Five on Friday

One. The Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie - Alas, on this Friday I don't have a picture of the perfect cookie but I do have the recipe! It's short, easy and makes some seriously divine cookies!

What You Need

• 1 cup light brown sugar; packed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• sugar for sprinkling

What To Do

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, baking soda and peanut butter. Stir in the egg until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Stir in the vanilla. Roll into 12 balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, press balls flat. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Yields 1 dozen cookies!

And they are absolutely the most delicious cookies - I promise! 

Two. The Beast Box - Have you heard of the Brit Box? It's a subscription service that sends you all kinds of goodies from the UK... but I now have my own version; jokingly named the Beast Box, because my younger sister lives in the UK now! The first one arrived on Wednesday (it's for my family, not just me) and had all kinds of fun things!

The box had socks and a handyband (it's like a face coveing/head wrap all in one - see here) from Seasalt Cornwall (the cutest shop!) and then all the food items: Strawberry Jam, Orange Marmalade and Lemon Cookies from Sandringham Estate, Cadbury chocolate, Roast Chicken and Smoky Bacon crisps and four types of chocolates: Gianduja Bomb, Apple Strudel, Salted Caramel & Butterscotch Milkshake and Coconut! I'm not sure about those crisps but can't wait to try everything else!

Three. Medical Weirdness - This week was pretty interesting because after a routine doctor visit last week, I ended up getting to have blood work done and have an ultrasound done on my thyroid... and I'm still in the dark about the results from that. My doctor thought my thyroid seemed "enlarged" and so all the tests were ordered.

My blood work came back today and all is well on that front... granted; I've never gotten odd thyroid levels on any blood work I've ever had. *shrugs* So now I wait to see what the ultrasound tells me... but hey - I guess I got a handy little hospital bracelet, huh? I have an Aunt that is a nurse and she told my Mom that sometimes your thyroid can behave strangely when you lost a large amount of weight in quick succession... which leads me to...

Four. Six Months - I've been doing Weight Watchers for six months now and I have most definitely had results! I've lost right at 40 pounds and I'm down almost three sizes so far - it's wild! It hasn't been the easiest sometimes and I've slipped up here and there... but it's pretty amazing what a difference six months can make!

I still have a ways to go to get to my goal but I think I've made quite the progress and pictures like the one above are just such a good source of motivation for me. It's proof that it can be done - and who doesn't like to see the actual results of their hard work?

Five. Friday Funny - I stumbled on this comic while perusing Instagram and I just couldn't resist sharing it because it made me giggle. I don't know that life is ever what we imagine it to be and I certainly don't think 2020 has been anything like anyone expected - but here we are - over halfway through the year.

I think that when life doesn't quite go the way you plan - all you can do is make the best of what you're given. Even if what you're given might be a flaming pile of poop with flies and a snake... Yikes! 

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It's Friday once again and the weekend stretches out in front of me, wide open with possibility. Not sure what I'll get up to this weekend but there are always options!