Cookies

Moving to Brazil meant I changed my cooking habits ( I had to...)  I've talked about that on this blog before.  One thing I started doing was making homemade cookies.  We don't have ready-made cookie dough here or even any cookies that taste like American ones.  My cookies aren't anything extra special, but since they are American style homemade cookies, and those don't exist here, everyone oohs and aahs over them whenever I make them.

For years our family has talked about starting a "cookie company".  Not sure what that would look like or how to do it - it's just been some kind of idea that has been talked about and that our kids REALLY want us to do.  We, especially me, are the farthest thing from business people that you could get.  So starting a "cookie company" has always seemed like just too big a mountain to start to climb.

But.... this year we are dipping our toes into the cookie company idea.  I say "we" because while I am the cookie baker, recipe chooser and expert of the quirks of cookie-baking in Brazil, this will definitely be a family affair.  Or I will go insane.

Anyway, there are two Christmas bazars coming up.  One at the kids' school and one at our club.  And cookies made by the Blumes will be for sale at each one.

We hope to offer cookies (obviously) in several flavors, cookie "kits" (like cookie mixes in a jar), giant cookie "pizzas", and decorated Santa plates to set out Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve.  There are some other ideas floating around my head, but if I we get just this much done, I'll we'll be doing good.

So, in our kitchen, we have huge bags of sugar....

flour....

and stockpiles of other ingredients.

And my husband's birthday gift is getting quite a bit of use.

The first bazar is at the end of November, so this weekend I will be making frozen cookie dough "blobs" that can be baked closer to the actual day of the event, as well as painting cookie plates (that will be fun!).

There are lots of reasons for starting this venture, all of which I don't have the time or words to explain right now.  Our "what if?" conversations have gone from having a company that is so successful that we don't need outside support, to having a little cookie shop that would be a ministry, to making enough money that we can pay for our college kids' airfare each year.

Whatever happens, we believe that it will be God's doing.  This idea has been in our heads for so long and now seems like the right time to try it out.

We'll let you know what happens.  Now, off to the kitchen!