We had our cookie contest on Monday at work. I was so slap happy on Sunday from being laid up in bed sick all week that I decided to bake and join in the contest.

I knew M&M would be on board if it involved baking cookies. I racked my brain over a creative cookie to make and out of nowhere thought of a gavel. An office full of lawyers most of whom have been in front of a judge in the course of their practice, would certainly enjoy them. Maria agreed (after I showed her a picture of one and she realized we’d be able to buy giant marshmallows) and the process began.

I only bought one container of chocolate thinking that would coat 20 huge marshmallows – it coated 5. You can see my ineptitude in baking…. We had to use caramel dip for the rest which looked like thick alien slime.

Maria kept sneaking swipes of the melted chocolate with her finger and Mario kept eating the marshmallows after we dipped them on chocolate. So all in all we ended up with 4 chocolate gavels and 10 caramel ones.

Maria asked if I thought that we’d win the contest and I told her in an I quivering tone, “of course!” I told my colleague this and she immediately went to task creating a Grand Prize certificate for Ri announcing that she won “Most Creative” prize for the gavels. She was smitten when I showed her that evening.

“”I knew we’d win, mom!”

Love her confidence.