chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookie recipe:

2 cups of butter (4 sticks)
creamed with
1 cup of shortening
(you can replace some of this fat with coconut oil, like half of the shortening, the un-refined coconut oil makes the cookies taste slightly coconutty, like almond joy cookies almost)

3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
beat together.
add 6 eggs,
mix, beat, whatever.

Separate bowl:
6 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
sift together and add to wet mixture, mix thoroughly

Add chocolate chips...
6 cups of them:)

I make the cookies small high mounds, bake at 350 for 9 minutes. I love baking with parchment paper, I can just pull the whole paper off the pan too cool them, and reuse it for several batches.

My day has been just fine. I woke up early to go shopping with Emily, for a gathering tomorrow and Sunday...breakfast lunch dinner Saturday, and breakfast and lunch Sunday - for 140 people. We had a budget of $20 each, for all the meals, but came in at less than ten. Menu:

Breakfast:
Pancakes with blueberries or strawberries, and syrup...scrambled eggs...sausage...coffee...juice.

Lunch:
Taco bar (taco seasoned beef, black olives, salsa, tomatoes, green peppers, lettuces, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, flour wraps, red onions)

Dinner:
Grilled chicken breast marinated in spiedie sauce, salt potatoes, roasted zucchini with red peppers and onions.

Dessert: Brownies, ice cream bars, fudge bars, orange creamsicles.

Sunday breakfast:
same

Lunch:
Ham or turkey sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses, chips and Doritos, carrots, and celery.

Phew. We went to four stores, then had to put it all away.

Home...ah, home. I went in the pool with Camille, then Grandma came to pick up some of the kids to go watch their cousin's softball game. Only six of us are here now, but some girls are coming over to practice a song with Suzanne, and I am going to grill some burgers.

Our weather is still gorgeous here! It was 88 and sunny today, and is still warm and pleasant. Paul is home from work, outside exercising. I am tired from my day, where does he get his energy?

Kathryn isn't home from work yet, she is doing some landscaping for our friend's company these last few days. I'm proud of her putting in these full days of work in the hot sun, and not complaining about it.

Emily and I stopped at a Mennonite farm stand this afternoon. We got some fruits and veges for the weekend, plus I got a loaf of fresh baked pumpkin bread, and some oatmeal raisin cookies. Big mistake. I should have gotten something the kids like more and I like less. I tasted the pumpkin bread, and duh! I liked it! What was I thinking? OF COURSE I LIKED IT. I LOVE pumpkin stuff. It was surprisingly light and airy, rather spongy, not dense and moist like I imagine pumpkin bread. MMMM. And the cookies...I had TWO. There are more sitting on the counter, and I cannot eat any more. Not a one.

Ah well. Time to get going. Company's here, and I am sitting here in my bathing suit, my favorite summer outfit.