Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
a homemade mix ready to bake at a moment's notice
My back to school days are very different as the parent of a teenager. No more cute first day of school photos. I haven’t packed a lunch in years, besides my own when I used to commute into the office. My teenager is more particular about food now than when she was two years old, and would wolf down a pot of mussels for dinner.
Still, back to school brings its own changes to our home, mainly in the dance required in the morning in a one bathroom house and the early wake up call due to a 7:09am school bus pick up. After 11 weeks off from school, and working from home in a 980 square foot house with one 15 year old, one dog and one cat, I welcome a less crowded house from 7am to 3pm.
When my kids were little, a homemade sweet treat was always greeted with delight afterschool. Virginia tends to air on the side of savory, so I tend to message her around 2pm and ask what she’d like me to have waiting for her to eat when she gets home. Usually the request is pasta, mac & cheese or a pot of rice.
Every now and then, when she forgets mothers are the mortal enemies of teenagers, she cracks a smile at a plate of warm cookies. The space between these moments feels like leap years but I haven’t let it deter me yet. That’s the game we play as parents of teens, right? We wait on the sidelines, cheering their wins, feeling the pains of their losses, ready to give hugs and encouragement when they’re ready to accept it.
Unlike traditional cookie dough, this recipe uses melted butter. No need to wait for butter to soften, and no need to cream it with sugar. Having the mix ready in the cupboard means you can bake cookies on demand. I mostly feel like this homemade cookie mix when it comes to parenthood these days, all the ingredients waiting patiently in a jar, ready to be turned into something comforting at a moment’s notice. —xo, j.
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