the perfect cookie

Last summer, I found a picture circulating on Pinterest - it was a way to determine what you were doing wrong with your cookies based on various flopped appearances.  I was fairly skeptical because if a cookie tastes good, I don't consume myself with how ugly it is.

Boy, was I wrong.  I decided to start the Easter cookies a little early this year (oh, how I love a good deep freeze), and these cookies were probably the best I have ever made.  Several of the steps found here are quite different than the steps I normally take.

As it turns out, I have been too light on the flour for all of these years.  High altitude might have played a roll in this.

Go make them - you won't be sorry.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. unsalted butter (one stick), room temperature
1/2 c. Crisco
2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar (I used dark; they call for golden brown)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used M&Ms)

Mix the butter and the crisco together using the wire whisk attachment - mix for a few minutes.  While that's combining in your stand mixer, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Change to the paddle attachment.  Add sugars to the butter mixture until well incorporated.  Add eggs and vanilla.

Add the chocolate chips/other candy, and mix.  Gently add the flour mixture and leave mixer on just until you no longer see white flecks - do NOT overmix.

Now touch the dough - it shouldn't stick to your finger (who knew?!)  If it is still sticky, add a bit more flour (2 tbsp).  When the dough is ready, roll into 1 or 1.5" balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chilled cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, three inches apart.  I stuck additional pieces of candy on the tops of mine, because I like the look.  And I like candy.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they are just slightly golden.

Leave them on the pan for an additional couple of minutes after pulling them out - cool them on a wire rack.

I heard this trick awhile back - keep some balls of frozen cookie dough in the freezer in the case of unexpected guests or a fall back dessert.  They are easy to pull out and stick in the oven with no mess and no work!

of scents and shopping

The brilliantly random painted walls, the hippie-esque feel, the collected witty bumper stickers.  The smell, oh the delicious smell wafting to the street.  I had a much-needed day out with my precious Ruby.  We delivered coffee to Jimmy and my mom at their respective work places.

And then we stopped at our local natural bath and body shop - overwhelmed with so much variety, we picked up a little bit of everything in there.

I had a cleansing of sorts today.  And I did it.  After over four years, I was able to let go of my nearly full bottle of Ralph Lauren Romance.  Other than you believing that to be a thoughtless waste - it was something I did with tears streaming.  I got that for Christmas in 2007 and wore it every single day until January 6th when I lost our baby.  Smells are a sensitive nostalgia-triggering sentiments for me; always have been.  That smell, though making me sick with sadness, was something I held onto as if it were the last remaining physical connection to my baby.  I knew exactly what it smelled like, but haven't opened that bottle or even touched it since that day.  I opened it today.  And because I knew I cannot possibly ever wear it again despite my hopes to be less sensitive to it with the passing of time - I threw it away.  The fragrant notes are etched in my mind and nose in a punishing way.

--

In much less disheartening news, I accidentally found KnitPicks.com.  Then I accidentally found the most delicious rainbow yarn.  And then I accidentally filled my cart with other yarn of the softest variety.  It was in my best interest for the free shipping.  Then I accidentally submitted my order.  The end.

I have decided that when I can shop from my home, things become dangerous.  But when you can shop from your phone - in the comfort of your bed! - well, then things get ridiculously sticky.  And regrettably comfortable...or uncomfortable, perhaps, if you are the wallet.

Also, accidentally, I ordered thirteen boxes of Girl Scout cookies.  Unfortunately, Girl Scout cookies are not officially endorsed by Weight Watchers.

Neither are chocolate chip cookies that call my name from the kitchen.

What a shame.

of glee-filled things

The carafe is filling for the first time today; it's nearly 5:00.  I long to sit in front of a fireplace watching fluffy flurries hurry past windows, in quiet company of my snuggled girls and a book, maybe a crochet hook or two.  The only evidence of any winter is the remnants of a snow piled by the plow in a random corner of the neighbor's yard.

Instead, we busy ourselves with scissoring our way through hundreds of pieces of construction paper, eating cinnamon raisin bread pretzels, baking, and playing game after game of Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders.  Books on tape have become a new obsession as they allow for some multitasking at an all time serious high for me (with two small children underfoot).  Evidence of paper cutting, felt ornamenting, wreath creating, and picture taking lie in heaps around our bedroom.  That, and my unfounded fear of laundry being something similar to lethal, showcased with a rapidly reproducing pile of clean laundry.

Much to my dismay, Eisley has mastered the stairs.  With promises of toddling in her near future, she has figured out how to pull herself up on anything, including the fridge and the knobs of various kitchen drawers.  Some part of me longs to put her down every time she does this, because how can my teenytinybaby! be this big already?  Soon, she'll be running with her sister.  Tooth number seven is working on making an upcoming appearance, and my sleep has hardly taken a hit.  (Can I get an AMEN! of epic intensity?)  I knew when she was still turning breech daily at thirty-seven weeks gestation, that she would be the one to master the way to stop my heart at regular intervals throughout her life; standing up in the bathtub would be one of those instances.

We have jumped into the chapter book pool with a splash of delighted laughter and excitement about "that big giant"; Ruby applauds Roald Dahl's The BFG nearly as much as she praises her daddy's giant impersonations.  I'm not sure how we are in the land of chapter books already; time continues to yank me along.  Ruby was in the 50th percentile for weight and height at her three year checkup last week.  She passed her vision test using the shape chart, and she got a shot in the arm with the much anticipated sticker (bandaid) and sucker as an overshadowing reward.




current little bits of joy:

★ hearing Ruby introduce her lego people as Mr. Ruby to the other lego people.

★ morning baby snuggles

★ MY SLEEP

★ Hershey's milk chocolate drops 

★ all things owl

★ watching my babies play together in their tiny pink kitchen of the vintage variety

★ house dreaming and the obsessive pinning that is required to go along with it
★ red wagon walks around the neighborhood
★ Eisley's kisses and her subsequent proud grin
★ in constant pursuit of nerdy word games, Scramble with Friends has become a mild obsession
★ pint-sized faux fur boots

Jimmy and Ruby had an imaginary pinata in the house - a ribbon blindfold and leftover Halloween candy.  Ruby could have done it for hours.

a tall cookie tale

is this crazy??  This morning, this picture repeated itself after nearly eleven months.  Unreal.

phone photo roundup

sea days (part 5)

Coming in at exactly a month after this actually happened; post holidays and with two children under food, I'm going to consider this a small miracle.  As it turns out, I'm still packing cruise weight, so the timing seems perfectly relevant.

The last two days of our weeklong cruise were spent at sea.  There was something wrong with the stabilizer during our day in Jamaica; I was hoping they'd have to wait a week or so for the part to be flown in, extending our cruise or something.  No such luck.

So instead, we spent a lot of time at the pool, eating copious amounts of frozen yogurt (Ruby loved the poolside, self serve yogurt), playing mini golf on the top deck, and eating.  Eating.  And a little more eating.

Also, Meredith and I turned the life jackets into runway statements.  Or something.

doughnuts were a daily breakfast treat; for Ruby, it was more like chocolate frosting for breakfast.

I have the cutest mom in the world, doing cruise dance routines like a professional.

 dining room staff

Jimmy eats four lobster tails just for his entree.

 Uncle Corey entertains the girls with his funny tricks.

 The start of Ruby acting slightly famous with photo ops around the table:

That chocolate thing?  Heaven.  It tasted like solid hot fudge.  I didn't have a bad thing all week but that sticks out (among escargot, strawberry pavlova, fruit soups, and Berrymisu)

It should be noted that the following pictures are positively not the result of any alcoholic beverages.  Scout's honor.  We're just that cool.

 Meredith was the only one in our group solo.  Here she is with her invisiboyfriend.

Towel Monkey

sister bug had her fill of cheese and assorted carbs (bread! and noodles) and fresh fruit 

 doughnut, after Ruby got ahold of it.

 On the last day, they did a cooking demonstration on the pool deck.  This German chef was really fun to watch - they made seafood and chicken paella.  Yum.

There was a fun parade in the promenade before dinner, but regardless of how much we shook Ruby and promised her a near future full of sparkly people and confetti, she just couldn't keep her eyes peeled. And the week caught up with her - she slept for about three hours, straight through dinner.

Ronnie is behind the American Flag, and MJ is on the left side of it, in the front.

 We returned from the comedy show to pack and toss our stuff out the door (this was tricky with two little ones who require lots of belongings and just in case things)

We went to the late night comedy show and came home and crashed.  The last night is always so sad.  Mostly because I knew we were coming home where I was the stateroom attendant, the cook, and the entertainment.  

The disembarking and customs process was rather painless, thankfully.  We made it back to Houston, said goodbye to Eric and Megan, who stayed in Houston for one last night, and then went through the airport.  Exciting moment for me: Jenny Finch and her sweet little family were right behind us going through security (you didn't know I was a softball girl did you?)

 After a traumatizing visit with Mr. Clause himself, we made it to our gate.

 Then said goodbye to Uncle Corey and Genny.

I have no idea how parents flew with little children before iPods.

It was really rude to come into single digit weather after a week in the eighties.

I'm figuring out the next soonest cruise.  Europe?