The Cookie Book

Good morning. It is Monday, February 28, 2022. It is the last day of February and yesterday was my birthday. 😊

As I was waiting for my son and granddaughters to come over for a late BBQ lunch, I found a show on TV called Food That Built America. One of the episodes was on the creation of the Oreo Cookie.

I love Oreo cookies! I do not like the Double Stuff; I do not care of for the Mint flavored. I am not a fan of the mini’s or the thins or the fudge covered. Apparently, there are Lemon AND Carrot Cake Oreos, I have never tried those. But I would, given the chance. There are also Trolls World Tour Oreos with glitter in the cream, and one with green cream and popping candies. There are Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Oreos, Chocolate Marshmallow Oreos, and Birthday Cake Oreos. So many to choose from, but I prefer the original Oreo cookie. Plain and simple, the way an Oreo should be. My favorite way to eat them is dunked in a glass of milk, with a bowl of vanilla ice cream or in a Blizzard from DQ. I will eat them plain if necessary ;0)

Did you know Oreo Cookies are over 100 years old? Yep, they were created in 1912. There were originally called the “Oreo Biscuit” but were renamed the Oreo Sandwich in 1921. They have gone through a few name changes and designs over the years, but the flavor stays the same.

According to Wikipedia.org Oreos were introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912…are available in over one hundred countries…many varieties of Oreo cookies have been produced, and limited-edition runs have become popular in the 21st century. Oreo is also the best-selling cookie brand in the United States, and in the 21st century it became the number one selling cookie globally, bringing in more than 500 billion sales.

Something else I learned yesterday; the Hydrox Cookie came first! I always thought Hydrox was an Oreo wannabe. Turns out, it is the other way around. But that name!? It never seemed appetizing to me. “In 1908, when the cookie was created, the creators sought a name that would convey "purity and goodness" and derived their choice from the component elements that constitute the molecule of water (hydrogen and oxygen).” (Source Wikipedia.com)

“It was in 1912 that Nabisco, looking to create a cookie similar to the Hydrox creme-filled sandwich cookie that preceded it by only a few years, invented the Oreo. Called the Oreo Biscuit, the cookie was first sold to a grocer in Hoboken, New Jersey on March 6, 1912, and trademarked a week later. To this day, most believe the Hydrox cookie to be an Oreo knockoff…” (Source untappedcities.com)

Cookies. Who doesn’t love a good cookie? There are hundreds of cookie recipes. You could say there is something for everyone when it comes to cookies.

My very first cookbook was a gift from my Grandma Lee. It is called The Cookie Book and is nothing but cookie recipes. She gave it to me when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I still have it. The front and back covers are made of wood. It is very unique.

When I think of cookies, I cannot help but think of my dear friends Janet H. and Danielle C.

On November 19, 2019, Wendell’s doctor gave him “maybe two months” to live. These two women contacted me as soon as I shared the news and offered to give up a beach house they and their husbands had rented for the weekend. Not only the house, but they sent a large paint by number “to do as a family and make memories.” And one of them whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, formed the dough into balls and placed them into a one-gallon plastic bag. All I needed to do was preheat the oven, place the cookie balls on a cookie sheet and bake. I can still smell the wonderful aroma that wafted through that beach house. And yes, we made wonderful family memories that weekend. These lovely Christian women used their time and talents to honor Wendell and our family.

Galatians 5:13 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” NKJV

Hebrews 13:16 “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” NKJV

Proverbs 11:25 “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” NIV

I have a book on my desk titled Story Catcher by Richard Duerksen. I want to share an excerpt from the book this morning:

“Ruby, the chaplain, was on duty in the oncology wing. A place filled with patients who have cancer. One woman, an Italian mother of many, was finally giving in to the disease and the nursed had called for Chaplain Ruby to come speak with the family.

Ruby came, slipping quietly into the room and immediately realizing this was something bigger than she could handle. There were thirteen people squeezed into a room that could hold no more than eight. There were people sitting on the bed, leaning on the expensive instruments, slouched in the two chairs, all highlighted by two sisters, shouting at each other across grandma’s barely-breathing form.

The room smelled of hate.

“You didn’t come to my house for Christmas three years in a row, and now you are upset because I missed your birthday?”

“I didn’t come because I can’t stand your filthy house and your terrible cooking!”

Ruby listened, horrified, knowing there was nothing she could do to quiet everyone down and get them to let Grandma die calmly. She leaned back against the one empty space left in the room. “God,” she said, “I need your help. Right now! Please.”

That’s when the door opened and the volunteer responsible for delivering cookies to all the hospital rooms waltzed in. The “Cookie Lady” was deep into her 70’s, mostly deaf, and focused on emptying her tray of cookies without spilling them.

“Does anybody here want a cookie?” the Cookie Lady asked rather like a Marine drill sergeant commanding the next maneuver.

The room went deathly silent. Ruby closed her eyes and said, “God, please not here. Not now. Send her away!”

“I said, does anybody here want a cookie?” This time the request was even more strident.

Ruby cringed and inched her way toward the intruding volunteer.

Mark beat her there. Mark, about 13, had been listening to the war of words over Grandma’s bed, but now was entranced by the cookies. He slipped through the scramble of legs and arms, found the Cookie Lady’s tray, and selected a crisp macadamia-nut and chocolate cookie. Back through the twister of bodies he went till he was at Grandma’s side. That’s when it happened.

“Grandma,” Mark asked reverently, “Want a cookie for the road?”

Ruby winced in horror. “I could not imagine anything more terrible happening at Grandma’s bedside,” she told me. “It was like all the air was sucked out of the room, and then suddenly it all came back, but this the time anger and jealousy and pain had been replaced by love and kindness and good memories. Sisters were embracing, brothers were giving each other high fives, and everyone was either cheering Mark or laughing like life-long buddies. As if God had just slipped into the room.”

Back to the guy finding Chaplain Ruby on Church Street.

“It was the coolest thing,” the man told Ruby. “We have no idea how you pulled it off, but bringing in the Cookie Lady was just plain awesome. You know, we’re a rather emotional family and sometimes we get into big battles. But now, whenever things begin to get testy, someone will say, “Hey, you want a cookie for the road,” and we all break into laughter.” – Story Catcher by Richard Duerksen

God hears our prayers. He knows what we need before we ask. Matthew 6:8 “…your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” NKJV

I have noticed that often God’s answer is not what I asked for, or expected, but when it is all said and done, it was exactly what I needed, even if it was as simple as a cookie. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” ESV