Returning to my semi-sweet roots

All growing up, as far as I can remember, we were a semi-sweet chocolate chip kind o' family. And, all growing up, I loved to make cookies. Not necessarily forming the dough into balls, putting them in the oven, waiting around for ten minutes, taking them out, then waiting for them to cool so I didn't burn my face off devouring them. No, I was more of the kind of gal who liked mixing all the ingredients together, leaving the baking part to someone else, and simply devouring the dough. Oh, don't worry, I ate the baked cookies too, but I have always felt that just baking the cookies without eating any dough was a travesty of the most horrific kind.

Now, all this cookie dough and actual cookie goodness was experienced with semi-sweet chocolate chips. I never thought anything about it, and you may be surprised, I didn't even know that milk chocolate chips even existed. That all changed circa 2000. One day, when we were dating, Gary and I made cookies. The chocolate chips were sprawled out on the counter, flowing out of the bag, as they usually are while one is making cookies for some reason. I grabbed a chip, popped it in my mouth and was shocked to taste . . . milk chocolate!

My first reaction? "Hey! This tastes like I'm eating a little piece of chocolate!" I love to state the obvious, especially when it surprises me. Gary laughed and probably thought, "Why am I dating such a weirdo?" Oh well, he continued to date me so he can think I'm as weird as he wants, since I am just as weird as he thinks I am. :) From that day on, I was a milk chocolate chip believer!

Anyway, we have a certain cute little boy who is deathly allergic to milk, among other things. In our years of figuring out how to feed this child, I came across the pleasant and rare discovery of something yummy that actually didn't contain milk- my old friends from the days of yore- semi-sweet chocolate chips!!!
Now, if you have ever had one of Gary's milk chocolate chip cookies, you probably fell in love with the cookie, the bowl he mixed it in, the beaters he mixed them with, the pan he baked them on, the oven he cooked them in, not to mention Gary himself. It's no secret in my family that Gary's cookies are what finally won over my sisters. He even has his own recipe with secret ingredients. That recipe helped Gary woo many a lady before, and perhaps even after, he met me. Not to worry, they're all mine now!

Anyway, I have recently rediscovered that semi-sweet chocolate chips are just as delicious as milk chocolate chips in their own understated, simply simple way. No pretenses. No mumbo jumbo. There is nothing semi about their sweetness, yet they are not too sweet. I know, I know. I just implied that something can be too sweet. All over the country, as different family members and friends read this who know about my incredible ability to consume unbelievable amounts of sugar, are gasping. Over the next few days, if you hear a loud gasp echoing through the air, it's probably one of those people experiencing the shock of my new grown-up discovery. It may even be you! But, I'll just say that every time I take a bite of these semi-sweet goodies, I am taking a little taste of my childhood, with a sprinkle of heaven mixed in.