Make-ahead cookie dough

What is this strange force that takes over the mind and body of a woman in her final days of pregnancy?

It makes no sense. She feels about as poorly as she ever will. Her back and legs hurt. She should be sitting with her feet up.

And yet, she can't sleep until she cleans the linen closet. And washes the washing machine. And organizes the kitchen cabinets.

And makes meals to put in the freezer.

That darn nesting instinct.

It takes over all rational thinking and nothing can stand in it's way. Not even a few contractions will stop this woman from cleaning a closet that has been messy and unorganized for five years... since she had her LAST child.

Wouldn't it be great if the nesting instinct kicked in right BEFORE pregnancy began? Wouldn't it be wonderful if a woman's psyche could tell her she needed to make 16 freezer meals and scrub the bathtub BEFORE she became nauseous, moody and fatigued?

Oh, no. It waits. It waits until she has zero natural energy and every cell is in pain. Then it kicks into gear with a last-minute surge of adrenaline, allowing her to complete VERY important tasks, possibly life-saving, preventative tasks... like making chocolate chip cookies balls.

And that, my friends, is actually the point of this post.

Among the million other crazy things I have been trying to accomplish the past few days, I could not rest until I took care of the cookie dough. I read this tip somewhere else, and I love it.

I know. Most normal people simply buy break-and-bake cookies. But due to allergy issues, most of those are off limits for us. And besides, I love homemade chocolate chip cookies.

But instead of baking the whole batch, I only bake one pan. Then I scoop the rest of the dough onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Freeze the dough until it is hard. Place the dough balls in a freezer bag.

Now, you can grab a handful and bake them when the craving strikes. I even will bake just five at a time in my convection toaster oven so we can each have a nice warm homemade chocolate chip cookie with our lunch.

Hey, it works for me! And now, I can rest easier tonight, knowing that when the baby is crying and the children are fighting, at least I can have a warm cookie.

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