The Cookie Market

I picked up my latest edition of Specialty Food Magazine and found this article on the specialty cookie market. The cookie and cookie bar industry is a 5.2 billion dollar market. Of course, the most popular types of cookies are sandwich such as Oreos and soft chocolate chip. Most surprising is the love for vanilla wafers. They make up 47% of cookies eaten in any given household. More and more exotic, organic and ethnic cookies are becoming more popular as people are finding less expensive indulgences. We love cookies! We feature many brands and flavors in our gift baskets. Our top selling cookies include Golden Walnut, Brent & Sams & Euro Kitchens. My favorite has to be the Euro Kitchens Gourmet Selections. Let us know if you have a favorite cookie not mentioned here. We may feature them in our baskets. I found this recipe under the Easiest Cookie recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/8 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350* Cream the butter and both sugars. Add the beaten egg and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and salt and add tothe creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly and add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 7-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges.

A Vacation Of Culinary Proportions

Of course, most of us took some time off this Memorial Day Holiday. Many people stayed close to home and rediscovered the beauty and unfamiliar in their own home towns. We took a short vacation to La Jolla, CA. It is a beautiful beach city known as the "Beverly Hills" on the beach. The houses were gorgeous, the restaraunts divine and way out of our price range.

We found a way around our economically challenged situation by using Restaraunt.com. I typed in the zip code of our vacation destination and the site presented me with restaurants in that area that would accept their coupon certificates. We chose a few that gave us 80% off of the regular bill!! We drove around and found these quaint little restaraunts. Some were fancy, some inside hotels and some were mom and pop establishments. We really had a good time eating foods we wouldn't normally eat and trying restaurants we would normally pass by.

These great dishes were from Elijah's In San Diego. Our bill before our coupon was aprox. $55.20. Our cost after using a coupon from restaurant.com was $30.20 including tip! Minus the $2.00 I spent on the coupon, this leaves a total savings of aprox. $22.00! Why not take the family on a restaurant vacation for half the cost? It's a great way to rediscover a town near you!

Comment On Barbie Post

Cindy Shea left this comment on Barbie's Bash. I thought it was hilarious so I will share it with you.

"Your post on Barbie's turning 50 was not really indicative of the aging process that we all experience in life. Now granted, I know she has had some work done but I just so happen to have gotten my hands on some current photos of her before she goes into hair and makeup for her public appearances. Please keep this under wraps as I bought these illegally from her agent and I plan to sell them to TMZ when the time is right."

Best Summer Baby Gifts

Are you looking for a perfect baby gift for summer babies? Brown Eyed Baby Boutique offers these adorable personalized baby dresses for new little beach babies. What a great gift for a new mom to receive for her baby shower or to order for your new little beach baby. They come in different styles such as lady bugs, floral garden and ice cream cones.

Barbie's 50th Birthday Bash

I'm a little late reading about this event but I had to share it with you anyways. I also know it is a bit off topic but you just have to know Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday this year and threw a huge Malibu bash at her REAL Barbie 3,500 square foot dream house. Yes, the doll has her very own Malibu mansion. Did anyone tell the Mattel people that we are in an economic crisis. People are losing their jobs, homes, retirement savings, etc. and Barbie is living very posh! She even has a real Volkswagen New Beetle parked in her garage. Now I will get off my soap box and show you some photos of this amazing mansion. The creative team behind this house is amazing. Remember, this living room and mansion are life size. It boasts a chandellier made of Barbie hair along with a closet full of thousands of pink shoes. Barbie's 50th Malibu bash was even more extravagent. It hosted celebrities and fashion icons who sipped "Doll-icious" and Strawberry Blonde cocktails on tables decorated with stilletto shaped flower arrangements. Check out more on this Barbie Bash. Barbie, you sure know how to beat the recession. Give us some of your secrets!

Cool Summer Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

We had our first pool party/family gathering last weekend and I served this strawberry shortcake dessert. It is a good choice for summer outings because it is not drenched in frosting which can be too rich. This recipe is light, airy and extremely refreshing. Best of all it takes no time at all. You will need:

• Duncan Hints Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Cake Mix (You can substitute with a ready made pound cake in your fruit section of your local grocery store.)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 cups whipped cream chilled
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 quart fresh strawberries (more if you wish to drench the top)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9 inch roundcake pans with butter. Sprinke bottom and sides with granulated sugar.

For Cake, combine mix eggs, water and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into pans and bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert on cooling racks.

After completely cooled, place one cake layer on pan and spread with whipped cream and strawberries. Repeat with second layer.

Be sure to add whipping cream and strawberries just before serving.

Tip: For this recipe, if I am in a rush, I buy the store bought cake that is already baked. Then place it in the bottom of a margarita glass, switch out the whipped cream for vanilla ice cream. Add some chocolate or caramel syrup and you have instant Strawberry shortcake sundaes!!

A Chocolate Fling

Yesterday my lovely husband brought me a treat home from the grocery store. Ladies, I know you probably hate this as much as I do, when you ask your husband to bring you home a treat from the store and he brings you something "low calorie," "fat free," or "diet." I want to ask him, "What are you trying to say?" I'm thinking, "What if I brought you home light beer?" Anyhow, I asked for a treat last night and he brought me home yet another health conscious candy bar. To my surprise, it was fantastic!! The "Fling" candy bar from the Mars Company was great. Their slogan is "Naughty, but not that naughty." It contains 170 calories and 9 grams of fat. I thought these were better than Twix bars. So if your husband tries to bring you home a healthy snack, tell him you want a Fling Bar. Click here for a coupon for one free bar.