Cheers to 2009!

Happy New Year's Eve! As the clock winds down on 2009 and we all take a few moments to revel in the year that was and look with excitement to the year ahead, we at Silver Lining Cookies would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers who took a chance on a little cookie company and supported our baking efforts throughout this Holiday Season.

Our kitchens are officially closed until January 10, 2010 (something seems nice about 1/10/10), but we wanted to express our appreciation and awe for what we were able to accomplish together. Some key statistics:

• Dozens of Cookies Ordered: 295
• Number of Cookies Ordered: 3,540
• Most popular Cookie Ordered: Gooey Butter with 54 dozen or 648 cookies (18% of cookies ordered)
• Most popular date for shipment: December 21, 2009, followed by November 21, 2009
• Total Amount donated to charity: $295.00 (but we'll round up to $300.00 for good measure!)
• Pounds of Flour used: 75
• Pounds of Sugar used: 50
• Total oz. of Chocolate Chips used: 192

So on that note, we hope that you and your loved ones have a safe and happy New Year and look forward to firing up those ovens and baking for a good cause again in 2010!

Cookie of the Week - Gooey Butter

Good morning and Happy Saturday.  It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is LESS than two weeks away!  As the Holiday Season really starts to take hold we've decided to feature one of our cookies per week - offering some insight into how we came across the recipe for the cookie and why we offer it for sale to all of you.

Our first "Cookie of the Week" is Gooey Butter.  Now, for those of you who grew up in the Midwest, more specifically, St. Louis, the Gooey Butter Cake is delicious, but nothing out of the ordinary.  When I first moved to the Northeast I had no idea that the Gooey Butter Cake was not universal, and further that when I shared a cookie called the Gooey Butter Cookie, that people would look at me like I had grown two heads (the same thing happened when I mentioned the Chocolate Longjohn - which apparently, is a donut that does not go by that moniker up here and further, comes across as a "dirty word", but I digress).

To those not in the know about the gooey butter cake or cookie, the idea of eating something labeled gooey, followed by butter, was quite alien.  However, after some cajoling I was able to convince these Northeasterners to give the cookie a try and the response has been fantastic.

"What is this wonderful treat that is so rich and buttery?"

 "It's not a cookie, it's a mini-cake?"

 "These things are addictive!"

Please, Mr. Postman!

One of the unforeseen byproducts of starting this company is the increasing familiarity I have gained with the neighborhood post office.  I have always had a special place in my heart for postal workers, but my experience over these past few weeks has cemented that appreciation.

Sure waiting in those long lines can be quite frustrating and it sometimes DOES seem as though the workers aren't exactly "into" their jobs.  However, put yourself in their shoes.  You work eight hours a day, dealing with people who want to ship this to X or that to Y.  Also, due to the really complicated way the post office is set up, it is highly likely that us Post Office customers will need extra help or assistance to get our shipping needs met.  Regardless of how fast the postal worker meets a customer's needs, there's always another customer waiting and then another and another.  The postal worker gets paid the same whether they provide service to one or all of us and there is no bonus for being fast.  However, EVERY TIME I have gotten to the front of the line (a mini victory in and of itself) I am greeted by a friendly postal worker, which somehow makes me feel the wait in line was worth it.  Further, they always ask about how my cookie business is doing and have come to calling me the "cookie lady" - a title which I will gladly accept!

So why this love for the post office?  I believe it started when I was a young girl.  I was a lucky child in that I lived with both my parents (who both worked) and grandparents (who were retired).  When I was really young, four or five, I used to get the privilege of walking with my grandpa to the post office every Wednesday.  That was bill-mailing day (when we used to actually have to PUT stamps on bills and drop them in the Mail - crazy, I know!).  Now, to many people this would be a chore, but to a four-year old it was quite the adventure.  We would walk up Humphrey Street to Grand Ave.  Then down Grand to the post office, where I would GET to drop the mail into the slot.  On really special trips I got to pick out the stamps!  Then we would walk back down Juniata.  Grandpa would hold my hand, tell me stories, many of which I can't remember the details.  I'd do some skipping, probably some jumping up and down at some point and we'd be home.

So these days, as I'm lugging my packages of cookies to the post office I find my mind wandering back to those trips with Grandpa to the Post Office.  Even when the line is a mile long and moving interminably slow, I can't help but enjoy the fact that that just means more time to reminisce on my time with Grandpa.  Of course, Grandpa is a BIG fan of the cookies we bake as well.  I tried to get him to tell me what his favorite type of cookie was once.  He would only respond that he liked them all - because I made them.  So in honor of Grandpa, and his love for ALL of the cookies - here's a photo of the variety package (and yes, I made all the ones in the picture, too!)

The Spirit of the Organization

Now that we've been up and running for a few weeks it's time to take a moment to look back and see what we've learned so far:

1. There's so much more to this operation than just baking cookies.  We've been making a real effort to reach out to each and every person that has supported the organization in its earliest stages to let them know how much we appreciate them and to solicit feedback on how we can keep improving things.
2. No matter how hard you plan things, there are always a few kinks to work out in operations.  When we first decided to open our doors in early October we were hesitant as we expected there to be fewer orders in October than in November or December.  We didn't want to launch too early and have our potential customers forget about us by November, when they really want to use us.  However, opening early proved to be a blessing in disguise as we were able to catch some key operational glitches and potential bottlenecks early - before things really heat up. 
3. Patience, patience, patience.  We have to keep ourselves from checking for new orders every five minutes, as inevitably, we'll be disappointed.  We'll admit it, a part of us lights up every time we receive an order and wishes that we would get a new order very five minutes!  However, it IS still early in the Holiday Baking Season!  We have to remind ourselves not to judge our success by where we stand today, but by how this organization thrives over the next few months.
   

Batter Up!

I don't know if any of you have been checking out the packages and assortments section of the website, but if you do or have, you'll notice that there's a "Batter Up" package to celebrate Baseball Playoffs. If you watched that Twins/Tigers game last night, then like me, you may be hoping that we're in for some exciting games this post season.

So why the "Batter Up" package rather than "Kick Off" or "Puck Off" package? Okay, that last one didn't come out right. Well, growing up in St. Louis lead to the inevitable fact that baseball has a special place in my heart. Many of you may be familiar with this fact, that St. Louis is a baseball town, bleeds Cardinal Red, and stands by their team through thick and thin. But in reality, it's not just about a team or a game, it's about an organization and game that actually unites us as a community.

When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to get to live with both my parents AND grandparents. Grandma was a huge baseball fan. She had two favorite stories. One was the time she played hooky from work to watch a day game between the Browns and the Cardinals during the 1944 World Series. The next day she was caught by her boss when she showed up with a sunburn.

Officially Open for Business

Well, as many of you may have seen, based on my emails last evening, Silver Lining Cookies is now officially open for business! I'm a ball of nerves and quite honestly alternating between two fearsome scenarios.

Scenario A, no one orders any cookies. After all the website building, cookie baking, recipe tweaking and sample shipments, no one wants to order anything from Silver Lining Cookies. We just fade quietly into the night...

Scenario B: everyone orders cookies and I run out of hours of the day/night to bake and fill orders. Then everyone gets angry that it takes too long to get their cookies, talks about what a terrible company Silver Lining Cookies is, and no one ever orders from us again...

Regardless, as of right now, can only deal in what ifs and maybes. Only time will tell what really happens! As we move forward, I promise to keep you updated on how things are progressing!

The Birth of Silver Lining Cookies

Starting a business and preparing for the birth of a child share many similarities. There seems to be a list of to-dos that have to be completed before either can happen:

Birth: Nursery in place? Check! Baby Clothes in the closet? Check! Diapers on hand? Check! Doctor visits? Check!

Starting a Business: Website up? Check! Paypal working? Check! Ingredients on hand? Check! Shipping logistics figured out? Check!

As with expectant parents, we're rapidly crossing things off the to-do list before the official opening of Silver Lining Cookies this weekend! To be honest, some times I can't believe that this business is really going to come into being...and it all started with one little question, the eternal question, What Do You Want to Do With Your Life? It's one of those questions that can be both liberating and frustrating at the same time. For some reason, it's ascribed to that period in your life between the ages of 14 and 18 and then bam! you enter University and you're supposed to have the answer and be on the "path". Well, here I am, approaching 30 and just NOW beginning to understand the validity, weight and importance of actually ADDRESSING that question, rather than AVOIDING it at all costs!

So how did I figure out that opening a cookie business was part of my life's purpose? As with all things, there's no clear cut answer. However, there were a few hints over time that lead me to be where I am today.