One of the best things about this time of year is the food, of course. And as you know, I love food. I particularly like sweets, as evidenced by my obsession with Hot Tamales candies, but I digress. This time of year brings all kinds of goodies, but the treat that says holiday time to me is a cookie.

I like to bake, but cookies aren’t my favorite thing to do. They tend to be really time consuming, and frankly I’d rather whip up a batch of brownies or a sheet cake and call it a day, but December calls for cookies, so cookies I shall make.

I have a few tried and true recipes that I’ve made over and over, and each year I choose one or two to bake. For many years I was invited to a wonderful cookie walk, and always came home with scads of treats, but then I got divorced, and since my former mother-in-law was the hostess I guess she thought it would be weird to keep inviting me.

It’s too bad, because she always had games too, with really nice prizes. I’m good at games, even Christmas themed games, so I would usually win. After the second time I kept my mouth shut. I think the other guests were a little annoyed that the one Jewish person in the room was winning the awesome Christmas themed gift each year. Still, I enjoyed the games and the secret knowledge that I knew the holiday better than people who had celebrated it their entire lives.

Fast forward to Christmas Season 2014. I’ve been invited to a cookie walk this weekend. I would like to go. I like cookie walks. I like cookies. I like parties. HOWEVER, I don’t need cookies, I don’t love making cookies, and I don’t know how many events I want to try to cram into my weekend. So here’s my dilemma, do I cookie, or don’t I?

Oh sure, I’m planning to make cookies at some point anyway, but if I don’t go there’s no pressure to get them done. On the other hand, I have some time to do them this evening. It will be festive. We can put on a Christmas movie or at least some Christmas carols while I’m baking. It will make the house smell wonderful, too.

On the other hand I really shouldn’t do the cookies, or go to a party to swap them for other cookies. They are counter-productive to my goal of making better diet and fitness choices. I know this, but at the same time I’m trying to cut myself a little slack over the holidays.

What I do know is that if I make cookies I will most likely go, but I will NOT make the same cookies I tried to do for Chanukah. They were most definitely a fail. A big, sloppy, embarrassing, yet delicious, fail. Oh well, they’re only cookies. I can always make more.