nutella cookies

happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you.

happy birthday to sam.

happy birthday to you!

sam, we love you!

we are making nutella cookies in your honor today...yummy!  well, and because of what i gave up for lent.  i am not religious, but every year i feel this absurd need to give up something that i enjoy during the season of lent.  it all goes back to my catholic upbringing (thanks, mom), but i cannot seem to shake the guilt without denying myself a pleasure during forty days of early spring.  so, this year i did a double whammy and choose two things to give up: 1. i have to drink my coffee black (which i really enjoy but i got into the habit of adding a touch of milk and sugar every morning as jack and i stumble out of the door before 7 o'clock) UNLESS i go out for coffee (out for breakfast, coffee break in the afternoon, coffee when out for dessert) and 2. no desserts after dinner UNLESS there is a purposeful desert (king cake for mardi gras, cookies to honor your nephew's birthday, poundcake for your best friend's birthday, you get the idea.  really, this "rule" serves to stop my mindless intake of chocolate or a sweet cereal following dinner).  so, there.  i have my two rules and my tricks to get around them:)

back to our purposeful desert tonight...thank you, sam, for having a birthday!!!

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

blend 1 cup nutella, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour, and 1 egg together well.  form batter into 1″ balls and place on a cookie sheet.  press balls down firmly with the bottom of a glass.  bake for 7-8 minutes or until set.  cool, if you can resist, before serving with a glass of milk.

adopted from thepioneerwoman