Sometimes I can’t find things at the grocery store. I look high and low but I never find them. And it seems like my ma can always find everything at the store. Maybe someday I will be a ma, and then I will be instilled with the magical grocery locator. 

In the case of this recipe, I couldn’t find cayenne pepper. Someone should tell you, or they should have a big sign that tells you, that cayenne pepper goes by another name. Its called red pepper. Cayenne is just like its stripper name or something.

1. The recipe said to coarsely chop the chocolate, but by golly, this stuff is like rock hard.

2. Its weird adding pepper and stuff to cookies. I feel like I am really going to screw them all up.

3. Cookies made up of a large portion of melted chocolate always have a strange consistency to me. Like half cookie, half brownie.

4. With a dusting of powdered sugar, the masterpiece is complete. These were very good. Some said they were one of the favorite cookies I have made thus far. Chocolate-y with a hint of cinnamon and spice. The stripper cayenne turned out ok after all.

The only thing I have experience toasting is bread (which I am very good at). Assuming you can’t toast coconut in a toaster, these cookies were a little intimidating. But I am willing to give it a go. I found these cookies while searching for “healthy” cookies (they do have much less butter than normal cookies, ergo, healthy).

1. These cookies have both baking powder and baking soda. Aren’t they so special that they have to have both.

2. I toasted coconut. And by toasted, I mean that I put the coconut in the oven for a time. Did it actually toast? Not sure, I don’t actually know what toasted coconut is supposed to look like.

3. When this dough started out, there was a tiny amount. It looked like it would make like 6 cookies. But once I added the chocolate and coconut, it tripled in size.

4. Yum. These cookies were chewy and good. Plus, they only have a 1/4 cup of butter, which makes them practically a vegetable.

1. Stuffed animals taking over my desk. 2. Enjoying a huge cup of pickles. 3. Two of our most favorite kids in the world. 4. Why do they make measuring cups where the measurements come off? 5. Friday night painting class together. 6. Outdoor living room- best idea ever. 7. Homemade pulled bbq chicken sandwiches. 8. Dog collar :) 9. Start of the latest project.