Lisa's Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

About a month ago my friend Toni, a fellow Army Wife, posted on Facebook about how she was making chocolate chip cookies.  Being a lover of cookies, I was instantly jealous.  I suck at making chocolate chip cookies.  Ugh.  So... I asked Toni if she'd be interested in sharing her cookies on my blog!  So... here's a little about Toni, her cookies and the recipe!

Enjoy!

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My name is Toni, I have been married to my hero for 5 years now, we have two beautiful children and we couldn't be more blessed!!

A bit about my past.. I grew up in a home where my mom and dad both enjoyed cooking. My dad loved to prepare seafood dishes and he made a lot of excellent smoked salmon. Up until he passed away, food was always a huge part of our family gatherings and celebrations. After he died, my mom carried on his legacy by teaching me everything she knew about cooking. I am now able to pass down those same skills to my own children. Cooking has become a way for me to connect with my family, even though they are no longer with us. It is something that we can all share and enjoy together.

My Dad passed away when I was ten, my mom was always in the kitchen cooking up a storm, and she loved baking.

When I was 13 years old my mom (her name was Lisa!)  passed suddenly from a heart attack. She was only 38 years old. My life was turned upside down to say the least... but by the grace of God, I made it with the help of family, friends, and most of all, my faith.

After I was married, I realized I needed to figure out this cooking thing. My mom was no longer around to teach me, so I had to learn on my own from a lot of trial and error. (and a lot of youtube searches!!!) After five years I'm finally getting the hang of things. I'm still very shy in the kitchen, especially around other women who've had more experience than me, but I'm slowly gaining my confidence and trying my hand at my own creations.

Not long ago, I found my moms favorite cookbook among some of mine. I decided to look through it and found a pretty simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. It looked good, but I thought some embellishments were definitely in order. So I went through my cupboards. I found chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and heath bars and whipped up my own versions!! With whatever variations you choose, it's so easy and super yummy. Everyone likes a jumbo sized cookie!! It gives everyone a warm fuzzy happy feeling!!

It brings a smile to my face knowing that my moms favorite old cookbook helped me build a little confidence in my own kitchen long after her passing. It kind of feels like she's still sort of here helping me on my way. Hope you all enjoy!