For a day as beautiful as today there should not be solemnity to it, but 10 years ago, the day was just as gorgeous and sunny.

Everyone remembers where they were. I have trouble remembering what happened yesterday, but I know exactly where I was.

I was working at an environmental law firm as a secretary, and our office bordered Dulles Airport - like our parking lot ended at the 6 foot tall chain link fence with barbed wire on top of it and federal property signs all over it.

I remember checking MSNBC for updates. I remember scrambling to get the only tv in the office working only to realize that the antenna was busted. Then leaving the office for KMart to get an antenna and just stopping the car on route 50 and watching the planes land. Dozens and dozens of planes were landing, all at once, and our office was in direct line of the flight path. I remember wondering what the heck was going on and what would happen now.

Watching all those planes land was scary for me. I was 19.

I remember trying to get a hold of my best friend. Her father worked at the Pentagon. I couldn't get a hold of her. I did finally get a hold of her, and her father escaped the Pentagon as the ceiling of his office caved in. He walked to his parents' home in Alexandria.

My mom called my office and told me to come home. She wanted everyone home. So I obliged and went home.

My sisters were in school and the school was locked down. We lived in a suburb of DC. How many student's parents worked at the Pentagon. A lot. The government is the biggest employer here. My father was at work, but he worked in Columbia, MD and couldn't get home to us.  My sisters were finally sent home, and Mom kept us all close for the rest of the day. We didn't leave the house. We sat with Mom and watched TV.


Our thoughts and  prayers continue for everyone affected by the events from a decade ago.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast. Last time we left Dana, she had just completed the bread baking section of her Baker's Quest. She had successfully made bread from scratch. She had passed this section of her quest, which was good because she miserably failed at the cupcake section...

This week I was met with a somewhat different challenge: Cookies. I know, I know, cookies aren't nearly as difficult as bread or cupcakes, and I technically already made them during the Night of the Ninjas. Cookies are a quintessential part of the baking world, though, and I really, really, REALLY like them. So what kind of cookies did I go with? Chocolate chip, of course! What other kind is there? :-)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy Alton Brown

8 oz unsalted butter
12 oz bread flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 oz granulated sugar
8 oz light brown sugar
1 lg egg
1 lg egg yolk
1 oz whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda onto a paper plate. Pour the butter into your stand mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Using the paper plate as a slide, gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour is worked in, drop the speed to "stir" and add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375° F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack and wait at least 5 minutes before devouring.

I have liked Alton Brown for a long, long time, though, I think he's a bit persnickety about some things and so I don't always follow his directions to the letter. I would have here, but I did run out of a few things and so had to improvise a bit...

I've been using homemade laundry detergent for a while now, and I love it.

When I saw that Simply Designing had a recipe for a homemade dishwasher detergent I was all over it. Luckily I had most of the supplies on hand and the only thing I had to buy was Lemi-Shine.

Simply Designing Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

I changed the recipe to have less Lemi-Shine because we do not have hard water, so I only used 1 cup of it.

I haven't used the new detergent yet, because the last bottle of store bought stuff is stubbornly holding on, but I did make a super cute container for the homemade stuff. :)

Its the exact same jar as the laundry detergent, and I did exactly the same thing as I did for that container. Easy Peasy.

I can't wait to see how lovely and clean my dishes come out - and to save some money on dishwasher detergent. :)