cookies!!

I am, unfortunately, famous for burning things. Foodish things. When I was in college, I worked for a family, for fifteen dollars a week (can you imagine? about 20 hours a week!!!) The mom had died, and they needed help with cooking and cleaning, and "babysitting" a nine year old. I knew NOTHING about cooking anything. I rarely cooked at home, didn't know much. So strangely enough, they hired this unexperienced nineteen year old (it was cheap LOL) I learned to cook with that poor family. (Not that I am that great now, but I get by) I did a great job helping with homework and such. We would watch Hogan's Heroes every afternoon and then he would do homework with help, and I tried to keep the house tidy. His brother and sister were quite a bit older, so I basically just took care of Tommy and then cooked dinner for the family.  I ate there sometimes, but usually didn't.  I learned how to cook with that poor family. I broiled pork chops one night and they turned out well but I neglected to clean out the broiler, until I turned it on the next time..... oh my.

Another memorable time also involved a broiler, many years later. I don't remember what I was cooking but it was in the broiler so long that the smoke alarm went off. The cows came running and stared in the windows. I was crying in frustration and then laughing at the cows and trying to figure out how to turn off the alarm. Fortunately it was not connected to the fire department or anything.

Today, I made cookies. I DID NOT BURN THEM. It's usually the last batch that gives me grief, because I think, well that's done, when I shove the last batch in the oven. But I FOCUSED today!!

My mother in law made wonderful cookies and taught me a few things. Undercook the cookies for one thing, just let them get barely brown. They keep cooking on the sheet. And don't leave the kitchen while the cookies are in the oven. Sit down, have a cup of tea. For me, FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on the job at hand. DO NOT let yourself get side tracked. 

So I made cookies, thought fondly of my mother in law, and had some tea. Well it was coffee. Same idea. I stayed in the kitchen, used the timer. Was reminded of the time I set my mother in law to stir something while it was heating, and she complained it wasn't heating... turns out we both forgot to turn on the burner. 

So most people aren't proud of themselves when they don't burn the cookies, but I AM PROUD of my ADD self. 

And hubby is glad, and the people that I gave cookies too are glad, but they don't really know that I usually burn them, so they aren't proud of me, just thankful for cookies.

PS The chocolate chip recipe is on the bag of the chips. I collect all these recipes, then use the ones on the package. (eyeroll here!!) We get the  Ghirardelli 60% chocolate bittersweet chips. I also used less sugar, and half the chips and more chopped pecans. That way we can feel less guilty eating the high carb morsels. HA who are we kidding. 

PPS. My youngest child is 33 years old today. That means my oldest is 43. Crazy.