Ginger spice and everything nice.

Virtual Advent Calendar

For my warm up, I must start off

with a song to one of the best women in my life:

my mother.

Happy Birthday, mom!

“Ba da da da da duuuuhhh.

I am your singing telegram…”

*gun shot*

falls to the ground.

(My eternal love to anyone who can name that movie)

If you see my mother around,

tell her Happy Birthday!

xoxo

Now, the “12 Days of Christmas Cookies”:

Some days, a cookie is in order!

Yesterday, I ended up having a coffee date with one of my favorite guys ever.

Sure, he is only 5 years old…

but there is something about him as a human being (albeit a little one)

that I genuinely love to be around.

And yeah, that’s right, I said we drank coffee together.

Me and a 5 year old.

Is it bad that I feed him coffee?

I mean, I fill up a shot glass, half milk/half coffee

and then proceed to encourage him to

“Take it to the neck.”

I’m thinking when he gets older, these will some of his favorite memories.

(((Now that I think about it, he will be probably be thinking of days like yesterday, “Taking it to the neck,”

when he is passed out on the curb from a long night of drinking at the bar.

Oh God, I should buy him therapy sessions in advance for his 6th birthday.

That or a permanent seat in AA))).

Nah, I’m pretty sure these will be the good years…

Yeah, he’ll be fine, I’m sure.

Right? He’ll be fine.

So we sat and chatted about life

while drinking our coffee and eating our cookies.

He told me that he was embarking upon the age where he should

start thinking about marriage.

Oh good grief, if 5 is the new 30, I’m screwed.

He had a point though.

Time is ticking away from him and it would be irresponsible of him to not

start considering all possibilities at this point in his life.

We ate giant lollipops and drew pictures of dogs licking ice cream cones;

we played “Freeze Dance” and at one point I found myself genuinely enjoying it.

Isn’t it amazing what a cookie can do?

And a little coffee, too…

Soft Ginger Cookies with Orange Glaze Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. hemp milk (or non-dairy milk of choice) + 1 Tb apple cider vinegar (= buttermilk)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 c. melted coconut oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. dark molasses
• 6 Tbs tofu, blended (or egg replacer for 2 eggs)
• 3 3 /4 c. Gluten Free flour (I used 1/2 Authentic Foods Featherlight Blend + 1/2 Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

For the glaze:

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 Tb soft Earth Balace
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• dash salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl; allow to sit.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, molasses and egg replacers and beat until well mixed (about 1 minute).
3. Add milk mixture and blend well.
4. Sift dry ingredients and slowly add to wet mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes (it will start to firm up).
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Spoon onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes until tops spring back. The cookies will be soft so don’t worry.
7. Frost cookies with glaze while still warm. Allow to cool completely.
8. Transfer to trays and place in freezer to completely set, if necessary.

Sometimes, all it takes is the perspective of a little kid (and a cookie)

to make your day.

Now, to really blow your socks off,

check out Brooke’s original perspective to the Soft Ginger Cookies

…and drool.