Chocolate Chip Cookies for Teri (and Jerry)

Nese's Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 pound of butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4-5 cups chocolate chips
• 2 cups toasted, chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut (I tend to use more...we like coconut)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (325 if using pure convection)  Put the chocolate chips, toasted pecans, and coconut into a BIG bowl.

In your mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the sugar, continuing to cream until all the sugar is used.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.  Add all at once to the butter mixture, mixing well.  Add to the goodies in the big bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon.

Form dough into large balls (1 Tablespoon) and bake until golden, about 15 minutes, being careful not to brown the edges.  (I bake at 325 for 12 to 14 mins at pure convection)  Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack; cool 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies to rack; cool completely.  Pack and freeze.

I put the chips, toasted pecans and coconut in a BIG bowl 

After the dough is mixed I add it to the BIG bowl

and mix it all together with a wooden spoon.

20 cookies per sheet

325 degrees in pure convection for 14 mins. 

All done!

Security is cookies in the freezer.  We like them frozen!

First post in years!

Love is Eternal Quote

I can't tell you the number of people who have asked David, "Would you defend a person who you knew was guilty?" (Actually, they don't ask that much anymore....we know that that's all he does defend.) I loved this quote in response to a similar question:

"Cousin Steve, I can't understand your defending the Chinns, even though they are your first cousins. Surely you don't want to make slavery legal in Illinois?"
"No, Mary, that's not my intention; but everyone is entitled to a defense of his person and property at law. If the issue of slavery is to be settled, then both sides of the case should be presented with the utmost precision."
"But if you plead the case for slavery, won't people conclude that you are in in favor of it?"
"I don't think so, Mary; lawyers don't have to subscribe to everything their clients believe, in fact they couldn't possibly. The lawyer is an officer of the court, his duty is to see that all of the law bearing on a case is brought forth. I intend to do my job thoroughly and dispassionately."

Garden Quilt

Amazing!  After 9 years I finally finished this quilt.  I love the combination of piecing and applique so the top took me only a month or so to do.  Then I put it on the frame.  I did fine for a time and then I just got overwhelmed with all of the hand quilting that had to be done.  So...I stopped working on it.  The quilt, frame and all got moved from room to room to room for years.  Then this summer I became Vicki's quilting coach.  Now the job of a coach is to teach, encourage and support.  I hope all of that is true, but I was taught, encouraged and supported too.  While we worked on Vicki's quilts she would take a break and do some work on my Garden Quilt.  Pretty soon we were working on her quilts and mine too.  When we got her quilts done she continued to come over just to quilt with me.  This summer we got 5 quilts done.  Four grandbaby quilts and my 9 year project!!!!  

I've learned something from every quilt I have made.  This time: 

• I learned that I quit when things got hard.... my "point of view" was... There's too much to do. I'll never get it done.  And so I stopped.  
  
• I learned that I don't have to do it all today.  A little quilting, done consistently each day will get the job done.  "By small and simple things great things shall be brought to pass."  That lesson can transfer to all of life.
  
• I learned that friends can lighten the load, making even the most daunting journey a joy.  
  

One Month Later!!!

Well....half the summer is over and now it's time to learn how to add my "before pictures" to my blog.  Right away I started searching for recipe files.  I found the obvious ones in my recipe drawer.....

But I knew that there were more... so for the next few days I went through my brain and the house trying to find them.... and then I figured out where they were.... very neatly filed in my drawer.... an earlier attempt to organize them.  Obviously, not effective since I couldn't even remember where they were.  So, now I have a pile of recipes to go through and try to figure out how to organize them and where to keep them.... Here I go!

Okay Cheryl..... we need to see your garage!!!!!

Friends who encourage!!!

Okay!!!  The challenge has been issued!  The gauntlet thrown down!  I could not believe it when I got home today and not only had Patti gotten her stuff out, taken a "before" picture of it, and then, to top it all off, had also learned how and posted a blog!!!!  So.....we'll give it a shot!