Cookies make everything better

I made a batch of cookies last night and have eaten many, many of them. My self-control is not the best. The cookies are absolutely amazing though. I have included the recipe below. You won't regret making them. Unless you eat seven in one day like I did. Seven is better than 17, I guess.

I was up all night coughing again. My stomach muscles and throat are sore from all the effort. I figure I must have coughed thousands of times. I assume I have bronchitis or something. This is clearly more than a cold. I have a prenatal appointment Monday, and I figure I can just get checked out then.

I didn't feel so bad about calling in sick today. I was kind of a gross mess. I was also supposed to walk in a parade in a town an hour and a half away. The parade is at night, and today it was in the 20s and 30s there and snowing. It seemed pretty ridiculous to do that in my condition. So, after a short deliberation, I stayed home and laid on the couch.

T took Q to daycare so I could nap for awhile during the day. I get so bored at home alone though watching Dr. Phil and reading. I am never home without Q, so I kept thinking he was around somewhere. I did finish a book and got all of my Christmas cards addressed, so that's progress.

Q has been walking all over the place though not consistently and not actually to get from place to place. He seems to see it as a novelty, but if he actually needs to get across the room he drops down into a crawl. Tonight he discovered the water dispenser in the refrigerator. After this experiment he was soaked, water was dripping down the fridge, and a puddle formed on the floor. He screamed when we took him away from his watery mess. Is there a way to child-proof those things? This could be a dangerous precedent.

I am hoping to be well enough to get back into the swing of things tomorrow. I am tried of coughing!

--MM

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies Giada De Laurentiis 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 ounces English toffee candy, finely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor) 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips. For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)