What is Success?

2021 marked the first year I was able to host Christmas Day ever. I consider it my biggest success of the year, except for the fact that I drove my offspring insane with preparations. My mania had to be stopped in its tracks by my kids so we could take a moment, open our gifts to each other, and just enjoy. (Sorry kids, even moms have lessons to re-learn.)

But it was so gratifying to finally be able to have almost everyone over, even in my tiny apartment, after missing Christmas back here for so many years.

Tunnos can never stay out of the kitchen, even Keebler Elf sized kitchens like mine. Bernie jumped in and helped slice the ham and Bob helped with the gravy and cooked the beef again because once we cut into it, it looked like it could have walked down the street. (Thanks non-functional meat thermometer!) Mary thoroughly examined all the baked goods, and my sisters-in-law may have gotten to relax a little for the first Christmas Day in decades. Sounds like success to me.

Were my kids concerned about Covid? Yes. They have roommates and I totally understood them not wanting to make them sick. The windows were open and they wore masks. Luckily, so far, none of the vaccinated celebrants at our get together have come down with the dreaded C word. I consider that a success too.

We finished up with a video of a family Thanksgiving from 1985, featuring my mom yelling, “Shut up! Then, without even a breath taken, launched into, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” to say Grace. A few stuck around to watch Elf, and then Christmas was over, far too soon…again. I’d have photos, but I lost my phone on Christmas Eve. (That was definitely not a success.)

I’m just about recovered. We really need an entire month off in December. One week to decorate, one to bake, one to celebrate, cook and eat, and one to bounce back. No, wait, make that five weeks, we need another one to put away all the decorations we just put out.

The holidays found me rediscovering the joy of creamy, delicious burrata. I had a leftover bit of it this week and mixed it with avocado, olive oil, salt and a little spicy Italian seasoning. The combination was absolute heaven! (Definite success.) Try it, it’s amazing!

I thought I was done baking, but my daughter, now back in Seattle, had requested some cookies I never got around to baking while she was here. Below is a fabulous Peanut Butter with Dark Chocolate Chunk recipe for you I got from Baking Illustrated.

They don’t tell you this, but the secret is to chill the dough overnight before baking because it gives them that slightly chewy center I love in a Peanut Butter Cookie. I will definitely make these again! I also used salted butter even though they don’t call for it and I sprinkled mine with salt when they were done. It makes all the difference. These cookies need that balance of salt to make them great.

Below, you’ll also find the recipe for my daughter’s favorite cookies, Salted Nut Bars. (Yes, I do happen to have an addiction to peanuts and salt.)Keep this for the next time you crave a peanut-laden cookie that’s almost like a candy bar. They are buttery, peanut deliciousness!

And another success was receiving a totally unexpected package from my old high school friend and blog reader, Chuck B. He sent me a package of spiced nuts that was delicious, and some chocolate chip cookies that were both healthy and yummy. Nothing warms your heart like getting a package that tells you someone is thinking of you. Thanks Chuck!

I hope you are pushing forward to make 2022 a meaningful year. Not every success is measured in money. Some are measured in the happiness you feel after witnessing a spectacular sunrise, taking a walk in nature, finishing a blog post, tweaking a cookie recipe, making a list and crossing things off, walking in a silent snowfall, hearing from an old friend, or having your whole family in your tiny apartment after forty years away.

I wish you the best New Year you could possibly dream of.

If you don’t already follow this blog, please do. I’m working on getting a following large enough to get a publisher interested in publishing my book. So, please spread this blog around and follow, if you don’t already.

Best Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Salted Nut Bars