It began with chocolate chips in the waffles the grand kids brought to Granny camp.
“Chocolate chips in waffles?” Granny raised her eyebrows.
“Oh yeah!” each kid said and grabbed one or two every day until none remained.
Granny camp came in shifts this year. The first two visitors decided to make cookies. “We need chocolate chips.”
Granny produced the chips. Sophie (13) and Caroline (12) studied the package. “Do you have cocoa powder so we can make chocolate chocolate chip cookies?”
Granny pointed out the dark brown can on the shelf.
Undeterred by the fact that the ingredients sat on the second highest shelf, the pint sized granddaughter went to work. She dragged a chair over to the counter, used it to climb onto the counter where she opened doors to find sugar, shortening, flour and vanilla. The climber handed canisters and bottles down to the cousin on the floor. She climbed down. They began measuring and mixing. Soon the aroma of chocolate filled the air. The chocolate chocolate chip cookies covered the cooling racks and filled the girls’ tummies. Granny tucked the cookies out of sight. No one needs to eat that many cookies in a day. Not even for a snack during the Murphy Art District Monday night free movie.
A couple days later the Cousin Camp crowd shifted. Meals and snacks included chocolate chocolate chip cookies until Sam (10) and Henry (8) came like a whirlwind. They liked the chocolate chip waffles and welcomed ice cream with flakes of chocolate sprinkled throughout.
Camp membership shifted once again. A couple of cousins came, “I want to have a tea party,” the youngest, Katie (5), announced.
“Sure, but first let’s go watch the MAD Monday night movie.” They packed up corn chips, drinks and leftover chocolate chocolate chips cookies.
The next day, Granny pulled out the china tea set with the gold rim. “Okay, would you like to make cookies for the party?”
“Yes, I want chocolate chip cookies.”
Granny bought more chocolate chips. Someone added twice as many eggs as required so all the other ingredients had to be doubled. Granny cut up chocolate candy bars for additional chips. She handed Sam (10) the stainless steel hand crank mixer. “You liked using this mixing air, try it with cookie dough.”
He cheerfully accepted the challenge. “It’s a lot harder!”
“Make it all one smooth color. Do you want to use the electric mixer?”
“No.” He continued to crank.
By the time his cousins added all the flour and the chocolate chips everyone welcomed the electric mixer. A double batch of chocolate chip cookies provided more than enough for three or four tea parties. Granny packed up cookies for the children to take home.
Half of the campers left. Granny camp moved to the home of Daisy (10) and Katie. The first morning, the Katie chose yogurt for breakfast and said. “I want chocolate chips in my yogurt.”
Her older sister climbed up on the counter and grabbed the bag of hidden chocolate chips. Little sister eagerly ate yogurt with chocolate chips. Granny insisted both try citrus fruit salad. They politely ate a bit. A lot remained.
“We could make a pineapple upside down cake with the leftovers,” Granny said.
“Yes!” Daisy pulled out the flour, sugar, shortening and baking powder. She left the chocolate chips in the cupboard. Big sister read the recipe and measured. Little sister dumped. Both took turns stirring.
For dessert on the last day of Granny Camp they ate pineapple upside-down cake without any chocolate chips. Both asked for another piece for breakfast the next day and never mentioned chocolate chips. With all those desserts, Cousin Camp 2021 was pretty sweet.