A Christmas Cookie That Actually Tastes Good

Make the holiday calories worth it with this Christmas cookie recipe that tastes great!

I'm not a sweets person. And while I find Christmas cookies usually beautiful, I'm often left thinking this after I've indulged: "So that was really pretty but it didn't really taste that great and now my mouth is coated in butter and sugar and my hips have an extra 150 calories on them. Fan-friggin-tastic." My MIL sent me my husbands (who I should note does indeed have a sweet tooth!) favorite cookie recipe, so I decided, hey! What about if I turned it into a Christmas cookie so that we have some around the house that actually taste good?

Winner winner, Christmas cookie dinner! I turned these traditional "Monster Cookies" into Christmas cookies, and they're festively delicious.

Monster Christmas Cookies

- 4.5C quick oats

- 1C packed brown sugar

- 1C refined sugar

- 3 eggs

- 1/2C butter

- 1.5C smooth peanut butter

- 2T baking powder

- 1T vanilla extract

- 1/2t salt (cut this down to 1/4 teaspoon if your peanut butter is already salted - mine wasn't)

- 1/2C chocolate chips

- 1/2C M&M candy pieces

- decorative sugar crystals, if desired

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the peanut butter, eggs and butter. Add in the refined and brown sugar, baking powder and salt and beat well. If you have a Kitchen Aid, this will be easy for you! I didn't so I used good old fashioned elbow grease and worked up a sweat mixing it. Fold in the chocolate chips and candy pieces. Try not to eat all the dough.

Mmmm, cookie dough!

Take about two tablespoons of dough and roll into balls in your hand. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet. These cookies don't spread, so you can load them up on the sheet! Then use the flat bottom of a glass to smush the cookies out to your desired thickness. A thicker cookie will be chewier; a thinner one crispier. Sprinkle with decorative sugar crystals and bake for about 12 minutes (give or take, depending on humidity and elevation. Check cookies at the 9 minute mark to see how they're progressing and how much more time they'll need!)

Once they're just firm to touch and golden on the bottom, remove from oven and immediately use a spatula to place them on baking racks to cool. Wait until fully cooled to remove and store in an airtight container. I'd tell you to wait until they're cool to eat them too, to prevent them from falling apart in your hands, but who am I kidding? You think I waited? Nope. Dive in friends.

Serve them up with a glass of milk for Santa, a dry white wine for dinner party guests, or leave them out for snacking whenever! Enjoy these Christmas cookies that actually taste good.

3 Myths of Parenting

Some parenting advice is legitimate, and some of it is complete nonsense. Here are the 3 biggest parenting myths, busted!

When you're pregnant and in those first few months of having a new baby, EVERYONE and their mom will tell you all about parenting, how to do things, and what to "watch out for" or "just wait for." I happen to believe that most of these folks have good intentions... However, now that I've been a pregnant lady and parent for several years, I have to say: So much of what they said was bunk! I feel the need to dispel these bogus parenting myths.

3 Myths of Parenting:

Myth 1: "Just wait until your kid starts walking - then you'll REALLY have your hands full!"
Reality: Ummm, nope. In fact, my hands are quite literally empty, because my child can now walk instead of me lugging his 30 pound body around. In fact, my life got exponentially EASIER when Henry started to walk. I have no idea why people say it will become some sort of challenging feat when your toddler starts walking, but it's BS. It's amazing. Don't want them going into certain rooms in the house? Close the door and baby proof it so they can't get in. Problem solved. Walk on, little babies, it makes our jobs as parents so much easier!

Myth 2: "You won't really mind or notice or smell it when your own child vomits - you just clean it up and move on."
Reality: Are you even kidding, vomiting is DISGUSTING. Yes I notice! Yes it smells! Yes I wish I were anywhere but there, cleaning it up! Yes I cover my nose and try not to gag too! Whoever the heck said this "wasn't that big of a deal" must be a nurse or nurses aid and gets puked on regularly. Let me tell you; you notice and it's disgusting and it ruins your day.

Walking is rad. Vomiting is not.

Myth 3: "You'll always think your own child is the cutest."
Reality: Now I was graced with an insanely handsome boy, but let me tell you: He looked like an alien when he came out. It took a few weeks for him to get cute. And he's not that cute in the mornings, either. And he's certainly not cute when he fusses or tantrums. I also have some less than flattering photos of him, none of which will make it to this blog or social media, because I have enough sense to not post them. So, no. You won't always think your child is the cutest, not if you're connected with reality!

Everyone has their own ideas about parenting, and that's totally the way it should be! But there were some consistent themes in the advice I was given when Henry was young that simply weren't true. In fact, the reality turned out to be the exact opposite of these so-called parenting myths I was told nonstop about! Have you ever been given completely wrong, or just bad, parenting or pregnancy advice? I want to hear about it!

The Level I'm At Right Now

Hey friends! My pregnancy brain is REAL. I thought I'd confess with y'all the level I'm at right now. And have been at this whole week. You're welcome to laugh at my expense.

1) When I sneezed on Thursday night, I peed myself. Like, preggo-peed-in-pants peed. I hear that's common in late pregnancy. It never happened with Henry. He was also a c section baby so loose Kegals aren't to blame here. I'm just at that level.

2) I spent my 10 Henry-free hours this week editing photos for future posts. Way future posts. Then when I realized how far out these posts are scheduled and that I *should* finish my work for this week, I went and played on social media. My brain gave zero you-know-whats. I'm just at that level.

3) I DID make it to 2 barre and 3 yoga classes! Some of the moves in barre were putting a lot of pressure on my cervix so I just sat on my mat and watched people. The instructor came over to give me some modifications and I was like, no. I'm cool. I'm just going to sit this one out. Then I was that creepy pregnant woman people watching in a barre class. At least in yoga I'm kicking in in child's pose, but barre? Yeah, I'm watching you do your planks, what now?! I'm just at that level.

4) I tried to shave my legs in the shower, and grabbed my hoo-ha because I seriously thought the use of my abs to pull my leg up to mow down the small forest growing there my slight leg hair was going to immediately eject Otto from the birth canal. So three lines got shaved into one leg. Then I called it a day. I'm just at that level.

5) My contractors showed up to finish my bathroom! But first, I used my ability to put the fear of God in a person. You see, people weren't returning phone calls and being generally elusive and this bathroom should have been done the first week in October. I was done playing nice, and it wasn't getting me anywhere anyway. So I lit a few fires, cracked a few skulls, dropped a few f bombs and low and behold! Contractors showed back up to finish the job. My level of crazy assertiveness was just at that level.

My level hasn't stopped my ability to link up for the Friday fun with Amanda, Karli, April and H54F!

Yeah, so that's what's been going down this week. Scatter brained, pants-peeing, creepy and crazy Paige was out in full force. That's the level I'm at right now.