Did Someone Say Chocolate?

Aside from the obvious benefit of pregnancy - that you get a beautiful child to add to your family and love for the rest of your life - there are many "hidden" benefits to being pregnant.

Such as this...

and this...

and this...

I'm a fairly healthy person when I'm not pregnant - I exercise regularly, watch what I eat and drink, and I maintain a healthy weight. However, some of those rules are played with a bit while pregnant and I LOVE it!

My thought: I'm going to have to lose weight after the baby is born anyway, so why not enjoy putting the weight on? I always gain a healthy amount - 35 - 40 lbs. and I always lose it - I realize getting older will make it a little harder, but being overweight makes me miserable so I can be extremely disciplined when I need to be and I will be!

So because I'm in a good mood I wanted to share the recipe for the most amazing chocolate chip cookies ever! The recipe is from my "2nd mom" growing up, my best friend's mom, who always had these marvelous cookies at her house when I visited. I've made them now for over 20 years (gasp!) and always get rave reviews.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen - give or take depending on how much dough you eat (or if your husband is around while baking and eats about 1 dozen cookie dough balls)!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate chips

1. Mix all ingredients together (except chocolate chips) until blended. DO NOT OVER MIX -the dough will be dry and crumbly.

2. Add chocolate chips and stir until distributed evenly.

3. The dough will be crumbly, before you roll into smaller balls, mash it all together with your hands to better mix the ingredients.

4. Roll into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet - 12/sheet.

5. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Be sure to vary their position in the oven at about 5 minutes - those on top, put to bottom, and vice versa. DO NOT OVER BAKE - take them out when they are slightly browning on top and still a little "gooey" in the center. They will finish setting while cooling.

6. Let cool about 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

Best enjoyed warm from the oven with a large glass of cold milk!

I've varied the recipe over the years depending on my mood. Most often I'll throw in all sorts of chips - butterscotch, vanilla, peanut butter, dark chocolate, milk chocolate - whatever I have in the house.

You can add nuts; however, I hate nuts in cookies so I never do.

Feel free to use whole wheat flour; however, it is best mixed with white as well. Here is the ratio I substitute for 2.5 cups of white flour - 1 cup white and 1 1/3 cup whole wheat. If you use all whole wheat the dough will be way too dry!

Use Splenda instead of sugar.

Use egg whites (1/2 cup) instead of 2 eggs.

However, let's be honest, when you want a chocolate chip cookie - it's best to go all out! :)

The dough can be made in advance and frozen up to 3 months or you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months as well - but, really, who has the discipline for that?!?

Enjoy - I will be for the next few days!