Miscellaneous Thoughts

Happy National Cookie Day!

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Hip – Hip – Hooray, It’s National Cookie Day!!!
National Cookie Day is upon us and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate!

Today is the day we get to gather with family, friends, and co-workers and indulge in some of life’s sweet, sweet offerings.  But, have you ever stopped and wondered just where did cookies come from? I know, it’s very hard to think of anything else when you bite into one of those chewy, warm, crispy, delicious, chocolatey -Wait, what was I saying…Ah, Yes! The history of the cookie! There is much speculation as to just where the cookie came from.
Especially, when there are many, many variations from all over the world!
In Australia and England, right around tea time you can find the tasty and crispy biscuits. Let’s head over to Mexico and Spain, here we might catch kids sneaking off with galletas before dinner, and in Italy where we can find people with coffee and Amaretti or Biscotti.

 Mexican Galletas and Pan Dulce 

Biscuits and Tea

Biscotti and Coffee

 Amaretti Cookies

And of course, we mustn’t forget about Holland. Here is where most people think the word cookie came from, Koekjes (cook-yuhs) which means “small cakes” or “flat cakes” have been served in Holland since the 1600s.

It is quite clear that the world loves cookies! Long before kitchen timers and “take and bake” dough, the world was a complicated place. According to culinary historians, the first ever record of cookies were actually their use as “test cakes”. Bakers would pour dollops of cake batter on baking pans and put them in theirs ovens to test the oven’s temperature.

This makes me especially grateful for our downtown store this time of year. There you can find our gluten-free cookies, coconut macaroons and anyone of our 14 decadent cookie flavors (I personally suggest Dr. Midnight). All without having to crack one egg! A great place to pick up cookies for Santa or get a quick pick-me-up after some intense holiday shopping at the Pacific Garden Mall.

With the holidays quickly approaching, you can count on Pacific Cookie Company to cover you on gifts. You don’t even have to leave your home! Just visit our online store at www.PacificCookie.com and browse through our Holiday selections. There you can find a great local gift the whole family can enjoy (sharing not guaranteed).

 

Happy National Cookie Day!!!
-Pacific Cookie Company

Making Pinterest Come to Life!

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In the interest of trying something new (and being the crafty person that I am), I started a Pinterest board to come up with ideas for my daughter’s 5th birthday party. She is at the perfect age where we can work on fun projects together, and while it would have been just as sweet to serve our delicious cookies for dessert, I found a particular “Pin” that would work as a great treat for the kids…The Butterfly Snack.

You can find this craft on our “Party Ideas” Board here: https://www.pinterest.com/pacificcookie/party-ideas/

What you need:

  • Zip-lock bags
  • Clothespins
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Markers
  • Grapes
  • Goldfishes

First, we decorated the clothespins with various patterns – polka dots, rainbows and happy faces. We used markers but I think glitter would have a nice, sparkly touch! Then we loaded the grapes and goldfishes in and divided them (these will be the wings) to leave room for the “body” of the butterfly (we may or may not have snacked on goldfishes during this step).

To keep the grapes and goldfishes divided, we used the pipe cleaners as a cinch, then wrapped the ends around a pencil to create their squiggly antennas. You can make all sorts of shapes and sizes for the antennas! To finish the look, we attached the clothespins and voila!

You may also use all types of snacks! Cheerios and raspberries sound like a yummy combo! It was so much fun making this project come to life! Make sure to follow our Pinterest and we’ll be sure to save fun and easy ideas that you’re going to love!

Oh the Places our Cookies Will Go…

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Summer is all about seeking adventure, and what’s better than exploring our own backyard? There are several places in Santa Cruz to sight see (the most obvious being the beach), yet I always forget about the beautiful mountains we are surrounded by. I quickly made a list of hiking spots I wanted to visit. My first stops were Big Basin and Castle Rock (UH-MAZING views of Santa Cruz mountains). While there are more places on my list, there was one in particular I have dreamed of exploring and it’s a wee bit outside of Santa Cruz…Yosemite National Park.

To many surprise, I had never been to Yosemite. I know it’s a bucket list destination, so I thought this summer was the perfect time to go. I pitched the idea to a dear friend of mine and I was thrilled when she said she was on board! We set a date and I began counting down the days! The night before our trip, we made a quick stop to the grocery store to stock up on snacks and fresh produce for our sandwiches (my friend and I both have a sweet tooth, so of course I brought cookies!). We called it a night, knowing we were going to start our day early.

Early morning came and I was eager to get on the road. We put on our hiking gear, loaded up our backpacks and we were on our way! Once we reached Mariposa County, I knew we were getting closer. The drive down the valley was absolutely beautiful! We hadn’t even made it to the park entrance and I wanted to stop at every turn to take a picture. The sound of the water flowing down the Merced River was so soothing and tranquil. I couldn’t wait for everything else that was to come!

We made it to the park just before 8 AM and parked near Yosemite Falls. I was in awe of my surroundings – sky high rocks, the fresh smell of pine trees and the soft sound of distant waterfalls. We took a few moments to appreciate the beauty of the valley floor and Yosemite Falls.

   

We decided to hike to the top of Vernal Falls via the Mist Trail. The trail was no walk in the park (pun intended). While the views were breathtaking, it was definitely a workout! The last half mile is quite steep, with over 600 granite rock steps! At this part of the trail, you will learn first hand why it is called the Mist Trail. With temps in the mid 90’s, the drizzle of Vernal Falls felt cool and refreshing. We were enjoying the mist, so we paused for a quick power snack.

   

It was so rewarding making it to the top of the waterfall. Having close to no hiking experience, it was quite the accomplishment and I felt an instant sense of peace and relaxation. The panoramic views were like a painting – something you think you can only see in a museum and cannot touch, yet there we were admiring every piece of it with all our senses.

After our hike, we ate our lunch and decided to explore the valley floor which included peaceful meadows, distant views of Half Dome and lots of squirrels! We learned so much about this historic park by visiting the Yosemite Museum, Yosemite Village and the Ansel Adams Gallery (and of course made a pit stop to the gift shop!).

I cannot describe enough how beautiful Yosemite is, and how much MORE there is to explore! I am so eager to go again. If you have not been, I encourage you to go like right now! It is SO worth the drive and SO fulfilling for your soul. My suggestions: get there early, pack lots of snacks and water, take lots of pictures and remember this quote…

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been re-arranged by the hand of the man” ~Anonymous

Follow the Dessert Crazed Road?

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I am ALL about desserts (one would hope that one who works at a bakery has a sweet tooth) – cookies, brownies, candy, chocolate dipped anything, you name it. I am always on the hunt for the new dessert craze. Last month, my friends and I ventured to San Francisco to stop by Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. We heard lots of great things about this bakery, and of course looked at all their mouth-watering pictures on Instagram (seriously, check out their Instagram, here). They offer a bunch of sweet treats – cream filled donuts, chocolate croissants, cheese danishes, etc. What they are really known for and what causes a line to swing around the building is their “Cruffin” – a cross between a Croissant and a Muffin. Once we saw the photos, we knew we had to try them. We followed the advice of Yelpers and arrived at the bakery at 9 AM. We anticipated the long line, so we patiently waited for our turn to select our treats.

We waited about 20 minutes in line before making it to the counter. Alas! A plethora of sweet treats. We strictly went for the Cruffins, but there were other treats that certainly caught our attention, like the churro flavored croissants and strawberry cream filled donuts. We made our selections and watched in awe (think heart-eyed emoji) as the employee carefully packaged our treats and handed us our box.

      

The Cruffins (think muffin shaped croissant with cream filling and sprinkled with sugar) were absolutely delicious! We ate them quickly and tried our other delights as well. My sweet tooth was VERY pleased! I snapped a picture of the Cruffins on my phone, but it does not serve it justice! Here are a few pictures courtesy of their website (you can visit their website here).

   

If you’re into the dessert craze, I suggest stopping by Mr. Holmes Bakehouse! Take a look at their Instagram and definitely do some Yelp research before heading there for tips on parking, best time to go, and fan favorites. I promise you will not be disappointed! Off to research my next dessert adventure!