It's Cookie Time!

Ok, so most of you have seen them - those little girls in green - hiding out at every grocery store and post office entrance and at every Wal-Mart in America. They are everywhere! You can't escape them (not that we try really hard to anyway). You know who I mean - the little Girl Scouts. So, you know what that means...It's Cookie Time! As a former "little girl in green", I have to remind everyone what a great organization you are supporting when you are buying girl scout cookies. The Girl Scouts of America were founded in 1912 with the purpose of bringing girls out of their homes and into their community, with other young girls. The organization promotes community service while helping to build courage, confidnce and character. The Girl Scouts help build self-reliant, motivated young women that are active in their homes and in their communities and work toward building a better world. Examples of such women? You probably know a few personally, but some of the more "famous" girls grew into great women with household names. Some of those women include: Barbara Walters of 20/20; singers, Natalie Merchant , Dionne Warwick and Sheryl Crow; political namesakes, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Reagan; former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Astronaut, Jan Davis; Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor, and actresses such as Debbie Reynolds, Blythe Danner, Mary Tyler Moore, Kathleen Turner and Candace Bergen. And these are just the famous women! So, the next time you see these bright young faces - make sure you stop and tell them how great they are doing - and buy some cookies! I remember very cleary our ENTIRE dining room filled with boxes, and boxes, and boxes of cookies. We would call up all of our relatives, neighbors, friends, my parents co-workers and we too stood outside of your grocery store - to make sure we sold enough cookies to make enough money to get us through the year! So give in - you know you want to anyway! They are only $3.50 a box! To find girls selling them in your area, go to the Cookie Site. They come in all these delicious flavors (as if you don't already know them all): Thin Mints: The most enduring and universally familiar Girl Scout cookie. These round, mint-flavored cookies covered with dark chocolate perennially sell the most boxes of any cookie. Thin Mints have never changed their name. Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers both make Thin Mints. Do-Si-Dos® or Peanut Butter Sandwich: A sandwich cookie. The round, bumpy perforated oatmeal cookie top and bottom surrounds a peanut butter-flavored layer inside. Do-Si-Dos® (formerly Gauchos) are baked by Little Brownie Bakers. ABC Bakers calls them Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Trefoils or Shortbread: These shortbread cookies are shaped like the Girl Scout Trefoil design. Scot Teas were a similar, lighter sugar cookie made by the now defunct Burry. These cookies come in a blue box. Little Brownie Bakers calls them Trefoils; ABC Bakers call them Shortbread. Tagalongs® or Peanut Butter Patties®: These are round cookies with a layer of peanut butter on top, and covered in chocolate. These cookies come in a red box. Little Brownie Bakers calls them Tagalongs®; ABC Bakers call them Peanut Butter Patties®. Samoas® or Caramel deLites®: These are round doughnut-shaped cookies about two inches in diameter with a hole in the center, covered in caramel and toasted coconut, and then striped with chocolate. Samoas® are made by Little Brownie Bakers. The ABC version is called Caramel deLites®. Daisy Go Rounds™: Reduced Fat Daisy Go Rounds™ make it easy to snack by doing the calorie counting for you! Each carton contains five ready-to-grab-and-go snack packs full of crispy cinnamon flowers blooming with flavor in every bite; they are made by ABC Bakers. Thanks-A-Lot™: A shortbread cookie with a layer of fudge on the bottom and the words "Thank You" in English, French, Chinese, Swahili or Spanish embossed on the top. Thanks-A-Lots™ have been made by ABC Bakers since 2006 and were preceded by a similar cookie called the Animal Treasure. Lemon Chalet Cremes™: Featuring a design of Our Chalet in Switzerland, a beloved Girl Scout World Center, this sandwich cookie has a touch of cinnamon-ginger spice that evokes the warmth of a fireside chat on a snowy evening; they are made by Little Brownie Bakers. Sugar Free Chocolate Chips: With Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, those who need or prefer sugar free products have a new way to support Girl Scouting — and a scrumptious new snack at bedtime, or any time! They are made by Little Brownie Bakers. Dulce de Leche: New for 2009, and inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, indulgent cookies are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes. They come in a turquoise box, and are made by Little Brownie Bakers. Lemonades™: Introduced in 2006, these shortbread cookies are stamped in the shape of a sliced lemon with a tangy lemon icing. They are made by ABC Bakers and come in a yellow box. The Samoas (my favorite) and the shortbreads (Darren's favorite) have already made an appearance in our house!