Cherry Nut Cookies

This is a family favorite that my dad's mother made, and my mom continued. It is such a simple cookie with very few ingredients that comes together quickly, but its very tasty and pretty, and it makes a wonderful addition to a Christmas cookie tray! (Didn't my husband and boys do well while I was sewing?)

Cream together until light and fluffy:

• 1 c. butter
• 2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar (sucanat)

Add and mix thoroughly:

• 1 egg

Stir in:

• 1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, stir together

• 2 1/4 c. flour (I use white whole wheat)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Add 1 c. flour to butter mixture and stir until smooth. Add enough more lfour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Mix until well blended. Shape dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll in:

• 1 c. chopped nuts.

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Press thumb into balls to make depression in center of each. Bake in moderate oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Fill depress in cookies with:

• halved candied cherries, cut side down.

Makes about 6 dozen (really) small cookies (I've never gotten that many).

Grandmother noted on the card: VERY GOOD

Chai Tea

We are in the throes of the first snow storm of the year, and it is a doozey You can spell doozie however you want, right? Spellcheck is not helping me here!

I made French toast this morning, and I'm about to go clean my kitchen while putting on some Chai Tea. I made it for the first time last week after seeing the recipe on the back of my giant bottle of cloves from Costco. SO easy, tasty, and I like that it uses less milk than cocoa! The recipe called for 1/2 cup of sugar, but I'm going to cut it to 1/3 this time, and I think it will be plenty sweet!

Put 4 c. water to boil with 2 cinnamon sticks, broken and 1 tsp. of cloves. Turn it down and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 c. milk, 8 black tea bags (My boys love Trader Joe's decaf Irish Breakfast), and 1/2 (or 1/3) c. sugar. Let it steep for 3 minutes, strain, and enjoy!