The Art of Being Neighborly OR Chocolate Chip Cookies

We were delightfully neighborless for a few years...until a few weeks ago.  We'd been dreading that day.  Our former neighbors were odd, unsocial, and their three dogs would wait patiently for me to leave in the morning so they could make the trek up our driveway to leave steaming piles on our walkway.  The new neighbors HAD to be better...but there was that slim chance they would be worse.  Turns out, they are a seemingly lovely and considerate family of 5.  At least that's the impression we've gotten from our brief bus-stop, phone, and driveway chats.  I've already spoken with them more in the last 2 weeks than I did with the old neighbs over the 8 years they lived next door. 

We can't see our neighbors' houses unless we really try.  Our other closest neighbor lives above us.  He's a retired down-to-earth millionaire who loves to chat, is gracious, but generally keeps to himself.  I give him eggs, plates of Christmas goodies, and send up a plate of Thanksgiving dinner every year.  He gives us exotic fruit, and gets my husband tipsy on the best bourbon and rum while telling tales of his interesting life.

Anyway, our new neighbor sanded the bottom of our driveway the other day, and I was overdue in giving them an official "welcome to the hood" offer of food too.  So, I baked this afternoon.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour (or a mix of white and wheat)
3 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp of molasses (just eyeball it)
4-1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup oil
Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix dry ingredients in mixer bowl, then add wet.

Finally add chocolate chips, and mix well. 

Using a 1/8-cup scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, a dozen per pan.

Bake 11 minutes.

This makes about 3-1/2 dozen.


As the second batch was in the oven, I sat down for a late lunch and checked my e-mail, only to hear that my best friend had just lost a neighbor very unexpectedly.  This lady, who had been married to her husband for 50 years, had gone in for routine surgery, was found to have very advanced lung cancer, and died the next day after a sudden complication.  Wow.  In her grief, my friend took the time to make a couple pans of lasagna and salad for the visiting family.  So thoughtful.

In short, appreciate and be good to those around you.  Go bake some cookies.