Go ahead. Before reading any further list five things you can learn from a seven year old.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Did any of your points involve scurrying around like a blind mouse through a maze, trying to be everything and everyone on every single day? Using my extremely vast vat of knowledge I am going to answer for all of us and say no. But so often I get caught up in the busy-ness of everyday life that I lose any connection to the people around me and often with myself too. I have lists to complete. Tasks to finish. Goodies to bake. Places to be that are so hugely important I can’t see anything else around me because of the blinders I have on.

But ask a seven year old and there is always time to build a fort. Or bake cookies. Or read a story.

The mail can wait. The laundry isn’t going anywhere. And the dishes can hide in the sink. But my niece won’t be little forever. She won’t always want to come over and bake cookies that look like mice. And she won’t always throw around kisses and hugs with wild abandon.

I can learn a lot from her.

Spiced Cardamom Cookies

• 3/4 C butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1/2 C icing sugar
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• sliced almonds
• brown mini M&M’s
• dried chow mein noodles

• Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cardamom, cinnamon and all spice.
• Beat the butter until it’s light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add both both sugars and beat until well combined.
• Add the egg and beat well, at least one minute.
• Beat in the vanilla until combined.
• Add in the flour mixture and beat until combined.
• Grab about 1 to 2 Tbsp of dough and roll into a small oval. Gently press one end to form a more pointed end. This will be the face of the mouse. For the eyes, press in two brown colored M&M’s (Or whatever color your seven year old might desire….it surely won’t be boring brown.) Insert two sliced almonds for the ears. And for the tails use the chow mein noodles.
• Bake about 12 – 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.

Note:

• Your seven year old sous-baker might come up with some fantastic uses for the chow mein noodles. Like a mouse-tache.