We know just how to keep warm on this cold day.

With the high today a balmy -1, we (WD and I) got an early start to our day at 6:30. Daddy decided to sleep in so we got to warming up the house. First we made peanut butter cookies, a new recipe that consisted of 1c PB, 1c Sugar and 1 egg. Ehh... they weren't that great, but Dave and I didn't let that stop us from eating most of them. Then WD and I made a baked ham and cheese omelet, that was yummy. No recipe, just a combo of several I'd read or seen. After breakfast (and with Dave still sleeping), we got started on our 2nd cookie recipe, Triple Chocolate Cookies (http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=2531&iSeason=8) wow - they are rich. Dave said he would be fine if I never made them again, but I thought they were pretty good with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee, or even better - a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on few of them still warm.....mmmmmmm (yep - that would be my genes talking!)

By then it was time to get to cracking on lunch, and I was still in my PJs, but at least Dave had been up for a few hours so he could help occupy WD (who did get in a nap during all this). I had Dave pull some chicken and some flounder fillets from the deep freeze, but just what to do with them all was the puzzle. After debate with Dave and him rejecting chicken and stuffing casserole, and also white chicken chili (yum), I told him he could make supper with them and we both agreed on Thai Curry Chicken. So for lunch I made stuffed flounder. I Googled some ideas, and that sounded the best. Except I was stuck at home on this frigid, bitter-cold day with out the shrimp and crab most recipes were calling for. So - I channeled my inner "Frances" and thought - "What would Grandma do?" Knowing she's make something up with what she had, and then spread butter on it. Funny enough - that's what I did. And it was really good!!! You can see my "recipe" below if your interested. Presentation isn't my strong suit but they really did look better in person. Dave and I had lunch and I called dibs on the left-overs for lunch the next 2 days. I calculated the WW points and found this wasn't too bad, even with butter. And BOY do I need to get back on the WW-Wagon ASAP! After these cookies, and this weekend, and it all started with a potluck Friday at work.

Since lunch, Dave's playing around in the wood-shop, making some type of closet insert/organizer. WD is napping and has been for the last 1hr 40min. I've eaten another Triple Chocolate cookie, washed it down with some hot tea, have been playing around with the blog, and listening to Christmas music. Life just can't get much sweeter - can it???

Stay warm and safe travels to you (if you are traveling)!!

Stuffed Flounder Fillets (should work for any light fish)

Prep - 20 min Pre-heated Oven to 300

Servings - 6 WW Points - 6

6 Flounder Fillets (we got ours at Sam's Club)

1 Box Rice-a-Roni Long Frain & Wild Rice (make according to box)

1/2 can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can sliced mushrooms (drained and rinsed)

1 stalk celery (diced)

1/2 small onion (diced)

2 T butter (divided)

2 T Lemon Juice (bottled is fine)

> While the Rice-a-Roni is cooking, in a small hot skillet, melt 1T butter, and add in your diced celery and onion and cook until translucent.

> About 5 minutes before the Rice-a-Roni is done, add the beans and mushrooms.

> Mix the Rice-a-Roni mixture and the onion and celery.

> Place 3 fillets in a sprayed baking dish.

*** I lightly dreged my fillets in flour seasoned with pepper and Cookie's Seasoning, but I don't think it added much, you could do without it if you chose to ***

> Scoop the rice mixture onto the 3 fillets evenly. (I found it useful to pack a 1/4 measuring cup and then use that to place the rice, it held it's shape more, verses the rice falling all over in the dish.)

> Place the remaining 3 fillets on top.

> Bake on lower oven rack at 300 for 10 min, then remove, and drizzle a mixture of the 2T lemon juice and 1T butter melted over the top of all. Cover with foil, turn pan, and place on a middle to upper oven rack for about 10 more minutes, or until fish is flaky.

Would be a wonderful meal with a side salad, and a glass of white wine. Maybe a Triple Chocolate cookie and coffee to finish the meal off? Mmmmmmmm...........enjoy.

Lactation Cookies? Are you sure???

Looking to boost my milk production for WD, I came across a recipe on the internet for Lactation Cookies. Now men - don't let these scare you - Dave has eaten plenty of them and we've yet to see a drop from him so far...so don't get too worried. Basically I think it's a healthier Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie - and now I have a GREAT excuse to eat several of them a day! I wash 'em down with either cold milk , or a hot cup of "Mother's Milk" Tea. Dave prefers milk with his.

"LACTATION" COOKIES

(aka: PERFECT EXCUSE Cookies)

preheat oven to 350
parchment paper is needed for this.

• 1 cup butter/margarine (I use light/low fat)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 2 cups flour (I use 1/2 c whole wheat flour + 1.5 to 1.75 c white flour)
• 2 T water (I omit entirely)
• 2 T ground flax seed meal
• 2 T flax seed (I add this - it's not in the original recipe)
• 4 T brewers yeast (I got mine at Campbell's Nutrition in Des Moines)
• 3 cups thick cut oats
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I like Dark Chocolate Chips as that makes it even "healthier")

The internet directions will tell you to mix your ground flax meal w/ the water in a cup and let sit, but I found that really useless, so I omit the water all together and just add the flax meal to the dry ingredients. (Can you tell I've made these a few times already.) Cream the butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. If you chose to mix the flax meal with water, then you'll add that mixture to the creamed mixture now.

Next mix the dry ingredients together EXCEPT the oats and chips, leave those out until the end. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ones a few spoonfuls at a time. Once it's all incorporated then mix in the oats and chips. If you'd like to add nuts (I like to add 1/4 c chopped walnuts occasionally), add them now. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. W/o the parchment paper, good luck getting them off your cookie sheet!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes.

Yield = I'd guess about 5 dozen, but I'm not for sure - have yet to bake a batch w/o Dave and I getting into them while they're hot! I'd recommend bagging them up in bunches of 2 or 3 and freezing them. That certainly helps hem last longer around our house.

WW POINTS value = 2 pts per cookie