These gooey chocolate chip bars absolutely blewwww my mind๐ฉ I made these bars using the BEST brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe (which you can find exclusively in my ebook here) but any pre-made cookie dough will work just fine!
Warm out of the oven, they were so rich, gooey and chocolatey, literally melting into your mouth with every bite. Next time, Iโm definitely eating this with some ice cream๐ I definitely would recommend reheating it for 30ish seconds if youโre not eating it right away!
The Pressure to Always Be Doing More
Someone tell me why thereโs this constant pressure to get a side hustle, to monetize our hobbies, or to constantly work on ourselves. Why arenโt we allowed to just have fun and enjoy life without feeling the need to be โproductiveโ?
There is so much more to life than just getting richer or more โsuccessful.โ Itโs okay to want success, more money, or to improve yourselfโbut if thatโs all youโre focused on, then whatโs the point? Whatโs the point of achieving this success if you canโt even sit back and enjoy yourselves?
When Is It Ever Enough?
We arenโt broken machines that constantly needs fixing or upgrading. We are good enough just as we are. Simply by being human, we are enough. We donโt need to prove anythingโto ourselves or to othersโto deserve rest or play.
Weโre always striving for more without realizing the beauty and goodness right in front of usโsome of which is exactly what we used to wish for. Think about all of the things you have now that your past self was aching for. How do you feel about them today? Are they enough? Or have you become indifferent because youโre already chasing the next thing?
Iโm not saying you shouldnโt dream bigger or work towards your goalsโthose things matter. But donโt forget to appreciate all that you have now. Otherwise, youโll never be happy. Youโll always be chasing more without ever feeling satisfied. And itโs not a fun way to live.
Redefining Value
I know that many of us are living in survival mode. We donโt feel safe enough to rest. We donโt feel like we deserve itโ maybe because we think we havenโt worked โhard enough.โ But Iโm here to remind you: itโs okay to relax. Itโs okay to play.
That hobby of yours that brings you peace of mind? You donโt have to monetize it just because someone said you should. You donโt have to replace with a side hustle or another self-development book (unless you truly enjoy reading self-development books). That face that it brings you joy is enough. Just because society doesnโt deem it as โvaluableโ because it doesnโt make money or lead to self-improvement doesnโt mean itโs worthless or a waste of time. Society will constantly make you feel like you should be doing more with your time and not wasting it on โmeaninglessโ hobbies or activities that bring no โvalue.โ
Who are they to decide what counts as valuable anyway?
The value is that it makes you happy.
The value is that it brings you peace.
The value is that itโs just plain fun.
Life is meant to be enjoyed.
Thereโs a time and place for work, productivity, and self-development. But it shouldnโt occupy every waking moment of your life.
I understand that not everyone has the luxury of free time. Some people are working multiple jobs, raising kids, or just trying to survive. I totally get it. But if youโre able to carve out even 30 minutes to do something that just because it brings you joyโthatโs a win.
Now ask yourself this: โฌ๏ธ
Whatโs one thing you used to love doing just for fun? Can you give yourself permission to return to itโwithout pressure?
Ingredients:
About 2 1/2 - 3 cups cookie dough. My brown butter chocolate chips cookies work the BEST for this (which you can find exclusively in my ebook here) If using my recipe, just make the full batch and itโll work perfectly for this!
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
About 1 cup chocolate chips (use as much as you want though)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a 9ร13โ baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray for easy removal.
Press a little over half the cookie dough in the prepared pan. (Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray so it wonโt stick to you.)
Pour sweetened condensed milk mixture over the top of the bottom layer.
Top with the chocolate chips.
Then break up the remaining cookie dough. Press with your hands to flatten it so it cover more area. Place on top of the milk. It will mostly cover but not completely cover the bottom layer.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the tops of the bars just start to get golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. These are best served room temperature. Reheat for about 30ish seconds if you want them more gooey.
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That part you wroteโโWhatโs the point of success if you canโt even sit back and enjoy yourselves?โ
hit me like something my bones already knew.
Thereโs that quoteโโYou used to dream of the life you have now.โ
We should probably enjoy itโ
for our past selfโs sake.
They worked hard to get us here.
Like Maya Angelou said,
โEvery person needs one day away... a day to just be.โ
Not to build or prove. Just to be.
Maybe a pan of gooey cookie bars is that kind of day.
Warm. Simple. Undeniably enough.
Glad you reminded us of this.
Thank you for sharing, Iโm so glad this resonated with youโค๏ธ