That's a sa-picy Cookie!

***editor's note. Several folks have commented that I need to explain one piece of this story. (for those who have read the story, the chocolate chips were in the same cupboard as the paprika, thus they were themselves "paprika chocolate chips").

Now that we are so richly blessed with Ethan in our lives, Sarah and I try a little harder to connect from time to time.

Tonight we decided to make some home-made cookies. Sarah found a recipe on-line and we gave it a go. Ooey gooey chocolate chip goodness or something like that...

We realized we didn't have quite enough chocolate chips, and didn't have any desire to miss out on the ooey or the gooey. Really, can you get enough of either?

Sarah remembered we had some old chips in the cupboard. I call this the baking cupboard (I'm not claiming to be clever, so just go with it). We have sugar, corn-starch, flour, baking powder (not to be confused with baking soda I've learned!).

(I realize Jim and Mike are already chuckling at my classic overtelling of this story, so let's move it forward). To give the full effect of our experience I should also share that the baking cupboard contains our collection of spices in addition to the ingredients mentioned before.

After Sarah stirred in the chocolate chips I helped myself to a finger of dough (with a chip or two of course!) This was followed by me tasting my own after-bite breath, another of Sarah's favorite habits of mine, though another word might be "quirk". I ascertain the ingredient list to a recently chewed item, by "tasting" my breath. You can make fun of me later. "Uh-oh, baby" I said. "I think the chips taste like chili powder!"

We decided I might just be a little crazy and we cooked the cookies. (Who ever made up that name anyway? Couldn't they have been more clever than to say..."we cook them, let's call them cookies"?)

After I pulled the warm cookies from the oven Sarah and I took a big whiff and let out a big sigh. There was a definite pungency to the kitchen. I dug around the spices and we discovered the culprit...Paprika in a baggy. All the other spices are in hard containers (let this be a lesson to you!)

Now you'd think we would throw the cookies away. You'd be wrong! We were set on having some cookies, paprika be darned!

So we got milk and a few cookies , brought them upstairs and popped in a DVD. We giggled with each ooey, gooey, chocolaty, paprika-y, bite. We were tempted to be bummed when we realized we'd have to throw out a bowl of dough from the fridge, but then we realized we got exactly what we wanted out of the experience...

We laughed. We spent time together. We enjoyed each-other's company. We made a memory.

I'd like to say we discovered the secret recipe that will take the world by storm. Let's just settle on "We made a memory" and call it good.

Great Pics Uncle Mike!

Thanks to Mike for some great pics...

A boy and his dog

See bottom for the pic related to the title. In the meantime, here are a few fun pics Sarah took Monday in the back-yard





What, we're lounging...just pass the chips will ya?