“Enough to Finish”

Yesterday, the sun was shining, so I figured that it would be a beautiful day for a run.  I have been gradually ramping up my miles and I charted out a ten-mile jaunt that would avoid road construction, provide plenty of trails, and tackle a few challenging hills.

Off I went, with visions of sunny days ahead.  Around Mile Eight, I realized that I had underestimated the length of my adventure (it ended up being over twelve miles).  I still had plenty of road left and I was running low on fuel.  I interrupted the random stream of thoughts cascading through my mind and considered the question, “How much more do I have left?”  Without hesitation, I was provided the answer, “Enough to finish.”  I smiled.  My body was answering my thoughts.  Hang in there.  We’ve got this.  We’ve run farther before.  Just keep going.

Not only did the words provide me with what I needed for the run, they also provided me with comfort for the future.  The realist in me knows that there are dark days ahead.  Challenges that we cannot fully envision are waiting for each of us.  “How much do we have left?”  Well, the answer is there.  You are strong.  We are strong.  “We have enough to finish.”  Keep plugging away.  Sunny days are ahead.

DOUBLETREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

“Remember when we took vacations?  I do.  Remember DoubleTree Hotels?  They’re still a thing and they’re still churning out plenty of cookies upon your arrival.  So bake some of these up, remember the good ol’ days (February), and plan a vacation (Summer 2021 sounds good).  Enjoy!”

PS – Feel free to cut this recipe in half to produce a more reasonable number of cookies.

1 cup Butter

3/4 cup, plus 1 Tablespoon Sugar

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¼ teaspoon Lemon Juice

2¼ cups Flour

½ cup Quick Cooking Oats

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

Kiss (i.e. Pinch) of Cinnamon

2 2/3 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.

Mix in eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.

Mix in the flour, quick cooking oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Mix in the chocolate chips.

FOR SMALLER COOKIES

Spoon Tablespoon sized ball of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes or until edges and cookie bottoms are brown.

FOR LARGER COOKIES   

Place large balls of dough (3 Tablespoons) onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Place balls of dough at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 24 minutes or until the cookies are a gentle brown.

Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a minimum of 1 hour.

Revised Source:  “DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe” from DoubleTree by Hilton.

HOT CROSS BUNS

“One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns, or whatever that it supposed to mean. All that I know is that these turn out absolutely delicious (think warm cinnamon roll flavor) and are a perfect way to celebrate your Easter morning. Enjoy!”

2 cups Flour

1 package Active Dry Yeast

3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Dash of Cloves

3/4 cup Milk

1/2 cup Butter

1/3 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 Eggs

2/3 cup Raisins

2 cups Flour

1 Egg White

1 Tablespoon Water

Powdered Sugar

Heavy Whipping Cream

Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

On the stove, heat together the milk, butter, sugar, and salt, until the butter melts. Remove immediately from heat and combine with the flour mixture.

Beat in the eggs.

Beat on high speed for about 3 minutes.

Mix in the second 2 cups of flour.

Knead the dough for about 3 minutes.

Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and place in a warm place for 90 minutes.

Squeeze the dough to release the air (“and we all know how painful that can be” – David Letterman). Cover and leave alone for another 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 20 balls. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut a cross shape into the top of each bun.

Combine the egg white and water. Brush over the top of each bun.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine the powdered sugar and heavy cream to make an icing.

Allow the buns to cool slightly.

Pipe the icing into the cross patterns on the hot cross buns.

Enjoy!

Makes 20 Hot Cross Buns.

Revised Source: “Hot Cross Buns” recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens “New Cook Book.”

Gentlemen, let me tell you something. Christmas is a magical time and sometimes mistletoe actually works.

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