Peppermint Compaction Chocolate Minute Cookies {For Sandy Hook}

This post service is inwards honour together with back upwards of the victims of Sandy Hook. Bloggers unite on this solar daytime inwards back upwards of the Newtown, Connecticut community later the tragic uncomplicated schoolhouse shooting 1 calendar week ago, 12/14/12.

There's in all likelihood non a soul on the planet who hasn't heard of the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School 1 calendar week agone today. And, similar many, I desire to help. If fifty-fifty inwards simply a tiny way. So I bring together forces amongst a grouping of bloggers who decided to unite on this solar daytime amongst 'Cookies & Crafts for Sandy Hook.'

While this post service is but a minor tribute to the victims together with their families, it's large inwards heart.

When I commencement sat downwardly to write this, I was at a full loss equally to what to say. Quite honestly, most of what I would like to state are ugly words directed toward the perpetrator of this completely senseless act. But ... I estimate that's non truly productive.

So, I'll exit my personal reaction at this ...

I am sickened past times the shooter's taking of 26 innocent lives. I am heartbroken for the families of those who lost loved ones at Sandy Hook that day. And I am angered past times the stealing of the innocence of those beautiful children left to bargain amongst what they witnessed together with experienced that solar daytime inwards their school.

As a commencement score instructor inwards a minor town inwards North Carolina, I will, instead of sharing my ain perspective on the shooting, portion amongst you lot today the reaction through the eyes of my commencement graders.

Our students arrived at schoolhouse on Mon later the shooting, equally did the bulk of students across our nation, to constabulary presence on the schoolhouse grounds together with to a planned exercise of lockdown procedures.

As I ever do on days nosotros get got planned lockdown or burn drill practice, I laid aside a few minutes of our 'morning meeting' to allow my students know almost the exercise together with to 'refresh' our memories almost our procedures. But today's give-and-take was different. Today, I was nervous. Today, I was nervous equally to what their reaction to the shooting would be. Today, I was nervous almost what their questions would be. Today, I was nervous almost finding the correct agency to respond.

I decided to allow their 'chatter' elbow grease the direction of the discussion. And I decided honesty ... without exceptional .... was the 'right' agency to respond. I affirmed their understandings of the tragedy. I assured them nosotros were safe. And nosotros framed our conversation about the tenets of our classroom civilisation ... showing respect, showing kindness, together with making skillful choices.

"Mrs. Harrelson, did you lot take away heed that someone shot some people inwards a schoolhouse on Friday?" the conversation began. "Yes, I did sweetheart. We teachers truly had a coming together almost it Fri later school."

"Did you lot know they shot commencement graders, simply similar us??" they continued. "Yes, sweetheart, I did. That wasn't a skillful choice, was it?"

"No!" they responded inwards unison. "That was mean!"

"That mortal was beingness a bully," some other chimed in. "Yes, darling, he for certain was beingness a bully. Was he showing respect?"

And out came some other resounding "No!" from my adorable, sweetness students.

"Should nosotros ever brand a pick similar that one?"

"No! We should be nice. We should hold out respectful to everybody." {They warm my pump every day.}

"That's right. We absolutely should. Unfortunately, sometimes in that place are hateful people out there. So, simply similar nosotros get got before, nosotros require to exercise what nosotros would do if in that place was a hateful mortal at our schoolhouse ... which in that place wooooon't be," I state inwards my overly-dramatic kinda-funny agency that makes them express mirth together with breaks whatever 'tension' or worry ... "but nosotros require to withal know what to do juuuuuuuuust inwards case, right?"

"Right!" they say, enthusiastically.

And equally I looked out at them sitting criss-cross-applesauce on our classroom carpeting inwards their neat picayune semi-circle rows inwards forepart of me, I couldn't assist but holler upwards that an entire score ... simply similar them ... had simply senselessly been taken from this world.

We proceeded to 'play hide-and-seek from a hateful person,' equally our score refers to a lockdown. And together with so .... they were laid to movement on. No to a greater extent than questions. No to a greater extent than mentions. No worry.

And I so wishing nosotros could all bring together them. In moving on. With no to a greater extent than questions. And no worry. But, alas, I don't holler upwards nosotros can.

The community of Newtown, Connecticut, continues to hold out inwards my prayers. Please concur them inwards yours, too.

Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: A merging of Peppermint Crush Cookies from relish.com together with Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Cookies from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
(Printable recipe)
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. low-cal brownish sugar
ii eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
ii 3/4 c. self-rising flour*
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips (if you lot can't notice the baking chips, crush Andes Peppermint Crunch candies; almost 12 candies brand 1 c.)

Directions
1. Combine butter, sugar, together with brownish sugar; shell until combined. Add eggs together with vanilla extract; shell until simply combined.

2. Add flour together with salt; mix until simply combined. Stir inwards chocolate chips together with Andes Peppermint Crunch.

3. Scoop dough amongst a minor cookie scoop, or drib past times minor spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until puffy together with low-cal golden inwards color.

Makes some three dozen, depending on the size of your cookies.

*If you lot don't get got self-rising flour on hand, here's how to brand your own using all-purpose flour.

Enjoy!