Use Your Words: Sick of Sick

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I’m using: cold ~ happy ~ juice ~ resolution ~ life ~ ice

They were submitted by: Southern Belle Charm.

I've been suffering from a cold. Yeah, yeah, everyone gets them, grow up, get over it. But I can't. Maybe it's because I've been emotionally run down, maybe because I'm not taking care of myself. Possibly it's because PurDude was home and I wanted to have all of his favorite things in the house, cook all his favorite foods, buy him what he needs to take back with him, make his life easier, make sure that my boy is happy. It could be all of the work of the holiday season or the let down now that it's over. Whatever it is, I call uncle, throw in the towel, wave the white flag, this cold has me beat.

Part of what I hate about a cold is that I'm so frikken . . . well . . . cold. There's ice on the ground, there's ice in my veins, my toes are blocks of ice, my nose is frozen. I'm dripping from places that should not drip. I'm sleeping with balled up tissues in my nostrils then waking up because I can't breathe. You'd think the fire in my throat would at least thaw my nose but . . . nope.

My head is stabbing, my sinuses are throbbing, my eyes are leaking. My nose is chapped, my lips are cracked. My stomach . . . well, maybe we just shouldn't go there. My ears are pulsing, my contacts are permanently stuck to my eyeballs. My back hurts, my ribs hurt, my legs are cramping, my hair is all stuck to one side of my head. If I dared to look in the mirror (and really, who would?) it would crack. And who could blame it?

I'm drinking juice, tea (yuck), ginger ale, taking aspirin, cold pills, nasal spray, cough spray, cough drops. You name it, I'm trying it. There's an entire pharmacy on my bedside table. I'm starving my cold and feeding my fever and when that doesn't do anything I'm feeding my cold and starving my fever. And when that doesn't work? Chocolate cures everything, right?

Chocolate Cheesecake Squares with Mocha Cookie Crust

I'm not into New Year's resolutions. But here's one I'm making today, a little late but it counts. This will be my last cold of 2016. I've paid my dues, I've had my turn, I'm done. I'd like to end this year with a lung (or two) intact, thank you very much. Someone else can take a turn coughing and dripping and leaking and hacking. 

Oh, and when it's your turn? Be a mensch and stay the hell out of those breeding grounds we all call a grocery store.

Links to the other Use Your Words posts:

The Bergham Chronicles 
 Spatulas on Parade
Rena's World  

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
 Not That Sarah Michelle
Confessions of a part time working mom 
Southern Belle Charm 
Someone Else's Genius 
The Angrivated Mom 
My Brain on Kids 

Crusted Chocolate Cheesecake Squares with Mocha Cookie Crust

                                                                        ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs 
2 1/2 cups flour
2 TBSP baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

2 (8 oz) packages  cream cheese, softened
1/2  cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
*Grease a 9 X 13 glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
*Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 tsp of the vanilla and 2 of the eggs. Mix in the flour, baking cocoa, coffee granules and mini chocolate chips. 
*Set aside about 1/3 of the dough. Press the other 2/3 of the dough into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
*Melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside.
*Beat the cream cheese and the other 1/2 cup brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the other 2 eggs, egg yolk and other tsp of vanilla. Last, beat in the melted chocolate chips. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the partially baked crust.
*With your hands, crumble the remaining cup of cookie dough gently on top of the cheesecake layer.
*Bake for approximately 40 minutes, just until the center has started to set.
*Cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve.