We have a Winner

I have been searching for a very long time for the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe. I can't tell you, over the years, how many different recipes I've tried. I've gotten recipes from friends, from the backs of the chocolate chip bags, from cook books, from the internet, from blogs, I've pretty much tried them all.

A few weeks ago, I was reading through hand-me-down Chatelaine magazine, and turned to page 43 of the September 2009 issue, and delightfully came across a recipe called "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie". (I linked the recipe above, and if you're looking for a goody, then I suggest you give it a try). Our family for one, was NOT disappointed. In fact, I think we just may have actually broke a record for how quickly 4 dozen cookies can disappear. They might have even done so, while they were still warm from the oven. That ALONE might tell you something. The first time I made them, I bought some fancy-schmancy chocolate, a little something we call Bernard Callebaut chocolate chunks. (Now THAT is some good chocolate) So the cookies were fantastic. And I thought, hmmmmm, what about regular chocolate chips, Would the cookies still be as good if I used chipits? So I tried that yesterday afternoon, and the answer is YES, the cookies are still good. When a girl comes across a chocolate chip cookie recipe that tastes as good as these ones do, she has to share it with others!

So bake and enjoy!


Another significant thing to note. Thursday we had a nice day. It was sunny. The sky was clear. We saw the sun. I say this, because for most of the month of October, we HAVEN'T seen the sun. It's been grey, dreary, dull and depressing. If I wanted to live like that, I'd move to the west coast. At least I would EXPECT that there. But here in Calgary, I expect to see the sun. We got totally ripped off this year. It froze AND snowed the beginning of October, so all the leaves died. And now, the dead leaves are clinging to all the trees. And of course, being dead now, flash-frozen I suspect, they're all a dreadful dying brown color... That's right folks, we didn't get fall here this year. We're moving from summer (if you can even call it that this year) to winter.

So back to Thursday... Yes, delightful Thursday, when the sun came out warming and delighting us. Madelyn spent the day with Ama on Thursday, and in the back yard, they happened to come across ladybugs. (No doubt they too, where shocked to see the sun) I suppose, not really knowing what goes on in a ladybugs mind, they were rooting around looking for places to hibernate. All I can say is this... "Oh you poor, poor little ladybugs, I'm sorry you will not be living out your ladybug destiny..." Because here you are...

Yes, you might see a few around the lid in this picture:

And a few more here:

And my GOODNESS, here is quite a cluster in this picture:

I kid you not. There has to be at LEAST 50 lady bugs in this jar... The jar of ladybugs came home from Ama's house. Delightful little holes poked into the lid, and it's alive with movement. Yesterday I said Madelyn we have to let them go, so they can hibernate. [Though yesterday was GREY, dull and dreary, it was not cold] To which she responded, "One more day! I'll let them go tomorrow".

But, now we have a problem, because this morning we woke up to snow again... And what do you do with 50+ ladybugs in a jar, when it's snowing outside? Perhaps we'll move them to a cold part of the garage, and they can happily hibernate in the jar, and we'll bring them out in the spring again...

Wish us luck, because I HATE to be responsible for the mass death of all these lovely little lady bugs!