Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies

You might not consider it a downfall, but one of the downfalls of freelance food writing is developing stories totally out of season. Today I made a spider cake for Halloween, sugar cookies, meringue cookies, and hot cocoa with marshmallows. On at +25C day. Good times.

In truth, dinner was a plain old cheese quesadilla and a handful for cherry tomatoes to soak up the sugar. Despite all those cookies though, I reserved a few of these for a post-the-girls-finally-fell-asleep-and-I'm-exhausted-after-two-weeks-of-single-parenting chocolate chip cookie snack.

These are the first things I ever learned how to make. I may have been about 9. My mom worked fulltime and we three kids were competitive swimmers. Food was about fuel - how much could we get in at any one point, how much could mom buy and cook to hopefully get us through the week. Fed up with purchased cookies I asked if I could make cookies myself. No clue who found the recipe or where it came from. But I was left alone in the kitchen.

I found the entire experience both comforting and empowering. Woohoo, I was in the kitchen and left to my devices! There was butter and chocolate involved. It was the start of something great.

From that point on these were my go-to cookies. My go-to sleepover cookies. My go-to watch TV in the rumpus room cookies. My go-to console a friend whose boyfriend dumped her cookies. My go-to chick-flick cookies. My go-to rainy day and single parenting cookies.

At 35 I have to find people to share these with - I do not need a cup of butter to myself. Thank goodness my kids are happy to help me with that. Now they've become my go-to get in the kitchen and bake with the girls cookies.

Chocolate Chip Slab Cookies

Makes 1 9 x 13 pan

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Press dough in pan.

3. Bake 2-25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool slightly, but cut when still a bit warm. Cool some more before you dig in.

(This post is also a part of Gluten Free Girl's round-up on the first foods we learned how to make.)

More on Process

It is wonderful to me to see the momentum around the Process Pledge. As of this morning almost 150 people have taken the pledge. Now, I have no clue what percentage that is of quilters online - small, I'm guessing - but it is quite heartening to see more and more embrace the notion of sharing our process to the advantage of us all.

Make sure you check out the post with all the links. And if you see someone sharing process but they haven't made the pledge, pass on the link. I took a little time this morning to browse the links. I want to share with you some good posts that really demonstrate the spirit of the Process Pledge.

Lulubloom shows us not only the challenge of sharing process, but an honest account of the questions we often ask as we work out a project. She hasn't shown us an update of where this project is heading, but I'm looking forward to it.

Over at Kate Conklin Designs she has shared a few projects now that outline the process. Her most recent post is in the spirit of the Workshop where she is seeking feedback. I want to give her credit for this post in particular because Kate is a pattern designer, but she is still sharing sketches and the development of the design.

I love, love, love this post. It is always a treat to see the questions asked as we stare and play at our design walls (or floors, or beds). A Prairie Home Quilts really captures this well with her Liberated Amish project.

"Taking the process pledge has made me realize that I would like to become more aware of the things around me that inspire," says Penny at Sew Take a Hike. Right on! Process isn't just about sharing how we cut our fabric or even how we picked it.  It starts right from the inspiration.

While most of us have been to Elizabeth's site, Oh Fransson, I adore that she has really taken the Process Pledge to heart. I'll be honest, hers is a site where I get frustrated at her ability to post so many finished projects. But since taking the pledge she has been sharing the details and process of almost all her quilts. And its been fascinating!

Make sure you check out all the links. I've discovered some fantastic, new-to-me blogs.

Workshop in Progress - June 9

The Calgary Modern Quilt Guild finally got it's act together and met last week! It was a small group of us, but we had loads of fun.  Show and tell, treats to eat, and already a comfort level in our conversations like we were old gossipy friends. We are already looking forward to the next meeting in July.

One of the best things is that Bernadette, the owner of Traditional Pastimes has volunteered her store for our meetings. How awesome is that? So we are going to have the chance for sew days of sorts as well. I, of course, suggested that our sew days take the form of workshop where we use each other for advice, input, and creative mind think. This will be great to do in person. And with a good group so far, including Val, Jen, and our host that night, Jessy, I am really looking forward to that creativity in one room!

For me the workshop is a head down, don't look up kind of place. I am now making my way through a few orders for commission quilts. With school coming to an end soon it also looks like many others are pretty busy.

Okay, I cannot not comment, however, on Elle's quilt.  She is planning circles.  Yeah, I know my circles!

Catch-up

The last month has been nothing more than a giant game of Catch-up.  Is that a game? Probably not. In truth, though, it feels like I am Sisyphus - achieving loads, only to have my deadlines roll down the hill and force me to start over.

When ever I get like this - sadly, not an uncommon occurrence for me - I have my little freak out, make a list, then just start moving. One foot in front of another.  One obligation or deadline met and on to the other. At some point it eases up. At some point...

So, I've been tackling the quilting side of things by catching up on my Pieced Together 2 Bee. Three months behind I was - yikes. (And apparently I am so tired I am now speaking like Yoda.)

This is Colleen's block from Not Quite Vintage. Some Kona Ash paired with actual menswear shirts. I couldn't get over the blues, so in love was I.

Sandy's Cathedral Window. Good for her! I love the way this looks, but I never want to make one again.

Finally, these are Michelle's blocks.  Some beloved to her fabrics that came together really well - Denyse Schmidt and Heather Ross. And my beloved half square triangle.

And, because I am indeed a little crazy, I started a new bee with Rossie. A random comment, a quick idea, a bunch of emails, and we have a new bee.  I am rather excited about it - it feeds my design love for all things mid-century modern.  Sigh. Busy, but happy am I.