combination or one of the following things: mint, lemon, cucumber. It makes the water even more refreshing and will help flush out your system. You should always stay hydrated, but it will especially help this week. Oh, and as for the drink less section, if you think I am not going to drink my morning coffee just so that I look good at the beach, you're crazy.

2) Exercise

Well, this should be self-explanatory. Even if you aren't going to magically transform your body in less than a week, exercise will stimulate blood flow and help kickstart your metabolism. Plus, have you ever noticed that you look more fit after working out, like if you do a killer ab routine that you seem to have flat abs for a few hours? Well, that is because the blood is going to your muscle tissue during the workout and it will hang around for a bit. So, if you want to look like you're in better shape than you are, get a workout in before you head to the beach. (disclaimer: you will probably be sore if you do this after not regularly working out...)

3) Eat Right

Stick to those leafy green vegetables and stay away from the fast foods. There are dozens of lists of "detox" foods out there and basically those are the ones that are less likely to make you bloat and easier for your body to break down.

4) Spice Up Your Life

Add some cayenne or jalapeño peppers to your diet! There are so many studies that show how adding spices to your diet will jumpstart your metabolism so just throw them in with your normal food and you'll be good to go.

5) Stress Less

I realize this isn't totally possible. I mean, I am stressed about the exam I have today and the two papers I have due tomorrow. However, I need to plan it out and know that it is all going to get done...and be thankful that yesterday's snow day caused my Friday exam to get moved back. So on Thursday, I am going to do a personal at-home spa day, but I need to keep calm all week. Just use a motivational quote or a to-do list to remind yourself that you can do it!

Obviously, this plan isn't perfect, but there isn't any plan that will get you the perfect beach body in a few days. And anyways, you should love yourself and the way you look regardless...there is always room for improvement, but don't let that stop you from loving yourself and your life right now. 

xoxo,

SSP

Study Snacks

Well, it's that time of the year again. The time where you spend every waking hour staring at textbooks, notes, and laptop screens...finals! You would think by my fifth time going through this, I would be prepared for them, but they always seem to sneak up and stress me out more than the semester before.

Now, I don't know about you but I am the queen of study snacking. Seriously, if I am studying for a long period of time, I have to have something to eat or drink sitting next to me. It is so easy to make these study snacks unhealthy, especially with coffee shops in the library (hello, chocolate croissant), but here are a few suggestions that are a bit healthier (or not) and you can bring with you to the library allowing you to have more money to spend on coffee or tea or whatever your study drink of choice is.

Trail Mix

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Make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts, dried fruits, carb bite (i.e. Chex or pretzels), and sweet bites (i.e. M&Ms or chocolate chips). Having the protein from the nuts will keep you fueled and help you stay full. Plus this balance promises that both salty and sweet cravings will be satisfied.

Hummus

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I could probably dedicate an entire post to hummus...maybe I will one day. But seriously, it is filling and delicious and you can dip a variety of things in it, plus it comes in so many different flavors. I love Red Pepper Hummus and veggies for a meal or snack. Also, veggies are not that expensive...I don't know why some people think they are aka no excuse not to get them!

Popcorn

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It is low in calories and if you drink water while eating it, popcorn is super filling. Popcorn is also a great addition to trail mix. If you don't want plain popcorn, add some cinnamon sugar or a spice to it to change the flavor.

Granola Bars

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They take only a couple of minutes to eat, or you can spread it out over  a long period of time. Regardless, they can be pretty filling and are a good brain food!

Fruits and...

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You can bring a yogurt, oatmeal, or nothing. Fruits are a great thing to snack on and are pretty easy to transport. As with veggies, they really aren't that expensive if you buy the fruit that is in season.

Cookie Butter

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I don't care if it technically isn't healthy, but it is better for you than peanut butter. Eat it with a spoon or pretzels to cure that sweet tooth! Seriously, if you haven't tried this stuff, you need to. It is the best.

Dessert

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Treat yourself! I am not even going to try and pretend that I don't have a sweet tooth that gets the better of me more often than not (^see Cookie Butter). I will be taking full advantage of $5 Arches during finals and enjoying the brownies my Momma left with me. The key is to try to limit how much of them you eat...but if you slip up and eat a tray of cookies, I won't judge, we've all been there and I am sure I will be there this finals season too.

What are your favorite finals study snacks/meals? Anything that I should add to this list?

xoxo,

SSP