A pot of soup for lunch?

I fibbed and led my family to believe we went away for Christmas. So, hubby and I are having a quiet, uninterrupted Christmas at home. I am thinking seriously of making a nice pot of soup for our lunch and our dinner this evening will be scrambled eggs, gluten free breakfast sausages and toast. I know it's a different holiday meal but what the heck... it works!

Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I found this recipe at Joybilee Farm's site. It's an absolute treasure trove of useful information. Baking's in the plans for tomorrow:

Ingredients:

1 lb. of butter
3 cups of organic sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup of organic cocoa
4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ cup slivered almonds
1 ½ cup peppermint-chocolate chips

Method:

Cream butter with sugar until it is light. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and cocoa. Keep beating until all the
lumps are out of the cocoa and the mixture is smooth.
Mix in flour and baking powder. Remove from stand mixer and gently fold in almonds and chocolate
chips. If mixture is too moist, fold in ½ cup more flour. Flour hands and roll balls of dough in your palms
so that they are walnut size. Put on greased baking sheet and bake in 350F oven for 12 minutes. Cool
on wire rack. Makes 3 doz. 4 inch cookies.

VARIATION:

To make these with regular chocolate chips
Replace the vanilla with peppermint extract