Sugar Cookies Ahoy!

Oh my god you guys (henceforth to be abbreviated OMGYG), all I've been baking lately is sugar cookies. Roller derby has been the main culprit, but I of course use the term 'culprit' loosely because I love love love doing it. However through the process of baking and decorating cookies en masse for a vendor's table, I have learned that I need to work on my time management skills. And how.

For the last derby bout I made CHOCOLATE sugar cookies, and dipped them in purple and green Merckens (which is essentially white chocolate). Think Black & White Cookie meets Rollergettes.

However, poor time management = rushing to get cookies done and out the door in time = stress = forgetting to take pictures. However I did manage to squeeze off this one:

Chocolate sugar cookie, half naked.

I'll try to get more photos of these, because they were kind of cool when the were done. I mean, chocolate cookie dipped in white chocolate? WIN.

And speaking of sugar cookies, July 9th was National Sugar Cookie Day!* The fabulous Sugar and Meringue has put together a free sugar cookie e-booklet called "Cookies for a Cause" (hmm, sound familiar?) to raise money for the Great American Bake Sale to end child hunger. It's filled with links for donating to the cause.

OMGYG, check it out.


*not an official holiday, so don't take next July 9 off work no matter how badly you want to.

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News!

March may be over, but this blog has just gotten started!

In Food Bank news: the current total raised so far is $500! That's double the original goal. While I am so very pleased with the generous donations from my personal network, the Food Bank is still in desperate need right now. They've fallen 3% short of their fundraising goal, even after extending their Spring Challenge until today. Unfortunately, during and since the recent market tumble, people have been donating less but needing the Food Bank more. I urge you to reach deep into your pockets or, failing that, your cupboards and make an effort give something to this very worthy organization. I still have cookies available if you want to give to the Food Bank and get something back!

In other news: I have had a very excellent April so far. I've gotten past a major work deadline, I've been healthy as a horse, I've been getting in fabulous shape by working out every day and seeing my trainer twice a week, I've reconnected with friends I didn't see in March, and in 3 weeks I'm off on a week-long vacation to Puerto Plata with my manfella. I've even baked a little! I've been cutting back immensely on my sugar intake (3:00pm jitters + bikini season = eat less sugar!) so when I had to bring dessert to a board games party in Aurora last weekend, I made No Added Sugar Piña Colada Mini Cheesecakes. Blog post with recipe and photos forthcoming!

In the meantime, I've got so many ideas for my next "project" that I can barely decide! I may launch something in May (despite being absent for a week) and continue to blog whatever I bake in the meantime. It's hard though, because both the manfella and I are trying to lose weight, but I want to keep baking! Guess what friends in real life, random goodies may be forthcoming.

One of the next things I'll be baking is iambaker's awesome sugar cookies for my Big Bunch. I got to meet my new Little last weekend, and she is a terrific kid. I figure I'll bake up a bunch (har!) of cookies, make up icing and pre-bag it, then we can all ice cookies as a group.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that there are still many Ms. Adventures in Baking to be had, so keep coming back for more!

Daily Bread Food Bank

My fundraising page is finally up!

Cookies for a Cause

When I was growing up, there were times when we needed to rely on the Food Bank. I'm sure it saddened my mother to have to ask an outside organization for help, but she checked her pride and refused to let us go without. The Food Bank was there for my family when we needed it the most, and now that I am grown I am able to give back.

As you know, I'm baking one cookie recipe every day in March. You can purchase these cookies for

• $5.00 for a half dozen (or more, depending on the cookie)
• $10.00 for 1 dozen
• $15.00 for 2 dozen

...or simply donate to a wonderful organization that helps many individuals and families in the GTA every day.

Cookies that have already been baked are in the freezer waiting for purchase.

A special note for those with allergies: Please note that I cannot guarantee 100% nut-free preparation. Please err on the side of caution when ordering.

TO ORDER: When you make your donation, I will be alerted by email. Please email your order (type of cookie and amount) to ygettins (at) gmail (dot) com. We can arrange pick-up and dropoff of the cookies at a mutually convenient time/place.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

It's always better with butter

Last week Shopper's Drug Mart (my Mecca, second only to Bulk Barn--swoon!) was having a sale on butter for $2.99 a pound, so I stocked up and froze it anticipating March of the Cookies. In total I purchased 24 pounds (as in, twenty four POUNDS!) of butter. I could feel my arteries clogging at the mere purchase of it.

My stars I love butter, I just didn't know it came in miles:



Marvel at the artistic reflection shot à la Cuisinart Stand Mixer:



(Don't judge my photography skills on these point and shoot camera snaps, by the by.)

The will and the weakness...

As you may have noticed, I totally caved and signed up for a Twitter account (*gasp!*). Those in my acquaint have overheard me utter many a quip at Twitter's expense, and I still believe I held out for an admirable length of time, given Twitter's pervasiveness. However the current Zeitgeist is that all thoughts should be broadcast to the public, and that said thoughts should be compacted into 140 characters or less. I'm sure I will have much on my mind as I bake my way through March, and figured someone might be interested in said direct-from-brain feed. I hope.

Meanwhile I am still formulating the charitable aspect of March of the Cookies. I would like to do something for the Food Bank, as I have a personal connection to this organization. Someone suggested to freeze the cookies, throw a celebratory shindig at the end, sell nicely packaged bags of said cookies, and donate the money. So far, this idea is the forerunner as in encompasses some of my favourite things: hostessing, cookies, and charity.

I will certainly think on this more.

Sweet Charity

When I first dreamt up March of the Cookies, I will admit, it was for purely selfish reasons: I enjoy the science and artistry of turning a miscellany of ingredients into something that titillates the tastebuds. I even hope to bake professionally someday. Aditionally, I want to better my skills, and become familiar with new recipes. I, I, I, me, me, me.

The first thing people ask me is "What are you going to do with all those cookies?" Well, I thought I'd blog the experience, including snapshots of the goodies (and, lets face it, the spoils), taste-test and note the outcomes in said blog, and share them with my manfella, my friends and my coworkers. Then I thought I'd freeze the remnants and host a little soirée at the end of it all, which was culinary music to the bellies of my friends.

It occurs to me, however, that ambrosial buttery biscuits can accomplish so much more than putting a smile on the faces of those in my personal social network. Don't get me wrong, these are people I adore, but it behooves me to say that they are not in need.

My long-winded point? I endeavour to find some way to add charity to the mix (har har!) and bake up (ho ho!) a way for these cookies to help someone in need. Beyond hosting a sad little bake sale in the lobby of the building I work in, however, I have no idea how to go about doing this.

Your thoughts?

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Charity begins at home, but should not end there.” - Thomas Fuller
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