Channeling my Inner Cookie Monster

Its been a busy and exciting last few weeks for me.  For those of you whom I haven't talked to, I am finally leaving my full time job at Lowes. The best part is that I'm leaving it so I can expand my coaching practice. I'll be doing what I love full time! Not to mentino the change in schedule... first time having evenings and weekends off in quite a few years.

What prompted my decision? It struck me that I talk about evaluating quality of life issues and time management with a lot of my clients. I have been juggling this crazy Lowes schedule, not seeing my family adn definitely not getting paid enough for my efforts for way to long. My dream was to be coaching full time. I started building my business but it got to the point that my job at Lowe's was preventing me from pursuing my dreams.

So now that I am free to enjoy my family and my home more, what will I be doing? I've got some great classes and workshops I've been developping that I want to start offering. My favorite ones are using creativity using rubber stamps and papercrafting. Keep your eyes peeled for my monthly gratitude project series.  Over the next 2 weeks I also plan on thoroughly enjoying the holidays by baking, handmaking my holiday cards and gift tags and baking in my newly rennovated kitchen. Tommorrow evening my husband and I will be enjoying a nice quiet dinner at home and burning of the Yule log before all the holiday hoopla starts with our families over the next week. 

This time of year is one of indulgence for me. I let myself take the extra time to treat myself to a day of baking,  and to enjoy the occasional treat or two.  As with everything I try to stay balanced about my choices as possible, enjoying these indulgences in moderation. One of our favorite indulgences lately is the chocolate milk we get from the local farm. If you happen to live in PA and are near Strites' Orchard or see it anywhere else, the chocolate milk from the Apple Valley Creamery is amazing! Its like drinking a milk shake.

 I have discovered that living a gluten free lifestyle does not mean I really have to give up my favorite holiday foods. I just get to morph the recipes a bit. I love baking cookies this time of year.  Here are a few that I plan on making over the next few days during my extra fee time.  Note: the recipes below are gluten free, if you need to make them vegan as well, I've had a lot of luck using the earth balance buttery sticks in my cooking and baking. they're in the dairy case of the natural foods section at the grocery store.

Ginger Molasses Cookies
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/gluten-free-Ginger-Cookies

Traditional Sugar Cookies
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Gluten-Free-Sugar-Cookies

In our family its not the holidays without peanut butter cookies, occosionally topped with a chocolate kiss, luckily for me they are naturally gluten free!

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Gluten-Free-Peanut-Butter-Cookies

This was a neat dessert that I plan to take to my parents' home, Gluten free sugar Cookie blueberry cheesecake:


http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=752638



Lastly, my piece de resistance I'll be making my famous Pumpkin Amaretto Chessecake for Dessert for the holiday celebration with my husband's family. I'll use the ginger cookies pictured above to make the crust so I can keep my cheesecake gluten free as well. I'll  post some pictures as soon as I have some. I'm sorry to say that recipe however is top secret.  I'll be posting next about the approaching new year. In the meantime, happy holidays regardless of how you celebrate them.