chocolate chip cookies

I decided to make cookies today. Caglar loves those Pepperidge farm boxed cookies. They are really expensive here in Turkey so I decided to make him some fresh cookies. So I started shopping for the ingredients and had to make quite a few substitutions; No chocolate chips so I bought bars and chopped those up. I had to whip out my dictionary(a really good friend of mine here!) several times to figure out which was baking soda and which was baking powder. What is the difference anyways(mother?)? I haven't found any brown sugar ever, which I researched on the Internet is sugar with molasses in it. What does the molasses do?(mother?) I couldn't find any vanilla extract but I found this powder vanilla...ok go for it? Also in Turkey, as the rest of the world except America, the system is metric. Everything is in grams. My great American cookbook(thanks mom) The New Basics cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins is where I got the recipe but everything is in cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. So thank goodness I have the Internet and am using the conversion websites to get everything to grams. For your information 1 cup equals about 220 grams, I think. As my cookie making continues... his mother is a great cook but she just guestimates everything. She makes good food and just knows how much to put in but me no! I need a little guidance. My husband is like... just feel it, use your hands...ok...there are no measuring devices to be found so I just winged it. I found a glass we thought was about 200 grams and I guessed from that alot. The oven temps are also in Celsius. My converter said 275F is about 190C. The oven's here are tiny so I am doing one batch at a time. I burned the second batch but the rest have been a success. Really how can you go wrong with cookies though, flour, BUTTER, sugar and CHOCOLATE are all yummy things.


















Everything is a little harder here for me lately, language and culture are different on top of my major life changes. I freaked out today and was balling uncontrollably. As my mother so beautifully pointed out,"Every one has had so many life changing things happen in just such a short time really. Marriages, moving, illness, starting businesses, new pets, loving , dying, adjusting, missing family, etc......." The cookie making was quite therapeutic actually. To make something quietly and see the fruits of my labor. Cry and then just wing it...Love is the butter and chocolate of life. If you've got it your life/cookies can't ever be so bad.


















I'm a nerd but feel much better now!