Cookies 'N Fruit

Two updates:
1) I did pretty well on the cookie baking this weekend. I made the PB blossoms on Friday and only ate two! I put the rest in the freezer, and feel pretty confident that I won't be touching them. I ate a few more of the Hershey Kisses as I was unwrapping them than I should've though. I did slightly less stellar with the cut-outs I made on Saturday. I ate a few...only the broken ones, but I'm not exactly sure how many.  Maybe about five or six?  That sounds like a lot, but I did exercise some restraint and I refuse to feel guilty about it. I mean, I did make them because I like to eat them. I just don't need to eat them all at once. I put the rest in the freezer.

The whole time I was making both of these, I was thinking: "Why am I putting myself through this?"  My family would live without Christmas cookies, and really be better off for it. No one asked me to make them; I took it upon myself.  But as I was rolling out the cookie dough Saturday afternoon, I remembered. It's because I love doing it. It's so much fun, trying to get the cookie cutters to fit together so you get the most use out of your dough. I know how to do every step of it so well, because my mom did such a good job teaching us to bake. I am so lucky for that.  Making these cookies makes me feel close to her even when we're six hours a part.

Here's a pic of the finished product:

My roommate, Jen, is a cookie decorating
artist.  All of the best ones are her designs.

2) I've decided that pomegranates are a super-powered fruit.  Ever since I first tried them a couple of weeks ago, I've been adding a spoonful or two to my traditional breakfast: Kashi cereal, blueberries (or strawberries) and almond milk.  This little difference has been keeping me full until lunch time daily.  I no longer need a mid-morning snack. Before I started adding the pomegranate seeds, I would be starving by 10 a.m. Also, the second time I went to kill and skin the pomegranate was MUCH easier and I only had minimal clean up involved.  

I've also been enjoying kiwi somewhat regularly since I first tried it on the blog. I have not had any more grapefruit, okra, or cranberries since I first tasted them for the blog (although I'm not ruling out okra).  Wait a second, that's not exactly true. At Thanksgiving, my brother and sister and I dared each other to eat the fresh cranberries a few times, because they are really that disgusting.