Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies + Weekly Menu

My mother-in-law sent an email this week letting me know that they now have a coffee maker at their house! This is wonderful news! How people start their morning without coffee is nothing short of a travesty in my mind and while the local college coffee shop makes great coffee, I’m all for not stripping off my PJ’s until absolutely necessary when I’m on holiday vacation.

…which is why I may go to the coffee shop in my PJ’s…

My mother-in-law also said that she’s excited to see us…next weekend. NEXT weekend. Whaaa? How did the holidays sneak up on me this quickly?

Yes, my tree has been up for weeks.

Yes, I made nearly 200 buckeyes last weekend.

Yes, I just received a TON of poinsettias to decorate the cafeteria at the hospital.

Yes, we had snow this past week.

But it just…snuck up on me.

My mission this weekend was very simple: baking and studying. So far, I’ve made serious strides on the baking. I’m almost done with my holiday baking and plan to put together my tins this afternoon.

Studying…not so much. When they say you “get out of the swing of things” when it comes to being a “student”…it’s no lie. My board certification in advanced diabetes management is in TWO days. Has this mustered up any note-worthy motivation to hit the books? Not so much. Though I have been setting aside time to do so at work…

In the spirit of the holidays, I’m going to bring my flash cards into the kitchen to multi-task. I see no other way.

Oh the irony. Studying diabetes while making DOZENS of holiday cookies. Everything in moderation, right? 😉

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Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies as seen on Dulce Dough, originally from Taste of Home

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the dried cranberries and baking chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then remove from pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Nutrition Information (per cookie): 123 calories; 5.2 g. fat; 6 mg. cholesterol; 30 mg. sodium; 18.9 g. carbohydrate; 0.3 g. fiber; 0.8 g. protein

Result: These cookies are soft and chewy with the sweet of the chocolate, richness of the butter, and tart of the cranberries. Simple to make and sure to please, these offer up a classic cookie with a holiday spin! Enjoy!

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 Weekly Menu: December 16th – 20th

• Sunday: leftovers (black bean soup)
• Monday: Black Bean-Roasted Zucchini-Goat Cheese Enchiladas
• Tuesday: White Chicken Chili
• Wednesday: Egg Nog Pancakes
• Thursday: leftovers

Baking, studying, hockey, Illini basketball! It’s been a good weekend 😀

Bring your pancreas/insulin…it’s nothing but holiday treats for the next week! Tis the season! Enjoy in moderation!

Be well,