Snack
If I need to memorize a list of facts, equations, or dates, I can do it- no problem.
But when it comes to remember things that I’ve done, seen, or experienced, I tend to have some sort of selective amnesia. One thing I do remember, quite vividly, are summers spent sitting at the Inner Harbor with my best friends,our legs hanging over the ledge, eating lemon sticks.
That just screams summer to me: watching the boats go by, seeing all the people running and skating, and the taste of a fresh lemon stick.
Apparently lemon sticks aren’t a popular thing. When I mention them people look at me like I’m a little wacko. Which I suppose I am, but not about this.
I don’t know why I never thought of making my own, but they’re super easy. You just need a juicy lemon, a peppermint stick, and a sharp knife.
Roll the lemon between the palms of your hands, squeezing slightly to get the juices flowing. Cut a small hold in the peel near the top of the lemon, a little off to the side. Dig out a little bit of the lemon flesh with the knife to make room for the peppermint stick. Then slide the peppermint stick in to the lemon, as if it were a straw. You want to use the big thick peppermint sticks that dissolve easily- not the hard candy cane ones. It helps if you cut the ends of the peppermint stick so it’s easier to suck the lemon juice through without having to impatiently wait for it to start dissolving on it’s own.
I don’t know what it is about lemon and peppermint, but they sure do make a winning combination here.
Even babies love them. 
Have you had a lemon stick?
Recipe
The leftover turkey was long ago gobbled down, the long weekend has already been forgotten, the cold, grey winds are creeping in, and December’s right around the corner.
That can only mean one thing. Christmas cookie time!
Last year’s holiday baking extravaganza got a little out of hand. I thought it’d be best to do it all in one day. My motivation was solely based on cleaning the kitchen as few times as possible. That plan quickly backfired: I was left with a disaster of a kitchen, and not enough cookies. Actually, I don’t remember getting to the cookies…brownies, yes. Fudge, yes. Cookies? I don’t remember those…
Good thing I’m on top of it for this year; the Christmas cookies are first on the list.
What happens when you combine the classic simplicity of a sugar cookie with the distinct holiday freshness of peppermint? Christmas magic in your mouth.
Peppermint Cookies
-
1/2
cup
butter; room temperature
-
1
cup
granulated sugar
-
2
cups
all purpose flour
-
1
tsp
baking powder
-
1/2
cup
almond milk
-
1
tsp
vanilla
-
1/4
tsp
peppermint extract
-
1/4
cup
+ crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
-
Cream butter and sugar at high speed in mixer.
-
Add in milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract.
-
Combine baking powder with flour and slowly add to butter & sugar mixture, be careful not to over mix.
-
Dough will be crumbly. Use plastic wrap to help form log shape. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. {Can also freeze for later.}
-
Remove dough from fridge and slice into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices. {You can also roll dough and use cookie cutters. Let the dough warm up a little bit first.}
-
Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat. {Peppermint melts into a mess!}
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Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
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*Choose a peppermint option: Gently mix in candy with dough before refrigerating or wait until later and roll dough in peppermint or sprinkle cookies with peppermint candy. It's up to you!
These are a perfect example of following my healthy holiday “rules”. You won’t find any whole wheat, or any guilt, here. They are vegan; but that’s just because I don’t keep milk or butter in the house. Feel free to use whatever’s in your fridge too.
Wait, Christmas is 26 days away you say? Guess I’ll have to eat this batch myself. 
Before you go, check out these posts:
My tiny sneakers update: 31 weeks!
My guest post on the Bee Active blog: The 3 Mistakes Fit Women Make. Are you making them?!
What’s your favorite holiday cookie?
Recipe
My favorite thing about winter is the early hours of the morning after a snowfall. The white snow reflecting the sunshine makes it look brighter and warmer than a summer’s day. Those few hours are when you can finally understand why people say the snow “glistens”.
Just one week after I stood outside in a t-shirt decorating for Christmas, we were greeted with snowfall. And not just a few flurries like NC usually gets in mid December- a full day of snow that managed to stick to the trees through the night.
Of course the first snow of the season calls for something special. Most would turn to hot chocolate, but I’m not a big enough chocolate fan for that to satisfy me. So…
A peppermint latte it was!
Homemade Peppermint Latte
6-8oz brewed coffee
1/2-1 T peppermint syrup (recipe below)
1 oz milk or milk substitute
1 peppermint candy, crushed
Peppermint Simple Syrup
1/4 c sugar (any kind of sugar will work- I used half sugar + half Splenda this time around)
1/4 c water
1/8 t peppermint extract
[Recipe easily doubles & quadruples to make extra to keep on hand.]
Simple syrup is easily made on the stovetop, but as you may know, I like things as easy as possible. Especially when it comes to washing dishes… so I skip the pot on the stove and head straight for the microwave.
Choose a microwave-safe dish that has more than enough room for the ingredients- you need extra room for the boiling bubbles. Stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil in the microwave; continue to boil until contents reduce by about half. [This takes me about 3 minutes.]
Remove from microwave [or stove top] and add peppermint extract. Let cool slightly ~if you’ve made extra, transfer to container for storage before the syrup gets super thick and sticky. It’ll make your life easier.
Now for the latte part:
Steam the milk first for a true latte. For me, that means back to the microwave! Warm the milk gently, then use an immersion blender to froth the milk. If you’re using regular milk, you can use the jar trick– but reverse the order- froth, then heat. [The jar trick doesn’t work as well for almond or coconut milk, but you can use it in a pinch.]
Pour the milk into the mug, followed by the peppermint simple syrup. Add in coffee.
My pre-dawn attempts at whipped cream were greeted with an unhappy and half-awake shout of “BE QUIET!”…so no whipped cream for me….but if you have less-cranky people around, go for it.
Top with crushed peppermints. Voila! Homemade peppermint latte.
And I didn’t even have to trek through the snow to get to Starbucks. [Ok, I’ve never had to trek through the snow anywhere in NC…]
Peppermint Mocha Latte
If you’re not abnormal like me and actually like chocolate, a delicious twist on the regular peppermint latte is a peppermint mocha- just stir in a tablespoon of cocoa powder before pouring coffee.
It’s as easy as pie! er… latte!
What’s your favorite winter-weather drink?
