Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Eggnog Muffins

 These moist, yet fluffy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Eggnog Muffins are chock full of tart cranberries, white chocolate chips, and just the right amount of eggnog flavor. They are the perfect addition to that holiday breakfast table!

I find that people usually have pretty strong opinions when it comes to eggnog- they either love it or they hate it. There rarely seems to be a middle ground when it comes to this popular holiday flavor. 

I think that maybe I do fall into that all too rare middle ground here. I wouldn't say I love it, but I also definitely don't hate it.

I mean on the one hand, I do like the flavor. But I can't go for the traditional stuff with the raw eggs and rum and all that. I also don't prefer to go all dairy since my lactose intolerance isn't too cool with that option. 

The flavor of eggnog also happens to bring back a little holiday nostalgia for me. When I was a kid, we used to go to my grandparents' house every Christmas Eve for dinner and my grandma always set out a punch bowl of eggnog (non-alcoholic, of course). 

Before I was aware of my slight lactose intolerance or that such a thing even existed, I used to ladle myself cups of it to drink all evening until I almost sick to my stomach. Oops.

But I do like the occasional glass of soy or coconut milk eggnog with a little splash of whiskey while I am wrapping gifts or baking cookies during the holiday season. I also love the flavor of eggnog in holiday baked goodies like these Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Eggnog Muffins I am sharing with you all today...

White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Cookies

Chock full of creamy white chocolate chips, tart dried cherries, and crunchy macadamia nuts, these thick & chewy White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Cookies would make the perfect addition to Santa's cookie plate...

So who else feels like we were catapulted straight from Thanksgiving dinner right into the Christmas season almost overnight? Granted, Thanksgiving did arrive a little later than it normally does this year, so maybe that is why I am feeling as if I have been scrambling this last full week before Christmas. 

We finally went out and picked out our Christmas tree and got it up and decorated last Friday. 

We didn't bother putting lights up outside this year because it seemed to rain almost every day that my son & I actually would have had the time to tackle the task. And by the time the weather cleared up, the lights would only be up for a couple of weeks so why bother with all that effort?

And while it may seem that I am grumbling a little (maybe there is even a little hint of bah-humbug in there?), it has been kind of nice to just be able to focus on the essentials for the holiday season for once. 

The tree may have been put up a little later than normal, but it IS up. The gift list has been checked off and the shopping is officially done. 

And I was still able to host my annual Christmas cookie baking party with my family. Things may not have went exactly according to my usual plan, but memories are being made and cherished family traditions are still being continued.

So what does the recipe for these White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Cookies that I am sharing with you all today have to do with any of the above? ;)

Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread

This moist and delicious Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread is packed full of the good stuff like apples, walnuts, whole grains, and chai spices for a fall/holiday kick...

I know when most people think of the flavors of the holiday season, they think of pumpkin and peppermint & chocolate. But for me it is all about the chai spices... and the apples! We go apple picking as a family every single fall, and I go to work over that next week or so making apple butter, baking a pie or two, and trying my hand at a few new apple inspired recipes as well.  

This recipe for Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread is definitely an exception to my usual holiday (ahem... indulgent) baking. My inspiration for creating this holiday perfect quick bread that you can also feel good about indulging in? The sack of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour that I received in the mail. :) Bob's Red Mill wheat flour is stone ground from organic hard red wheat, leaving all of the nutritious bran and germ still intact. All of the wholesome goodness is retained in the process of grinding the flour.  And when I read that their whole wheat flour was ideal for bread baking, I knew that I just had try my hand at making a bread with it.  

Keeping with Bob's Red Mill's practice of keeping all of the good stuff in their products, I decided to add in a lot of the good stuff in my bread recipe as well- coconut oil, almond milk, organic apples, walnuts, and of course the menagerie of spices that give chai spice it's kick and holiday toastiness...

15 Fabulous Make-Ahead Holiday Cookies

Get a head start on all that holiday baking now with these 15 Fabulous Make-Ahead Holiday Cookies recipes...

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Now that all of that Halloween business is behind us for another year, it is time to focus on that most wonderful time of the year...the holiday season!

If you are like me, the holidays are jam-packed full of family gatherings, last-minute gift shopping, home decorating, and of course, cookie baking.

But just what if you could get that holiday cookie baking done and out of the way?

Like now? ;)

Before the hustle and the bustle sets in.

Yes, folks. Freezer-friendly cookie dough and perfectly baked cookies could be all nestled in your freezer just ready for you to defrost and serve and enjoy. Have cookie dough and tasty cookies at the ready for unexpected holiday guests or impromptu baking sessions with the kiddos or your girlfriends.