Cookie Exchange!

Sorry for the break in posts. One of those weeks - LOTS to do.

But now it is Friday and the weekend has arrived.

And next week?

Reading week.

Hallelujah!

Tomorrow I am hosting (for the first time ever) a Cookie Exchange Party!

I'm very excited to see what people will be bringing tomorrow afternoon.

I bought some bags for people to take their cookies home in, and will be providing some non-sugary snacks (sammies and puff-pastry-cheese hors d's) along with tea, coffee, lemonade and other beverages.

I'm busy getting my own recipe idea together and have finally made a decision.

Since the exchange is open to more than just cookies, I'm going to make a somewhat-healthier baked good:

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 tsp salt. Add1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup finely grated zucchini, and 3 tbsp sour cream.
• Sift 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup cocoa powder into the zucchini mix and stir until incorporated.
• Pour into greased muffin pans or pans lined with muffin cups. Bake for 15-17 minutes.
  

If you want to throw your own cookies exchange there are great cards (thank you's, recipes, etc) to be found HERE!

In other, un-food, related news, I just saw this video and it was like the skies opened up and beamed down an explanation of what happened to me 4 or 5-ish years ago.

I get migraines about once or twice a year. They are always preceeded by a blind spot (very scary sometimes) and that gives me a warning that I have about half an hour to get myself into a quiet, dark and medicated place before the pain kicks in. I used to get really painful ones accompanied by nausea and numbness in my mouth/tongue.

A few years back I was at a kick boxing class with my sister when I get my blind spot. Knowing the class was almost over, and knowing I had about half an hour to get myself home, we finished the class. In retrospect this was a terrible idea as the last 5 mins were all about exerting yourself til you collapsed.

Going into the changeroom, I tried speaking to Robin and couldn't get words out. I was slurring and just generally not making any sense. While she was killing herself laughing, I was freaking out that I was having a stroke and needed to get to an emergency room!

Anyway we walked to a walk-in clinic but by that time I was okay. I went to my doctor and she said it was likely the migraine coupled with over exerting myself. I believed this cause it meant I hadn't just had a stroke but in the back of my mind I was convinced I had had a TIA

The explanation the doctors gave to Ms. Branson however was more or less what my doctor told me - complex migraine.

Yikes.

Scary, but kind of reassuring that it happens to other people.

Since February is Heart Health month make sure you pay attention to any warning signs you think might be related to heart & stroke issues!