My Cookie Adventure

Okay, I will admit it, I love baking cookies for my family and friends. Over the past forty years, I can’t imagine how many cookies I have made. Recently, when I told my daughter Katie that I needed something to do, since I was retired, she came up with a novel idea of baking cookies to sell at our local Farmer’s Market. Never in my wildest dreams had that thought occurred to me since I enjoy making cookies for the fun of it.

Katie suggested we try a Wednesday at the La Plata Farmer’s Market because there is not a lot of foot traffic then as there is on Saturdays. I am amazed that Katie (who is totally a project person) took the idea and literally ran with it. She created a logo for the Cookie Mom Company, posted it on Facebook, made arrangements with the Farmer’s Market to secure a space, bought cute little pink boxes to put the cookies in, air brushed the logo on the top of the boxes, listed the ingredients inside the box lid, bought a tent/canopy for shade at the Farmer’s Market, and made framed signs for the table explaining the prices and even printed raffle tickets for three prize winners.

Tuesday was baking day and I spent about 10 hours baking four different types of cookies, chocolate chip, cranberry, white chocolate, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies and pumpkin spice cookies, as well as cake pops and brownies. Katie gave me the recipe for the peanut butter cookies and she made the batter for the pumpkin spice cookies. That night, I boxed up the cookies in the cute pink boxes and tried to settle myself down for our adventure the next day.

Well, I woke up at 5:30 AM Wednesday morning and decided to pack up the car with the many boxes of cookies. My son, Michael, had already put the table and chairs in the trunk of the car for our spot. Katie arrived around 8, since we had to be set up at the Farmer’s Market by 8:30. Her husband, Dan, arrived on his way to work and graciously set up the tent/canopy so we would have shade. The day was sunny and hot, so the canopy was a much needed relief from the heat.

Our adventure had officially begun and it was great spending the day with my daughter. The La Plata Public Mobile Library was also at the Farmer’s Market and it was nice seeing some of my former co-workers there. Even though I had overestimated the number of cookies we would need for the day, it was fun talking to the customers and we had a decent amount of purchases at our spot. We met some neighbors and another cookie baker who makes decorated sugar cookies that she sells on Saturdays at the market. When it was time to leave, my son Michael returned to help take down the tent/canopy as Katie and I packed up the cars looking forward to taking a shower/ bath when we returned to our homes and taking a little rest.

All in all it was a wonderful experience, something that I would not have tried on my own, so I am grateful to Katie for making it happen. She went above and beyond with all the preparations and I’d say it was a very successful endeavor.