Challenge: Can you bake the best chocolate chip cookie?

It's tough times for everyone right now and we could all use a little help with our frustration.

Some moments in life need the stabilizing affects of rich, velvety chocolate:

There's an anxious bus driver laying on the horn outside the house and your children can't find their shoes, coats, books or homework.

The utility bills equal more than your paychecks will for the entire month.

Realizing you left your wallet at home while paying for groceries.

You spend all day cleaning house, to have your family come home in a whirlwind that destroys it in less than five minutes.

While respecting traffic laws, someone passes you at warp speed then has to stop short because of a stop sign and then they recognize your existence and guilt for the situation with some obscene gesture.

Finding your new expensive, one-of-a-kind white button-up shirt in the washing machine a tie-dyed mess from running through a cycle with the red clothes.

Realizing way too late the dog/cat has destroyed the last remaining roll of toilet paper in the house.

Trying not to laugh (or explode with anger) at the sight of your child's newest mastery of using scissors and their selection of a sideway Mohawk as a hairstyle.

Finding a flat tire after spending $300 to purchase and install new ones.

Discovering the ice cream has turned into soup because the freezer broke down at least a week ago.

Booking a hotel room for vacation, only to discover you booked it for the wrong weekend/month.

Accidentally deleting the project that you've worked on the computer for several months to complete the day before it's due.

There are quite a few situations that occur inside this busy newsroom on a daily basis that causes many of my co-workers (and myself) to scavenge around looking for chocolate.

Out of that frustration, a fundraising idea was born to support the American Cancer Society's 2009 Clay County Relay For Life.

Our team, the "Clark Kent Super Group," is sponsoring Clay County's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest.

We are challenging all local residents to hit the cookbooks for those secret family recipes, or create a new delectable version of an old classic, and bake the best chocolate chip cookie in the county. Businesses are also encouraged to participate as well in a separate category.

Entry fees will be $5 for residents and $10 for businesses. All proceeds will be used to support Relay.

On April 3, bake one dozen cookies for judging purposes and bring them to The Times office between 1-2 p.m. Official judging will begin at 2:30 p.m.

We will ask a few public officials and The Brazil Times Relay Team to judge the cookies, unless they have entered their own recipes of course.

The winner will receive $25, a three-month subscription, their picture in paper and bragging rights for baking The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in Clay County.

NOTE 1: If you want to bring your recipe to share with readers, I will post them here. Please make sure it is either typed or written legibly so that I can post it online correctly. Include your name and phone number just in case my tired eyes have some trouble reading your writing.

NOTE 2: Some of the bakers here at The Brazil Times will be making their unique cookies available for a dime a piece, with all proceeds to go to Relay For Life. So, even if you don't consider yourself a baker but love chocolate chip cookies, stop by The Times office and enjoy a cookie fix for a good cause on Friday, April 3!