Apparently, yesterday was Ginger Awareness Day.
Now technically, I believe this is supposed to be a day to recognize redheads. Now, since I am not a redhead (although I desperately WANT to be one, and I truly believe that I would make a smokin' hot redhead, like this lovely lady), I celebrated the second-best kind of ginger out there, and made a batch of these ginger molasses cookies—my new favorite cookie. (Really. They even beat out the chocolate chip kind.)
I originally saw these over here and they just looked so delicious to me that I just had to make them for myself. I have now made them too many times to count, and have adjusted the recipe a teeny, tiny bit, making them even more amazing.
Try them. You won't be sorry.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients Roll dough into small balls and then roll in extra sugar until coated Bake on un-greased cookie sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes. 
Several weeks ago I made a promise to my children.
It was simple, really. "Kids! I promise we can bake chocolate chip cookies today!"
And then, as an good blogger would do, I took to Facebook and Twitter to ask for recipe recommendations. What I received was nothing short of an overwhemling response. And then the great chocolate chip cookie recipe challenge was born. We have been working our way through several recipes, adapting them to our tastes along the way. We have also been veering slightly off-course when other recipe suggestions come in—ginger molasses recipes, sugar cookie recipes, butterscotch oatmeal chip recipes.
My kids and my sweet tooth are over-the-moon.
My behind, however, is less than thrilled.
We believe we found a winner in this recipe, and we think you'll love it too!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag butterscotch melts (I used the PC brand). Note: You can also use 1/2 a bag of milk chocolate chips and a 1/2 a bag of butterscotch chips as an alternative
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl.
Cream butter and sugars in a large mixer. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in oats and melts until just mixed.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutess. Do not overbake. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
WARNING: CONTENTS MAY BE HABIT-FORMING
And if you are looking for another great cookie to make, these pumpkin cookies are delicious!
When your dad says the words "I’M SCARED" it’s as if your world is flipped-turned upside-down.
Parents aren't allowed to have four heart attacks. Parents aren't allowed to crawl to the ambulance. Parents aren't allowed to get scared. And parents most certainly aren't allowed to think they are going to die.
But there I was, sitting in the floor of the hospital waiting room playing Angry Birds with my siblings while we waited to hear an update from the doctor. Phrases like enlarged aortic bulb and catheter and open-heart surgery and myocardial infractions and defibrillators and pacemaker and insulin and coumadin and ticking time bomb were being thrown around all over the place.
BUT THEN he woke up.
And we know that my dad is certainly not out of the woods. He has a crappy heart. He is half-bionic now. He has lots of scars. He can’t hold a cell phone on his left ear ever again. He is diabetic.
And it’s altogether possible that I have a crappy heart too. My dad’s dad died suddenly of a heart aneurysm. They think that it’s possible that he died of the exact same thing that my dad has going on. Which, GENETICS. I hate genetics right now. I am now feeling a little bit thankful that I have chubby thighs. I’ll take my chubby thighs and tiny pea head and knobby knees any day over a crappy heart and type II diabetes.
So, now, here I am.
I am 33-years-old.
And I'm scared as hell.
Thanks to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, I was able to take an online risk assessment. (You can take one here!) The assessment takes fewer than ten minutes to complete, and takes my family history and my eating and exercise habits into account to let me know what is putting me risk of heart disease and stroke, and how I can take immediate action to live a longer and fuller life.
Even though I watch what I eat (fairly well) and I exercise (fairly frequently), you can see that I still have 13 of the possible 16 risk factors. The assessment helps to point out WHAT I can add to my diet to make it healthier, what I can do as far as exercise goes to make my body healthier.
I need regular physicals.
I need regular blood tests.
I need regular cholesterol tests.
I need CT scans to look for calcium.
I need to exercise more. Not for my weight; for my heart.
I need to watch my sugars, my carbs, my salt. Not for my weight; for my heart.
I need to eat foods rich in omega-3s.
I need to fight this. I can fight this. I will fight this.
I need to MAKE DEATH WAIT.
Just watch me. Because the thought of my three children sitting in a waiting room playing Angry Birds and hearing me say that I’m scared is enough motivation to do my damnedest to fight the stupid genetics.
I encourage you to make death wait too. Take the risk assessment test today and gut-punch your own genetics and risk factors.
Presented in partnership with Heart & Stroke Foundation. February is Heart Month and the Heart & Stroke Foundation wants you to help Make Death Wait.
Take their online risk assessment to find out what is putting you at risk of heart disease and stroke. Then make a donation this month to support life-giving research to help all Canadians enjoy longer, fuller lives.
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