From The Ugly Sweater Party We Attended Last Weekend
I realized today that four of the last five holiday seasons I have been training for a half marathon or marathon. While many use the holiday season as a time to finally relax and skip a few workouts, I find myself at peak training, running 11 miles in the cold (ahem high 40s IS cold) before work and 20 miles the morning before a friend’s Christmas party (afternoon nap required). Although it is difficult at times to arrange my workout schedule around my holiday social activities (and the weather – my mid week long run was rained out this weekend and there is no room for rearranging due to predicted hangovers both tomorrow and Sunday from holiday party shenanigans), I do find training at this time of year enjoyable for one large reason: cookies.
If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’ve gathered that I have quite a sweet tooth. Or maybe if you just started you already figured that out. Although I don’t let myself indulge in high-calorie dessert treats every single day, I do splurge a few times a week and on a daily basis I eat some sort of “healthy” version of dessert to curb my incessant sugar cravings. Since attempting a mostly plant based diet, this has meant I’ve subbed out frozen yogurt for almond or coconut milk ice cream and my Toblerone bar (which I break a piece or two off for dessert a few times a week) with organic dark chocolate. I’ve also been keeping a bag of Trader Joe’s vegan chocolate chip cookies in my desk drawer – at least I only eat one at a time!
Well, come December, those vegan desserts are left untouched and Christmas cookies and milk chocolates are in full rotation. It also doesn’t help that my birthday is this month and there is always cake. However, instead of worrying about each bite of delicious cookie I put in my mouth, I remind myself of the 7 miles of intervals I did the night before or the 20 mile long run I’m doing on Saturday.
In honor of my dessert addiction, I wanted to share my new favorite Christmas Cookie recipe with you! It’s a good tasting cookie and it is SO cute! And of course I found it on Pinterest.
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
From Baker Girl:
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
- Mini brown M&Ms
- Regular-sized red M&Ms
Do you enjoy the holiday treats as much as I do? Any good recipes to share?
So adorable. I die.