The Efficient Kitchen.

A few years ago my mom remodeled and updated her kitchen. It is beautiful and super efficient. She now has two ovens. A conventional and a convection.

Last summer during my Farm Days (which may or may not have actually been Farm Month) I decided to make some peanut butter cookies. My mom wasn't around that day--it was just me, my chitlens, the men folk coming and going from the fields and a few little cousins roaming around. I knew I needed to make for the masses, because- well, there's always masses of people at my moms.

So began my adventure...I pulled out her baymix, (the giant kind that hold crazy huge amounts-like 18 cups of flour) with that bad boy I was prepared to bake for the multitudes. Now, a word on these particular cookies, first of all--they are delicious, secondly--you have to roll them in sugar prior to baking them. This not only adds to the deliciousness, but adds another step in the whole baking process.

I made my cookie dough. So, I was now ready to start baking. I thought to myself: Self, you don't have one of these newfangled convection ovens, but word on the street is you can bake multiple sheets of cookies at one time. That sounds like a good idea. And if you also fire up the regular oven you can have one more sheet baking in there as well! WoW!! This is going to be cookie central in no time!

I got the first batch in and started getting the next batch ready, now to be more efficient I always do the old pan switch-a-roo when I make cookies---get the next batch ready so that as soon as the first batch is out in goes the next one, you know the system. I really didn't think through this well, because I had six pans flying in and out of those ovens. I could barely get the hot cookies off the pan, scoop the dough, roll the dough in the sugar and back on the pan before the alternate oven was beeping for me to get that batch out.

Mix in the fact that I had multiple children coming and going needing me for random things, plus the boys (okay, they are men-but my little brothers will always be "the boys" to me) coming in scrounging up something for lunch, not to mention I was quickly running out of room in my mothers very large kitchen to stack cookies-- it was total mayhem.

Yes, I was making fantastic cookies at an alarmingly fast rate.
Yes, I was still helping all those little people.
Yes, I was finding food for the big boys.
Yes, I was keeping the rest of the house some what together for my mothers return.
All of these were good things.
It was just a little overwhelming in the moment.

I tell you the Analogy of the Efficient Kitchen because that is
kind of how my life feels right about now.
Between Mike and I, we have found all sorts of avenues for bringing home the bacon. It seems one of us is always doing some sort of work related something or other.
We have five fabulous children who all need us (me mostly, but whatever). There's lots of homework, reading, listening, playing, just plain old family stuff to do.
We both have church callings that can be fairly time consuming (Mike mostly, but whatever). We are both gone every Wednesday, and he is always gone one weekend a month camping.
Throw in all the rest of the craziness that we call "life" and it is one crazy train ride.

It's all good stuff.
I wouldn't want to change a thing. I am grateful for the work opportunities, my wonderful family, and for the opportunity to serve in the church.
I'm not complaining here, I'm just saying that sometimes life feels like making cookies in my mom's kitchen--just flying at me faster than I can gobble it down.




And, because you knew I couldn't leave you without passing it along...
here you go...
:o)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 45 cookies.