Five Crafty Sisters: Allison: Father's Day and The Perfect Cookie

Hello, and welcome to my third week of posting IN A ROW! Okay... I'll stop counting. Let's just assume that I'm back to posting at least once a week.

This week, I wanted to post early in case anyone is totally stumped on what to gift the important fathers in their lives. I was pretty stinking proud of myself for coming up with the "Cookie of the Month Club", which I wrote about in last year's Father's Day post. If you missed it, hop on over there and check it out. Basically, I made a batch of cookies each month, and mailed my father at least a dozen of said cookies, with a little label attached, and a picture of my adorable little one. The cookies were "from her", though obviously mom did the work.

I really enjoyed creating these packages each month. I don't always get the chance to communicate with my amazing father as much as I'd like, so this was a great excuse to "correspond" with him regularly. I only missed one month (April, I think), but made up for it with two packages the next month. From what I can tell, he's really enjoyed having the packages arrive at his office each month (I don't think my brother, who works with him, is complaining either).

Hard to believe, but I just finished my last batch of "Grandpa's Cookies", as my two-year-old calls them. Just for the record, your little ones will enjoy this gift as much, if not more, than the person receiving it! Isla was a great sampler for me each month, and never had anything bad to say about my cookies. :) This month, I was scouring my Pinterest "cookie" board, and couldn't find one I was really excited about. There was an intriguing half chocolate cookie, half peanut butter cookie that I was tempted to try, but the refrigeration time didn't correspond with my slim window to get to the post office before nap time. But while on Sally's blog over at sallysbakingaddiction.com, I came across a recipe she calls "THE Chocolate Chip Cookie". I've never been a huge fan of Chocolate Chip Cookies (I know... I'm the only one...), but I figured a traditional cookie might be a good ending to a year of cookie recipes. So, I gave it a try. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! For someone that's not a fan of this type of cookie, I admit that this recipe is amazing! They turned out nice and plump (not flat like most), chewy and moist. I LOVED her suggestion to add a few chocolate chips to the top of the dough (before baking) to make them more attractive. I think she and I would be great friends. :)

I followed her recipe found here to the "T", and found that they turned out just as she pictured. My only deviation, if you want to call it that, is that I used my cookie scoop. I LOVE using it for drop cookies, and find that it makes them almost perfectly round with a little less work on my part. Lazy... don't forget. :)

Sally described this as her "go to" chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I know it will definitely be added to my favorites. I hope you all try it out. I also hope you might consider adding someone special in your life to the "Cookie of the Month" club. I can't believe it's been a year since my dad's "induction", and definitely plan to send him an occasional package in the future. He has always been the most supportive and accepting father, always willing to offer inspired advice and to lend an ear to my silly problems.

On top of being lazy, I'm also cheap. So when I card shop for holidays like Father's Day, I almost can't stomach spending what they charge for cards that seem to be less and less creative each year. So when I found a similar card on Pinterest, as the one I made below, I knew I had a solution to my card dilemma. I laughed so hard when I saw this card idea! It took me about 10 minutes to make my own on my computer, print it off, and put it all together. I think my dad will get a good laugh, and then have to admit to himself that it's completely true. :)

Of course I admitted in the card, that my mom had a lot to do with my awesomeness too. :)

Before I end my post, I have to take a second to give a "shout out" to my second favorite father... my amazing husband, Brent. The minute he gets home from work each night, my VERY energetic two-year-old instantly wants to play with her daddy, and he always complies... even when his day has already been exhausting. He's my best friend, and the best daddy I could have possibly imagined for my little girls. My expectations were pretty high, after having an amazing father, and Brent definitely met that standard. I love your guts, Brent!