Cookie of the Month: August - Softbatch Chocolate Chip Cookies

In keeping with the "12 months of chocolate chip cookies" theme, this month our little nippers made soft batch cookies. Probably through some sort of Pinterest or Facebook post, Kate found out about, and was subsequently inspired by, the idea of putting pudding ‎mix into the batter to create a soft batch-esque cookie. Apparently this is not a new idea to the world, just to our household. But instead of splurging on pudding mix, we decided to go with the low-budget version and use corn starch instead.

We also supersized these cookies and tried to take them out when they were still a touch underbaked, as this would keep them moist and, thus, soft. We also chilled the dough for a few hours makes the cookies bake up thick.

So there it is: It was a labor of love, but I think it was worth it. Hope they enjoy!

Summer Vacation to New Hampshire

It was summer in the city. And the constant whirr of air conditioning units and the occasional whiff of neglected trash on a hot and dog urine-painted New York City street was enough to make anyone pine for pine trees. And so, on a hazy Fourth of July morning, we headed north ... to New Hampshire ... for a week in the woods, listening to the birds and bugs and breathing fresh alpine air.

  

Henry took this family portrait showing how Kate and I like to bow to the photographer

Henry drank a LOT of water in the ride up. We stopped nine times in Connecticut to pee. One of the places (a parking lot) was very close to Dinosaur State Park. So we stopped by.

Pee #10 occurred at the home of these nice folks, in Newburyport, Ma.

We enjoyed homemade cider donuts and ice cream at a local strawberry farm

We enjoyed strawberries there too

This is where we spent the majority of the next six days

The lake house was very close to this very large boulder (the largest 'glacial erratic' in New England, if you must know)

The week included scavenger hunts ...

... and ice cream socials ...

... and beaver dam spotting ... 

... and, of course, open-flame grilling

We bounded on boulders by and in some cascading waterfalls

And generally had a jolly good and wet time

At the top of Mt. Washington. The kids got altitude hunger

We also visited the locally renowned 'flume gorge'

Kate was mesmerized by moss

You can't tell, but there's an awesome geological feature behind us called 'the basin'

These two were basins in their own right for smores