Monday 2-28-11

Well today is the last day of Feburary and I decided to make some very traditional, but oh so delicious chocolate chip cookies. I know, I know the blog says "Let Them Eat Cupcakes" but it never hurts to have a cookie once in a while either. Anyway I love chocolate chip cookies and my mother makes the best, she added a few special ingreidents and created the recipie herself. So I'm going to share my version of this cookie recipie, which should be a go to in any household.

Gina's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes

1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
1/2 stick of butter flavored crisco
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 room temperature eggs
1 tsp of good vanilla
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of good kosher salt
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chocolate chips.

In a bowl or stand mixer cream together butter, crisco, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until fluffy, scrap down the sides of the bowl.

In a seperate bowl mix together all dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt. reserve some the flour for the chocolate chips.

Combine dry ingredients with the butter sugar egg minxture, mix just until combined.
Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and dust with the remaining flour, this will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the batter and ensure even "chip" distribution. Add chocolate chips to batter.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool on a rack and enjoy with a creamy glass of milk!

The Eiphany

So today as I was driving in my car I caught a glimpse of a silver mylar balloon just floating in the air, and I thought oh god is that me, a balloon just drifing through the wind with no sense of direction. I mean get satisfaction from my job but there is still something missing in my life, a void, a hole, a missing puzzle piece that can't complete me. I know that last part was very Jerry Maguire-ish sounding, but, I've had the unfortunate pleasure of discovering new passions late in my life. As my 20s are drawing to a drastically quick close I'm afraid that I will one day wake up and it will dawn on me that I still haven't done anything great in my life. I've always wanted to be a writer and have attempted and failed many times at writing a childrens book. Why a children's book you ask, well I"m a teacher and it seemed only fitting that I write a book for children. Well all this aside, back to those newly discovered passions. My passion for cake. I know a bit Betty Crocker sounding but its true, I'm completely, utterly, head over heels in love with cake. I don't really know when I discovered said passion for cake. I'm a "closet" foodie that is bursting through the closet doors and announcing to the world or the 3 possible people reading this blog that I LOVE CAKE. I love baking cake, eating cake, smelling cake, serving cake. I'm an admirier of cake.
I'm also a huge fan of Martha Stewart whom is the queen of all things associated with today's modern overacheiving housewife and I long to be like her. I wish I was Martha's adoptive daughter and we spent hours in the kitchen baking as she revealed all her secrets to me specifically about cake. So in an attempt to one great thing in my life that I can say I finished in it's entirety I am going to take Martha Stewarts Cupcake Cookbook and bake every single one of her cupcakes by the time I turn 30 on March 1st, 2012. I'm sure my and my husbands waistlines will suffer but it will be small price to pay to honor the amazing Martha Stewart and feed my need to share cake with the people I love. I'm sure there will be kitchen disasters and emotional meltdowns associted with baking wonderful cake but that is what the internet is for, it's like having your own little reality tv show but in blog format. Happy reading and wish my luck.