“The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive. We evolved on the same planet, and we have some shared things about how we love and live that are just universal. And the specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized when you notice how much else there is around it.” – Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist
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!
NASA – 2026 04 08 Earth From Artemis II
This has been a chaotic week on earth, but the NASA photos from Artemis II provided a dose of beauty and perspective. The earth looks like a small, beautiful jewel next to the moon in the blackness of space. As crew member Christina Koch stated, “it truly emphasized how alike we are… how we evolved on the same planet” and we all share some things about how we live and love. “The preciousness of that is emphasized when you notice how much else is around it.”
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I grew up on a potato farm and we provided potatoes for the potato chip industry. My father would bring home big boxes of potato chip rejects. Bottom line is, I grew up loving potato chips. When I saw this recipe at smittenktichen.com I knew I had to try it. The cookies were a big hit, more savory than sweet. Don’t skip finishing with flaked sea salt!!
POTATO CHIP COOKIES
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flaked sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the pecans, 1/2 cup crushed potato chips and 2 cups flour. Mix until just combined.
Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon-sized mound of dough and form it into a small ball with the palms of your hands. Roll the ball in the bowl of sugar until coated. Place on prepared baking sheet and use a drinking glass to slightly flatten cookies. Cookies only need to be an inch apart, they only spread a little. Sprinkle with a few flakes of crushed potato chips and flaked sea salt.
Bake cookies until lightly golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cool on a wire rack.
