Today was pretty good, all things considered. It was my birthday. I’ve heard people talk about dreading growing older. When I was younger I couldn’t wait to grow older, and now that I am older, I can’t really say as I dread it. I dread the aches and pains that come with it. But all in all, not bad day. A friend took me to lunch. By ourselves, no kids. It’s nice to have a quite meal. And it’s important for a parent’s mental well-being to have a meal or activity that does not include their child or revolve around their child in some way.

Yesterday was a bit of a downer. The death of a pet will do that do you. The kids have been reassured that we will get another cat. And I am concerned. From our conversations, it is pretty clear that they believe another cat will fill the hole left by Mariah. That leads me to believe I haven’t explained life and death all that clearly.

The only bummer about today is that the Overnight Meringues that I started last night did not turn out right this morning. They had the expected hard outer shell, but inside instead of being chewie, they were gooey. I’m not exactly sure where I went wrong. I made sure the egg whites were room temperature, I tried to avoid over-beating the eggs, I added the sugar slowly, I gently folded in the nuts and chocolate, and I made sure the oven had a long warming process.

In response to this fail, I chose to do Peanut Butter Blossoms for the recipe for tonight. A very easy recipe with a low chance of failure. Something to get my confidence back after my gooey meringues, I guess.

Overnight Meringues

Overnight Meringues

2 egg white

1/2 C sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 C chopped pecans

1 C semisweet chocolate morsels

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Add flavorings; mix well. Fold in pecans and chocolate morsels. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto aluminum foil-lined cookie sheets. Place in a 350F oven; immediately turn oven off. Let stand 8 to 10 hours or overnight. (Do not open over.) Store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1/2 C shortening

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C granulated sugar

Milk chocolate kisses

1. In a large mixing bowl bet the shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of bowl. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer Stir in remaining flour.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.