I Believe We Have A Winner

Thank you to: Karla Behringer, Lin Gentling, Jean Murray, Ruth Murray and Larry Pederson for helping to assemble the RTC News this evening. We finished in 45 minutes! Members: The color version is available on the website.

There are a few runners doing a 20-miler on Monday morning (Laura, Jean, John, Dave) from Panera South at 7:00 am. All are welcome to join them for some or all of the run. Map of the planned route.

I went by Soldier's Field this afternoon and there was someone I didn't recognize out picking up trash with his little boy. They had plenty of trash in their bags. Thank you to whomever you are.

Spotted yesterday: P.K., Peggy and Peabody.

Spotted by the RAC just before noon: Mark Winter. :-)

Last night was book club. Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I did not get it read. I think I will keep it on my short list, though.

Well, I tested out the Big and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook and it's a keeper. For the fair, I would definitely make them smaller. They require 3 cookies on a 6" white plate. In following the recipe as written, I'd have to stack them and I'm not sure they'd fit on the plate. They're very good. The whole recipe makes 20 cookies. Hmmm...looks like a big mouse had her way with one of them, eh? I'll have another go at them for Saturday.

Big and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ¼ c. packed brown sugar
½ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. vanilla (yes, tablespoon)
1 12-oz bag (2 cups) chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chocolate chips until incorporated.
4. Working with ¼ cup of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 ½ inches apart. Bake until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft and puffy, 17 to 20 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking.
5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Here's a video from Mark Wernstrom entitled Why I Did Not Make the Olympic Team :

Ouch, ouch, ouch. The gal on the balance beam is lucky that she didn't break her neck.

Thought for the day: "Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge."