Choclate Chip Cookies

I have survived just fine through college and even the first year or so of marriage with my limited cooking skills. I can follow a recipe and things seem to turn out as they are supposed to, however, I still am not very accomplished at cooking. Baking, on the other hand, is my nightmare. It seems no matter what I have to bake it comes out wrong...or just not like it is supposed to be. When we first moved to DC I had a lot of time on my hands and thought I would try my hand at making sugar cookies. No matter what I tried they just didn't taste or look like the best sugar cookies I have ever had, Jean M.'s sugar cookies. My next attempt at baking came in the form of a carrot cake. The first go around was lopsided I think. Then I had to go to the grocery store a second time to get more ingredients for the next layer. It tasted ok, but I haven't attempted one since living in DC. My latest attempt at baking has become chocolate chip cookies. (My husband just groans when I decide to bake something anymore.) It is the first time in my 25 yrs. that I have ever made chocolate chip cookies. The first batch was alright, but they are pretty flat, like pancake flat. They tasted pretty yummy though. I decided to get the great idea to try again and make enough to send in to the barracks for "the guys." While the guys enjoy my cooking I'm not sure what they will have to say about the cookies. Mom shared her "secret" with me about how she makes the cookies. (It has been several years since Mom has made cookies too.) I decided to do a double batch. After an hour or two of cooking I was finally done at 11 pm and I have enough cookies to feed a few platoons of Marines. They are still pretty flat, but I think they taste just as good as the first batch. I'm beginning to think that I'm just not cut out for this baking thing. (After uploading this picture of the cookies I baked and sent to the barracks they look rather yummy I guess.) Maybe I can bake, lol. I do have a recipe for a chocolate chip pie that I make every time there is any kind of potluck or gathering. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, and hour in the fridge, and everyone loves it. I look like I made this fabulous creation when all I did was mix a few things together and stick it in the fridge. I'll share it with you...

Chocolate Chip Pie (which can become any kind of pie you want)
Ingredients:
1 container of Cool Whip
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. chocolate chips (or any kind of candy bits)
1 graham cracker crust (or whatever kind you want)

Mix cool whip, sour cream, cream cheese, and sugar together. Fold in the candy bits. Put mixture into crust and cool in fridge for 1-2 hrs.

*You can use any kind of candy/crust combo you want. Our personal favorite is graham crust and heath bits, but I only use about half the package of heath bits. You can also use a box crust or the pre-made crust. I prefer the pre-made simply because it takes away one step of the process.

The thing that got me on this cooking kick was the fact that my personal cook is going to be leaving for a cruise, at least that is what I call it, and I figured I better learn to survive. The whole time he was gone training I didn't really cook anything at all. I ate cereal, sandwiches, salad, and a frozen pizza. I realized if he was going to be gone for several months that perhaps I should cook something. Plus, I needed to see if I was able to bake cookies so I can include them in care packages. *sigh* I guess they will do. Marines will eat anything anyhow.