Live-Blogging the Democratic National Convention While Baking Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

8:38 About to add my dry mix to my wet mix. Have to do it in small doses, don’t want a cloud of cocoa and corn starch in my face. Did Tom Brokaw just quote SAVING PRIVATE RYAN?

8:45 The “Harry & Louise” ads are back! Oh, how I’ve missed you 1993 cynicism…Only this time they are kind of sort of FOR Health Care Reform. I have to admit that back in '93 I didn’t quite get the ads, but now I do: Harry & Louise are bad actors.

8:50 Man this batter is thick, but yummy looking. I tell myself that because there is no butter and flour it’ll be a lighter cookie…with 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Speaking of Yummy, here’s Norah O’Donnell…

9:05 Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan are the Martin & Lewis of political punditry. She’s the slightly annoyed straight man and he’s the wacky jokester who says crazy things for laughs like “Hillary Clinton wants her supporters to vote for John McCain!” I can’t wait till they start playing night-clubs.

9:07 Rolling rounded spoonfuls of dough in (more!) powdered sugar. The sugar helps coat and bind the viscous batter. I love the way the chocolate chips feels as I roll the dough ball. It’s messy but soft like Chris Matthews hair.

9:10 PA Senator Bob Casey is addressing the convention! Harrisburg in da hizzouse!

9:11 Casey has 1 and 1/2 zingers: "John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush over 90 percent of the time. That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick." Zing! “We don’t want four more years of Bush, but rather four more months of Bush.” Only, we have five more months of Bush. Zop.

9:19 Spike Lee is on the convention floor talking about race. Go figure.

9:20 First batch of cookies is done as Mark Warner takes the dais. People have been touting his speech all night. I may have to put off the cookies to see his performance.

9:22 Feh. I’ll try the cookies.

9:30 I know I sound like every other blogger when I say: “I wish I could make a living doing this.”

9:40 Two more batches of cookies have come out of the oven. (It’s best to let them sit before you move them to the cooling rack.) They are rich, decadent and sinfully chocolaty. My teeth ache after eating one, which just makes me want to eat more. I wish this goddamn convention had the speaker equivalent of my cookies.

9:42 Switching to HBO. Maybe I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry will keep me entertained.

9:43 Nope!!!!

10:15 Shit! I fell asleep. Did I miss Hillary? Nope. Good. I have to admit I am curious to see what she’ll say so we can move on as a party, and unity and November and America.

10:20 It’s 10:20.

10:25 Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer just brought the house down with his over-the-top hyped up speech on energy policy. This dude knows how to match content and affect with showmanship. I think I just found my cookie.

10:40 I have poured myself a tall frosty glass of milk and placed two warm cookies on a plate. As I look at the small sugary bounty I have created it makes me feel good inside. Cooking is one of those acts, nay art forms, that really is about making people feel good. Food not only nourishes our bodies, it can enliven our senses and fill OH SHIT! It’s Hillary’s video!!!!!

10:43 I don’t know what made my teeth hurt more, the cookies or that tribute video.

10:46 Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Hillary!!!

10:47 “I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.” It’s on people!

10:50 “No way. No How. No McCain.” Not bad.

10:55 My cookie just broke off in my milk. I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!!!!!!

10: 56 “I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?” I just forgot about the cookie.

11:03 “We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.” Nicely put.

11:07 “Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all.” Well the night has ended. Over the past few hours I made two dozen delicious cookies from scratch and found a renewed sense of pride in my party. Not too shabby of a night.

Flag image by Flickr user uhuru1707, Cookies by Flickr user surekat