Lundi Little Lovelies

For those of you out there who don't speak French, "lundi" is the word for Monday.  And well, is it just me, or is Monday a particularly difficult day to be content?  I doubt it's just me.  Overall, Mondays are not my favorite day.  However, that just means I have to work a little harder to be content on this day of the week.  So, on Mondays I will be trying to highlight the little lovelies in my life that make me content, even in just a small area of my life.  Basically, we're going to use Mondays to look on the bright side, see the glass as half full (or hopefully overflowing), and stop and smell the roses (or cookies, in my case).

So on this lovely lundi, there are a few things that help me feel very contented.  The first is my beautiful loom.  When I sit at my loom to weave, I just relax.  I don't have to think about anything or worry or concentrate too hard; I can just sit and weave and watch a beautiful piece of cloth come together in my hands.  It is such a peaceful activity.

Another thing that makes me feel contented and happy (on most days) is my husband.  God gave me such a wonderful man to be stuck with me for the rest of our lives.  And all those years I spent praying for a best friend paid off.  Because now I have a best friend that will never move away or decide to be better friends with someone else or anything.  We are stuck.  And I absolutely love it!

Alright, another activity that makes me feel contented is baking.  I just love putting a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, mixing it all together, and coming out with something delicious!  It's so fun and rewarding.  So here's the recipe of the day.  These are my favorite, favorite chocolate chip cookies.  If you like a big fat cookie, these are for you!

Coffee House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

 (Photo by dk0504 on allrecipes.com.  This photo was one of the things that made me first want to try this recipe over the thousands of others on the internet.  If it doesn't make you want to lick your screen, I don't know what will!)

 
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups MILK chocolate chips (you can make these with other chocolate chips but they are NOT as good.)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well-blended. I cut the butter into chunks and melt it in the microwave, alternating microwaving for 15 seconds and stirring everything up. You don't want the butter insanely hot, but you do want it melted.
3. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. You almost can't beat this too much.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Add dry ingredients and stir until just blended.
6. Drop cookie dough onto baking sheets using a ¼ cup measuring cup. Do not fill completely with dough unless you want incredibly enormous cookies. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the tops just barely start to brown (other parts of the cookie may look a little under done). Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
8. EAT THEM ALL!!!
Have a good night!  Do something that makes you feel content with your life (even some small area of it).