Today is the 3-month mark of my Clinical Fellowship (9 months in total), as well as the FIRST weekend that I have not been drowning in work! I didn't even bring my work laptop home this weekend which is miraculous. And so...I celebrated by BAKING, of course! It's been forever, so I went a little overboard. After a few hours, the kitchen was filled with pumpkin bars, pumpkin cheescake, oreo truffles, and cranberry white chocolate cookies, and I realized that I could finally update this blog again!

I have neglected it for some time, because grad school became all-consuming. Every weekend, my roommate and I would study at Starbs from 7am-7pm, and then continue until midnight at home. It was so fun when friends from church would stop by to study or even just to read or chat with us. Strangely, I look back on those days so fondly because as tiring as school was, and as mundane and routine as our days seemed, so much joy was found in these genuine friendships.

While I had hoped that there would be more free time with a work schedule, there has been so much to learn and research and constant paperwork to be finished. It wasn't until a therapy session this week with my adult stuttering client that my love for baking was rekindled. We were practicing his strategies and asking each other conversation starter questions. He asked, "What would you do if you won a million dollars?" And I told him, "You know, I've always wanted to open a clinic with a bakery/cafe inside. I feel like people with communication disorders, well, all people, need community, and that would provide a place for those at the clinic and their families to connect with others and know that they're not alone in their experiences." He responded so earnestly, "Let me know when you do. I'll definitely be there," that I immediately knew it was time to get back to baking.

I've come to realize that therapy and baking are two of my favorite ways to love others, and I'm so thankful that God gives the opportunities and the joy.

Peppermint Oreo Truffles!
**These are amazeballs, literally. They bring the Christmas spirit back, with no baking involved!

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of Trader Joes' Candy Cane Joe Joe's (these are so much better than Oreos!)
• 1 8oz. package low-fat cream cheese (usually hate low-fat items, but since we are straight up mixing this with oreos, you can skimp on the fat content a little.)
• Dark chocolate, chopped (~10 oz.)

Steps:

1. Pulse 5 cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Pulse remaining cookies in the food processor until finely ground. Add cream cheese and pulse until combined.
3. Roll mixture into 1" balls. Place the rolled balls onto wax or parchment paper. Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Melt dark chocolate in the microwave for 2 minutes. (Check at 30 second intervals to avoid burning the chocolate.)
5. Dip balls in the chocolate by alternating between two spoons, and place back onto wax paper. 
6. Sprinkle the reserved oreo crumbles on top to garnish, after every 3 balls dipped, because the chocolate sets quickly.
7. Refrigerate truffles for at least one hour, and enjoy!!