Motivation Mondays

Mondays should be called "Motivation Mondays," at least for me.  They are the one day of the week that I get the most done and feel the most energy to start or finish all those projects on my list.

So besides the countless loads of laundry and other mundane housework, I took down all the Christmas decorations.  Yes, all of them!  Usually we wait until after New Year's to do so, but I figured since I was in the mood to get things done, I should take advantage of the moment!  The hardest part was letting Gabi "help" me - I prefer ornaments and garlands go back in the boxes the exact way they came out!  But all in all she was a good helper until we got to the Christmas tree.  At first she was quite eager to help take down all the "child-proof" ornaments, that is, until she realized we were taking down the Christmas tree.  And NOT putting it back up!  This concerned her a great deal, because you see, she has been holding out hope every day since Christmas that Santa will come back with more gifts.  And now that there is no tree to put the gifts under...  well, the tears fell and I had to console her as best I could.  Nothing like more candy from a Christmas stocking to ease a child's woes!

I thought I deserved a quick little break from all my work, and so settled in to check a few favorite blogs, catch up on email, and enjoy some coffee and spritz cookies.  I always make spritz cookies for Christmas, but this year I found a new recipe and will never go back to the basic vanilla spritz cookies again!  These cookies are addictive and melt in your mouth!  Here's the recipe:

Cream Cheese Spritz

1 cup shortening

1 package 3 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated orange peel

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1.  Beat shortening and cream cheese until blended.  Add sugar; beat until creamy.  Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, and orange peel.  Combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Add food coloring if you wish.

2.  Using a cookie press, press dough 1 in. apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Decorate with colored sugar if you wish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes or until set.  Do not brown.  Place on wire racks to cool.  Makes about 9 dozen.

My husband wants me to make these again for New Years' .  He has been eating them like crazy, although I freely admit that I have done my share of the devouring!  Try it out and see

what you think!