Welcome Christmas

The holidays always seem to be a hit or miss for people. It seems that the people I know are usually in a winter wonderland fog or are swept up in the sadness of not having someone special to share the holidays with.

I've learned how to combat this the best way possible... BAKE, BAKE, BAKE!

Now, this may seem silly to you- "You mean a big girl is voluntarily putting herself in front of bowls of cookie batter and frosting?!" And the answer is YES.

I've found that baking is fun and a great destresser during the holidays. And, after frosting 50 cookies and licking your fingers (about 2 tablespoons of frosting) you have NO DESIRE to eat one of the cookies... you are over it!

But the key is step #2.... call up your friends and knock on neighbors' doors and bring them holiday cheer (by getting the treats out of your house) and maybe rid someone else of the holiday blahs through a basket of baked goods. Remember that it's a season for giving, getting a little smile in return is just a great by-product.

Below is a fun recipie that I tried today, they are technically cookies, but taste more like a brownie:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
6 tsp cocoa powder
2 Tbs canola oil
powedered sugar for dusting

Getting it Done!
1. Preheat your waffle iron
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl, beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder and oil and stir until well mixed
3. Drop by rounded spoonfuls 1-inch apart onto the hot iron and close. It should take about a minute and a half for them to cook- but, watch closely because waffle irons cook differently!! When they are done cooking, set on wire rack to cook and dust with powdered sugar. (For a fun twist, drizzle with milk chocolate or pepermint flavored chocolate)

How Bad is It?
PER COOKIE: 63 Calories, 4g of fat (2g sat.), 18mg cholesterol, 7g carbs, 1g protein, 1g fiber, 22mg sodium, 18ms potassium