This weekend, even though we started on Thursday, we primed and painted the basement.
That is it! No wacky fun fueled adventures as a family, just a weekend. And really it was good.
Between painting and laundry, and lawn and....other stuff, the kids went to visit Great G & G. When they returned I asked how it went and the response from our oldest was,
"Grandma helped me fix my crocheting! And then I did another row! And then we had a snack."
And the middle guys' response was,
"I got $10 for graduating...that it."
And he skipped away happy as could be and dropped the $10 in our giant vacation piggy bank in the living room. By the way that pig is heavy as hell! it must be made with concrete and plaster. But it will be fun to smash it to bits once it is full.
And on Saturday, just when we were worrying that the kids were geting bored our oldest walks into the kitchen with her friend and says, "We want ot make cookies and deliver them to our friends."
Well that started a process of cookie making, cookie cooking, cookie cooling and cookie bagging, followed by running down the street with arms flaying wildly and smooshing those fresh cookies to crispy cookie dough and melted chocolate.
The friends loved the cookies and the girls spend 2 hours creating their plan, reading a recipe and making cookies, waiting (for what seemed like forever!!!!) for the cookies to cool, and walking a couple blocks to go and make some friends happy.
A pretty good idea that is for sure!
Well Sunday night we finished the painting, till we have to touch it up after carpet installation. The laundry was done and we were looking forward to a tea and a couch.....
Then we heard a thump and our big girl came downstairs complaining about a sore tummy. Sigh! That is the way it goes I guess.
Our Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(Nestle Toll House Cookies ~ with some changes)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (this batch was from the mixed whole wheat and white flour bin...no one noticed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup cooking splenda
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar splenda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (egg substitute)
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
Directions
Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one glug at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips to batter and be prepared to give same amount of chips to kids helping as reward. Cook them.
Cook for 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Don't let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, instead just consume scalding hot melty soft cookies; place any left overs in a bag to be shaken vigerously for 2 minutes.
