A Christmas hangover

Today I pray the Department of Health does not visit my home. I'm pretty sure they might find a whole ham tucked behind the sofa under all the wrapping papper and shiny bows. My former hardwood floor has been replaced with a new bumby plastic flooring that seems so popular with today's parents. Some bumbs are obvious--hot wheel cars, legos and some not so obvious--the very important piece to the very complicated electric toy that happens to be the boys' favorite.
The dishwasher is running again and many dishes are waiting for their turn. Let's hope they are clean in time for the New Year feast of pork and saur kraut (my german heritage).
Overall it was a gluttonous feast for mind body and spirit that I am paying for now with a giant headache and stuffy nose. But wait I don't hear something....the kids are playing, with each, and not fighting.
Wow. A Christmas miracle.

Christmas and the cookies pt. 1

Healthy food has not been on the menu for the past few weeks around here! I've been making lots of yummy comfort food like rigatoni with kale and butternut squash and my favorite, ministrone (with a pound of pancetta!). And then of course there are the many many cookies we've been baking. This year, the girls and I put together a hazelnut-chocolate chunk pumpkin cookie that has been quite tasty. I usually add walnuts for the omega threes but nothing says the holidays like freshly toasted hazelnuts! And they taste like a cookie Nutella with the yummy chocolate chunks-- I buy my chocolate in bulk bars so it doesn't get 'gritty' when it melts in the oven. It definately makes a difference if you are REALLY into chocolate!
Tomorrow we make our cookies for Santa. The girls do not want to do chocolate chunk with coconut again and are pushing for the always fun to decorate sugar cookie. I'm hoping we can find a compromise--rumor has it Santa doesn't care for a cookie unless it's loaded with chocolate ;) I am personally pushing for a salty/bittersweet combo like the bacon-chocolate bars Santa is bringing Mike (the hubby) and myself. I think my oldest might gag if she sees me sprinke sea salt over the cookies.
The one thing I am sticking to is using real ingredients--organic butter, sugar, eggs, flour and natural coloring. No Splenda or Crisco allowed! And the eggs are omega three enriched. Hmmmm--does that make them kinda healthy?