“You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you have a cookie, but you can never be miserable while you are eating a cookie.” – Ina Garten
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!

Our daughter and I had the privilege of seeing the inaugural performance of Twyla Tharp Dance’s Diamond Jubilee tour this week at the Northrop. It’s hard to believe it has been 60 years since she formed her dance troupe and she is as creative as ever. It is also hard to believe we have temps in the 40s at the end of January… it is supposed to get cold again, but this week it feels like spring!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Over the years I have tried many, many chocolate chip cookie recipes… but I keep coming back to this one from Betty Crocker. Our grandson is chocolate chip cookie connoisseur… and he always calls these out as the best… they are slightly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside… not cake-like. You can see the recipe below has been well used!


Simply the Best CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- 2/3 cup butter, slightly softened
- 2/3 cup Crisco stick
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the butter and Crisco into tablespoon-size pieces and mix thoroughly with the paddle of a stand mixer until smooth.
Add sugar and continue mixing for several minutes as it whips up. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on high until very light and fluffy, do not undermix. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda and salt. Add it to the other mixture while mixing on low just until blended. Do not overmix at this point to keep the cookies tender.
Stir in the chocolate chips and drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Put baking sheet in the oven on the lowest rack. In 5 minutes move that sheet up a rack and add another sheet on the bottom. Bake another 5 minutes. Move sheets up a rack, add another baking sheet and bake a final 4-5 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before transferring cookies to cooling rack. Continue baking rotation until all baking sheets are done. (bake time may vary based on the size of the cookies, I fill three baking sheets)