Dear Diary

 Kathy Ann's Cookie Recipe Card

Dearest Diary,

Yesterday was a day brimming with simple joys. Tom and Judy couldn't stop singing praises about the Maid Rite loose meat sandwiches - a local delight that never disappoints. And as fate would have it, parked outside was the Toll House cookie truck a serendipitous reminder of a promise I'd made. With a slight revision to the title 😇, Judy's chocolate chip cookie recipe, a treasure in its own right, now finds a home on the bottom of this page, as promised.

After our hearty breakfast , Sister Mary Claire and I ventured out to our quaint retreat - the covered wagon paired with our modest tent. There's a charm to our little kitchenette there, awaiting our touch. We began by stoking the stove to life, the heat beckoning a kettle for coffee and a pot for cocoa.

It was the Inner Court prayer book that granted us solace, its words a balm to the spirit. I find myself reflecting on its profound message:

"Oh Lord, our God, in the shadow of Thy wings do we hope; protect us and bear us up, for our strength is strong when it is Thine; but when it is our own, it is but weakness."

This prayer encapsulates our day - a reminder of the divine strength that underpins our every endeavor. It is with this spiritual fortitude that I aim to tackle the day's tasks - and perhaps, find the spirit to pen down that Iowa loose meat sandwich recipe as well.

With warmth and reflection, 

Kathy

Kathy Ann's Maid Rite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet and milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside.
Combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute.
Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Eight minutes is my favorite.
Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.