Chocolate Chip Cookies

In my freshman year of high school, I had to take a drama class because I moved to a new school and all the other classes were taken. I was in a class full of enthusiastic thespians who couldn’t wait to show off their acting prowess. I was not one of them. I was however the person who volunteered to play all the 2-line roles they didn’t want: the baby, the mute girl, the coma patient, etc.

For our final exam we had to perform a monologue from a movie of our choice. These kids worked tirelessly to find just the right piece to perform and impress their fellow classmates. I googled monologue and clicked on the first one I could find. It was the opening scene from the movie Bruce Almighty. I had never heard of it. I didn’t know what it was about. I didn’t know who was in it. Well I memorized my lines, performed it, and got an A. Afterwards the teacher asked me to talk about my “process.” Uh….

“You mean you never actually watched the movie?” No, I shrugged. She said the movie was about a man who complains to God about how unfair his life is and how he gets passed up on opportunities and journey God takes him on to show him why he does things that he does. She told me the scene I did was the opening scene where he’s upset with the job he has because he feels his time could be better spent elsewhere.

Several months later I ended up watching it. It was like a mirror was being held up to me. I was Bruce! That’s how I felt being in that drama class. I wasn’t going to be an actor, why am I here??

Well in that drama class I made some great friends. I learned how to use iMovie, which I still use today for my food videos, and I learned a pretty valuable lesson. And that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

*Recipe*

- 1/2 c white sugar

- 3/4 c brown sugar

- 1 t salt

- 1/2 c butter, softened

- 1 egg, room temperature

- 1 t vanilla

- 1 & 1/4 c all-purpose flour

- 1/2 t baking powder

- 1 c chocolate chips (you can use more)

* Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

* In a bowl add your sugars, butter and salt. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash it until combined.

* To it add the egg, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Mix until well combined.

* Then add your chocolate chips and mix just until they are evenly distributed. I like to add less, but this is where you get to take charge of how much you like.

* Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Using a spring-release scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking tray, making sure to leave 2 inches around each one so the cookie has room to expand.

* Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins depending on how soft you like your cookies. Once done, take them out of the oven and place each cookie on a cooling rack.