Chocolate Golf Balls

Why the tizzy over Izzy?

At 2:20 this afternoon, MDT, Izzy Beisiegel will hit the links at the ATB Financial Classic at the Bearspaw Country Club and cause a little excitement. She'll play along with Winnipeg's Matt Johnston and Carlos Sainz Jr. of the U.S.

If you've ever met Beisiegel, you know she makes Tony Robbins seem as if he's depressed. In her world, the fairways are made of chocolate and golf balls are candy drops. None of them with any fat or cholesterol. She is just about the most positive person you'll ever run into. She has an unfailing devotion to God and lives every moment of her life as a Christian. And she's always smiling.

So I'm guessing that none of the questions being asked or the eyebrows being raised about her play on the Canadian Tour bother her in the slightest. And good for her. They shouldn't.

Since she made it through the qualifying school a few weeks back. I've heard from a few folks, including a couple of ex-tour players who wonder what she's trying to prove or why she'd bother spending all this money to get thrashed by the boys.

It might seem pointless but her answer is to try and be the best player she can be. Who can blame her for that? When you consider what Beisiegel has been through, battling a hyperthyroid condition called Graves' Disease that left her constantly exhausted and almost ended her golf career, hitting the ball these days is easy no matter what tour, no matter who it's against.

Now I don't think she'll earn a nickel on the Canadian Tour but then again, I didn't think she'd earn her card. If she does finish dead last in every event in which she plays, so what? She's not taking anyone's spot in the field as she would with a sponsor exemption since she earned her way in. She'll likely be richer for the experience. And in case you were wondering, if she ever did pull off a miracle and got way up the money list, yes, she'd be eligible to get one of hte CanTour's exemptions and play in the RBC Canadian Open.

The Canadian Tour must be loving the attention too (see here and here ), and it may even sell a few more tickets at the gate from people who will follow the girl with the flower in her hair.

So good luck, Izzy. Enjoy the ride.

Two Tarts: Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Chewy Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies 3 2/3 c. all purpose flour 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt 2 1/2 sticks softened butter 1 1/4 packed light brown sugar 1 cup  granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp.vanilla extract 1/2 heaping cup milk chocolate chips 1/2 heaping cup dark chocolate chips Additional coarse salt to sprinkle on top before baking Preheat oven to 350.
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl cream butter & sugar. Add eggs & vanilla and beat to fully incorporate. Add dry ingredients in 2-3 parts, mixing completely with each addition. Fold in chocolate chips by hand. 
Form golf ball sized balls of cookie dough, bake on parchment paper or foil for 8-10 minutes or until golden on the edges but still white in the middle. This will ensure cookies that are pliable and chewy in the middle when cooled, which makes for chipwiches that don’t shatter when you bite them!
This makes a lot of cookies – about 4 dozen depending on how big you make each cookie.  I store my extra dough, wrapped in plastic, in the fridge. It’ll keep for a week. To assemble your chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, you'll need:
2 pints of your favorite ice cream, softened slightly With a large spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out ice cream and place on one cookie. Place another cookie on top, squish them together a little, then let sit in the freezer on a plate covered tightly with foil for at least an hour before serving.

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