It's Cookie Season!

At it's beginning, December brings with it the holiday season. Weather you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Yule, Kwanza or another observance, this time of year typically is bedecked with lights, holly, warm fires and (if you live near me) lots of snow. In my home, we are gearing up for another kind of season – Girl Scout cookie season!

My little girl is in her first year of Daisies (the first level of GS, ages 5-7)) and has been waiting patiently since September to get her cookie information and start selling. She has read and almost memorized every cookie description, the cost-per-box, the cookie sales and safety rules – she has even set up her cookie selling web page! She isn't allowed to start selling until December 18^th but she's raring to go.

In honor of the 100^th anniversary of Girl Scouts, there is a new cookie this year: the Savannah Smiles cookies, a lemony bite dusted with powdered sugar. Just makes ya want to smile when you think about it! Here is a list of all the cookies available this year, how many (approx.) cookies you'll find in each box, and a short description of each kind. I don't know if the price is the same throughout the country, but in my region each box is now $4.

**NEW**Savannah Smiles:Bite-sized, lemon-wedge cookies dusted in powdered sugar and bursting with zesty lemon flavor. 28 per 6oz box.

Trefoils: Shortbread cookies. 36 per 9oz box

Do-si-dos: Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling. 20 per 8oz box

Samoas:Vanilla cookies covered in caramel, rolled in toasted coconut and striped with chocolate. 15 per 7.5 oz box

Dulce de Leche:Sweet, bite-sized cookies rich with milk and caramel chips. 22 per 6oz box

Thank U Berry Much: Premium cranberries provide a delightful tartness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy, white fudge chips. Crispy rice delivers a satisfying crunch. 14 per 6oz box

Tagalongs: Cookies topped with peanut butter and covered in luscious chocolate. 15 per 6.5 oz box

Thin Mints: Thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolatey coating. Made with natural peppermint. 28 per 9oz box.

Here's a little tip for you: if you just aren't a cookie fan but you want to help out your neighbor, student, church friend or that cute little girl trudging through the snow to make a sale, every one of these cookie s can be used when cooking/baking other things! Over the course of the next few blog posts, I will post some recipes for you featuring Girl Scout cookies as a main ingredient. Yes, there will be a couple of pie crusts, but there are also a few recipes that I think will pleasantly surprise you too.

So don't avoid the girls the next time you see a cookie booth! Pick at least one box of cookies, learn a new recipe and help out your local GS counsel. You never know – one of those girls could become your child's doctor, teacher or even a lawmaker!

In Scouting,

Jen