To my brave wife’s credit, she tackled the “Clean the Hall Closet” project. Asking my assistance to take a diaper box containing old AV cords off the top shelf, I found an old photo memory card lying behind the box.

What could it contain? My mind reviewed all of the possibilities. Nuclear launch codes. The Colonel’s secret recipe. A treasure map. What could it be?

Thankful that our home computer could still read the card, I found a single file named “2005-05-19.”

Clicking on the file, I was greeted by a little boy. My oldest son Jacob, who was at that time our only son, decked out in 18-month-old basketball apparel. He also looks appalled by the dirty kitchen floor in our old house in Pennsylvania. No matter what we tried, we could never get that floor to look clean.

Flash forward 3,766 days. Given enough time, it’s amazing how those things (a.k.a. children) grow. Here’s my now 11-year-old son taking up nearly all of the couch, while he hams it up and reads my Sports Illustrated.

Blessed? Yep, that’s me. Today, celebrating 3,766 days of blessings and counting. Now if I could just get my hands on my Sports Illustrated and in the habit of cleaning out our hall closet more often.

Today, I finally tackled that big pile of papers on my desk.  I was determined to properly organize and file them, just in case something happens to me, like I get hit by a bus or unexpectedly move to a Twin Cities suburb or something like that.  Any who, I think I did a great job.  You be the judge…

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, great job Dave.”  Well, thank you very much, but here’s the thing, it took an extra amount of effort because I have something wrong with my wiring.  Now, I know you’re thinking, “We already knew that,” but hold on and allow me to illustrate using the very exciting “Purchasing Regulations” file.

No you say, “Great choice, Dave, this should be an incredible use of the full power of the Internet.”  Just give me a chance!  There we have it, the sought after “Purchasing Regulations” file.

This is the way a file should sit.  Don’t argue with me, just accept this as a fact.  Okay, good.

The problem was that when I would open the file to enjoy my casual purchasing regulations reading, the papers would look like this…

Unacceptable!  They should of course look like this…

Ahhhh, that’s better.  The problem is that I like to enter papers like this…

Which leads to this…

Unacceptable!  Therefore, all morning, I had to force myself to file like this…

Awkward, but not as awkward as this…

Look at poor big brother Jacob on the right…  poor suffering soul, but anyway, where was I?  Oh that’s right, putting the paper in awkwardly to start resulted in the correct end result (see below)…

Ahhhh, the struggles I overcome just to do a great job.  Just don’t get me started on magazines…

“I sense a great disturbance in the force among my children.” (i.e. the first day of school)

PS – For my fellow geek friends out there, check out my new “Star Wars – The Force Awakens” t-shirt. Be jealous, very jealous. Winning! (i.e. geek for “Winning!”)

Ah, the annual family road trip. A joy of summer. Soon followed by the end of road trip cleaning of the car.

There next to 11-year-old Jacob’s spot in the backseat was his private stash…

1) Batman Velcro wallet

2) Fifteen “to-go coffee” stickers

3) Vending machine sticker, still in its cardboard casing

4) A pencil

5) A small tin can filled with change

6) and of course his socks. Don’t leave home without them.

Happy end of Summer. Welcome back to Autumn reality. Better bring your socks, soon it’ll be getting cold out there.

MICHIGAN MERINGUES

“On Thursday, the University of Michigan’s football team began a new era with coach Jim Harbaugh’s first game. As a faithful alum (Class of ’94), today I present to you a cookie celebrating this new beginning. ‘Michigan Meringues’ are light, fluffy, contain a smooth white chocolate flavor, and proudly display their Maize and Blue colors. Perfect for game day or any other day. Go Blue!”

2 Egg Whites

2/3 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract

¾ cup Vanilla Chocolate Chips

Maize (yellow) and Blue food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees on Friday night.

Whisk eggs whites until frothy. Then beat them some more, just to make sure.

Gradually mix in sugar.

Mix in clear vanilla extract.

Continue to beat until very stiff.

Stir in the vanilla chocolate chips.

Separate the meringue batter into two batches.

Color one set with the Maize food coloring to your liking. I had the best luck simply stirring in the food coloring.

Color the other set blue.

Drop by tablespoon onto foil lined baking sheets.

Place in oven.

Close oven door tightly.

Turn off oven.

Leave cookie in oven overnight.

Enjoy a delicious Michigan Meringue for breakfast on Saturday morning, game day.

Go Blue!

Makes about 18 meringues.

Revised Source: “Wait Till Next Year” Meringues” recipe on page 70 of my cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie,” available for free at www.CookiesbyDave.com.

And now for the big winners of the www.CookiesbyDave.com First Birthday Give Away (picked completely at random)… Betty, Deb, and Caryn. Over the next year, you will receive your prize pack. Congrats!

Also, a quick note to my previous winners, who are still waiting for their prizes, hold on… they will soon be on their way, my Prize Fulfillment Department assures me of this.

For everyone else, no worries. I was helping clean our attic earlier today and I found something to share with you, “Happy Days” trading cards. As a result, we are all winners.

Fonzie, thank you for the words of wisdom, just in time for back to school.

Timeless words of wisdom from the Fonz. Thank you, Henry Winkler.

“These Happy Days are yours and mine.

These Happy Days are yours and mine, Happy Days.”

Let me start by saying thank you. One year ago today, I launched www.CookiesbyDave.com. Over the past 365 days, you have been there to share with me triumphs, trials, many a wayward sock, and dozens of delightful cookie recipes. Thank you for sharing the journey.

As a thank you, over the next 24 hours, anyone who comments “Happy Birthday Blog” on this post (or by commenting “Happy Birthday Blog” on one of the “Cookies by Dave” related Facebook subsidiaries) will be entered into a random drawing to win a limited edition “www.CookiesbyDave.com – Est. 09/04/14” coffee mug and some freshly baked “Cookies by Dave.” Make sure to enter for your chance to win and thanks again. Here’s to one great year in the books and another one starting now.

Thank you from the dedicated (and entirely unpaid) staff at www.CookiesbyDave.com.

Plus, as an added bonus, here’s another cookie recipe for your enjoyment, because there is always room for just one more cookie.

UP NORTH BROWN SUGAR MADELEINES

“Getting ready to head home from the cabin, I had the hankering for one final cookie. I surveyed my surroundings. No sugar on hand, but I had my trusty madeleine pan. I ask you, who doesn’t head to the cabin without their madeleine pan? That would really be roughing it. Without sugar, I resorted to cookie innovation and substituted brown sugar (gasp!). The result was delightful. These little madeleine cakes were filled with rich brown sugar flavor, which was the perfect complement to the white chocolate drizzle. Cookie magic straight from the Northwoods and the perfect goodbye to summer.”

2 Eggs

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Flour

½ cup Butter, melted and cooled

½ cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

½ cup White Chocolate Chips for drizzle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a madeleine baking pan.

Mix together the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Mix in half of the flour.

Mix in the butter.

Mix in the other half of the flour.

Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips.

Spoon a tablespoon of batter into each of the prepared molds.

Bake 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. The bottoms of the madeleines will have browned.

Cool in pan for 1 minute.

With the tip of a knife, gently release the madeleines onto wire racks to cool completely.

Wash, grease, and flour pan.

Repeat with remaining batter.

Melt the white chocolate chips and pour into a sandwich bag.

Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag; squeeze to drizzle white chocolate over madeleines.

Allow white chocolate drizzle to set.

Makes about 18 madeleines.

Note: this recipe requires a “Madeleine Pan,” which molds the cookie batter into “shells.”

Revised Source: “Orange Chocolate Chip Madeleines” recipe on page 65 of my cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie,” which is available for free download at www.CookiesbyDave.com.

UP NORTH GINGERSNAPS

“For over 20 years, I have been accompanying my wife up to her family’s cabin in Northern Minnesota. For the last 9 years, I have been baking cookies up at the cabin. During those years, I have gathered cookie recipes like a squirrel gathers nuts. Well, imagine my surprise when on my most recent trip up to the cabin, I found a handwritten recipe card labeled, ‘Gingersnaps,’ which features the recipe below and vegetable oil as a main ingredient. The only explanation, someone has been holding back their cookie knowledge and accidently left their ‘secret’ recipe unguarded. Now, faced with this new information, my only option is to share this new found knowledge with the world. You can now enjoy this wonderful gingersnap goodness, as the vegetable oil produces a nice, thin, crisp cookie featuring the traditional blend of spices that make this a perfect cookie to eat, while watching the leaves change.”

¾ cup Vegetable Oil

1 cups Sugar

¼ cup Molasses

1 Egg

2 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoon Cloves

½ teaspoon Ginger

½ teaspoon Salt

Additional Sugar for coating

Mix together the vegetable oil and sugar.

Mix in the molasses and eggs.

Mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt.

Cover and refrigerate the dough overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into Tablespoon sized balls.

Roll in sugar to coat the dough balls.

Place the sugar coated dough balls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Revised Source: Handwritten note labeled “Gingersnaps,” found up North at the cabin.

CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

“Our next door neighbor up at the cabin, Cove (perfect name for living on a lake, eh?), has a favorite type of cookie, Macadamia Nut. Unfortunately, our oldest son Jacob is allergic to tree nuts (Does a Macadamia grow on trees? I know they grow in Hawaii. Oh, the things I could answer, if I just bothered to look it up on Wikipedia.), so I hardly ever bake cookies containing nuts. The great news is that this chocolatey take on Macadamia Nut Cookies can be made just fine with or without nuts. So don’t hold back, enjoy ‘em the way you like ‘em, because they are perfect for sharing with your neighbor (a big glass of ice cold milk is optional).

Plus, these cookies come out moist, rich, and brownie-like. A yummy break, as you close your eyes and imagine sitting on the beaches of our 50^th State (optionally accompanied by your next door neighbor).”

½ cup Butter

¼ cup Sugar

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1¼ cups Flour

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

¾ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

¾ cup White Chocolate Chips

1 cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts (can be omitted, if you would like a nut free cookie)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar.

Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts.

Drop Tablespoon sized balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, before transferring them to cooling racks.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Revised Source: “Double Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies” recipe, as found on www.crazyforcrust.com.

Frustrated, I searched through the spice rack for ginger. Suddenly, a smile swept across my face. About 40 years too late, I finally got the joke. Ginger on Gilligan’s Island was a red head. Get it? “Ginger” is a nickname for red heads. Ha! Also, bravo! A new World Record for longest time required to finally get a joke. Now, if I could only find the container of ginger on our spice rack and get my coconut phone to work, I could finally get off this island.

PS – I also credit Gilligan’s Island repeats as the source of my irrational fear of quick sand.

PPS – I am also still angry about the special episode, where the Harlem Globetrotters visit the island. #PopCultureTrainWreck