Good Excuses

Good Excuse #1
We got cable last week and I've been wondering if it's worth it. I haven't sat down to watch a minute, being too busy or tired, and the girls have only watched minimal Noggin, there being so many other things to do like play in the yard or with the new dollhouse. Ed does love his ESPN so I've been waffling.

But then Corey emailed to ask if I watched Project Runway this week, and I TOTALLY FORGOT that Season 5 was starting in July! (And it's on Bravo, not Lifetime...not sure what happened there.) Luckily there's no need to fret because it's Bravo's favorite thing to repeat episodes 100 time each week so I can catch it tonight at 8pm. Will dish thereafter. So that's my good excuse for keeping cable, at least through October.

Good Excuse #2
My favorite recipe magazine, Cook's Country, has a regular feature called "Recipe Makeover", in which they take a favorite classic recipe and revamp it to be more healthy. The latest is peanut butter cookies, a worthy challenge considering they're all sugar and fat. The secret ingredient? Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal. You pulse it in the food processor and use it with the flour. And you and your children and spouse eat it by the handful throughout the cookie making process. And then you realize that you forgot how delicious it is and thank the powers that be that you had a good excuse to buy it and have plenty leftover after you make the cookies, which also happen to be good.

Low-Fat Peanut Butter Cookies
(Makes 24)

1 1/2 cups Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal
1/3 plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons reduced fat crunchy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Pulse cereal and 1/3 cup flour in food processor until finely ground. Add remaining flour, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine. With electric mixer on medium, beat softened butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in melted butter, egg whites, and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Add water and mix until absorbed.
2. Roll 1 1/2 tablespoons dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Press and crosshatch dough with fork. Bake until edges are lightly browned but centers still soft, 10-12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
Calories: 130
Fat: 4g