Flowered Suits and Chocolate Sticks

I spent the morning at the beach near Mary's house with some girls from work (Hi Katy & Rachel!). I have a hard time going to any other beach. We are spoiled in the fact that we have this semi-private beach where we can sit and relax with our family and friends and use any of the bathrooms around us!

My cousin taking a snooze on the beach

When my mother, aunts, and uncle were growing up, my grandmother would bring all 6 of them down to the beach, lather them with baby oil and send them off to play for hours while she sat and drank with the other neighborhood mothers. The present day beach situation is very similar, except now there is the presence of SPF 30 or 50. Mary however, from what I remember, was never one to sit on the beach. During the hot summer months she would make daily visits to the beach in her flowered skirted bathing suits. She would wade into about her thighs and splash water on herself saying, "Oooo. Oooo. Its cold". Once acclimated to the temperature, she would make her way up to her neck and tread water for a few minutes before wading back out to dry off and head home.

Even though it is quite hot out and would have rather stayed at the beach, I came home to start doing some work for school (the party is over next Tuesday) and to bake up another one of Mary's recipes. Matt has been a little perturbed because I keep baking and giving it away, so he requested that I make something that he can eat more than one of before they disappear.

I didn't want to stay in the hot kitchen too long, so I pulled out Mary's recipe for Chocolate Sticks, which is quite similar to the chocolate chip cookie recipe:


Chocolate Sticks
(written on a recipe card with an antique stove embellishment in the corner)

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 package chocolate bits
1/4 cup shortening
1tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cream shortening, brown sugar, and egg. Add dry ingredients, chocolate bits, and vanilla to the creamed mixture. Spread dough evenly in a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 30 minutes. When cool, cut into sticks.

  As usual, Mary used to cut these into tiny bars in order to stretch the recipe out. When cut into average size bars, should make @ 12. :)