At this same time not too many years ago, my life was very different. I could no longer face the world beyond my bedroom door and had been confined there for months. No one could depend on me, and most had given up trying, so I had isolated myself completely and only spoke to the poor cats who looked up at me with pity. My life was a quiet march through the hours, through the days, through the pointless weeks, and I was so lonely. I was living as a ghost, and the idea that I would one day need to return to the world of the living filled me with dread.

Then, as I watched the sun rise at the end of one very black night, I made a drastic choice that would save me from that dark and tiny world I had created. Once the declaration had been made and the wheels were in motion, despair turned to relief, and I had hope in my heart again. Slowly, fearfully, my world began to expand. I took a chance and gave myself a goal to work for, to prove to myself that I wouldn’t fail if I tried. I slowly earned the confidence to ask myself for more, to make commitments, to sign my name. It took years of work to get here, and even though I marched through the darkness to do it, I would suffer through it all again.

My life now is never silent, idle, or aimless. I have people who depend on me, many commitments, many responsibilities, and I keep adding more. My appetite for life is so endless now, it keeps me coming back to the table to load more onto my already heaping plate. Then, when I don’t think I can have another bite, I remove whatever was constraining me and dive in for more. I’m so grateful I saw the sun rise that morning, and that I brought myself back to life.

In the early afternoon, just before we load the turkey in the oven, I’ll make a quick batch of these cheesy puff rings to snack on. These light and savory snacks are piped pate a choux with a generous handful of shredded Edam cheese. They’re best fresh but can be made in advance and stored frozen until you’re ready to revive them.

Cheese Ring Puffs

Ingredients:

½ cup water

¼ cup unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/3 cup shredded Edam cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the water, salt and butter until the butter is completely melted.

Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Continue to cook the dough over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. You should see a film form and slightly darken on the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the hot dough into a mixing bowl and continue stirring for 3-5 minutes to help the dough cool.

Whisk the eggs in a measuring cup with a pouring spout.

Pour on 1/3 of the eggs and stir until a cohesive dough forms. It will look like the eggs wont incorporate at first, but they will eventually.

Add the eggs 1/3 at a time, stirring until fully incorporated before adding the next batch.

Add in most of the cheese and stir to combine. Reserve just a bit.

When the dough is finished, transfer to the piping bag and pipe the dough down onto the parchment. I chose to do rings, but you could do sticks or simple puffs or any shape you like.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top before baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway, until the puffs are golden brown.

Let cool completely before storing to prevent condensation.