The Classic Girl Scout Cookie: Trefoils

Girl Scouts have been selling shortbread cookies for more than 60 years, and this classic (called "Trefoils" by Little Brownie Bakers), remains a favorite.  An online opinion poll found at GirlScoutCookies.org reports that 5% of us claim it is our favorite GS cookie (a 3 way tie for 4th place); but the GS organization reports that the shortbread cookies account for 9% of sales, rating 5th.

Personally, I think these are refreshingly simple and I love eating them (for breakfast) after dipping them in my coffee.  PLEASE do not tell my children I eat cookies for breakfast - it would shatter their image of me...or shatter the image I wish my children would have of me.

ABC Bakers, one of the commercial bakers producing GS cookies, offers a serving suggestion of sandwiching ice cream or sherbert between the cookies. 

Little Brownie Bakers offers a recipe for a Cheesecake cup using Trefoils.

I also found a GS council web site with a recipe for "Strawberry Angel Surprise"; and "Nutty Chocolate Delight"  - two yummy desserts made with GS Shortbread cookies.

I suspect you could make a really good pie crust by using crushed shortbread cookies & butter; and I bet that would be wonderful for a pudding pie, ice cream pie or even cheesecake. 

Be sure and check out our other posts, including recipes with other GS Cookies!! For a list of all GS cookies being offered in our region, and to find out how to place an order, click here!

And, be sure to stay tuned to learn more about GS cookies, and cookie sales in Loudoun County!

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Following our series on GS Cookies, be sure to stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

If you time it right, your housewarming gift maybe Girl Scout Cookies

or perhaps a recipe made with Girl Scout Cookies!

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

GS Cookies, Not Just For Dessert Anymore! Check Out These Great Recipes - including DINNER recipes - with Do-Si-Dos

The GS Cookie "What's Your Favorite" online poll suggests that only 5% of us rate Do-Si-Dos (AKA Peanut Butter Sandwich) as our favorite.... but some how, the Girl Scouts report that 11% of cookie sales are for Do-Si-Dos.  I guess the people who like those cookies best buy twice as many boxes.

Well, Do-Si-Do fans, we're taking orders!!!!  Order plenty for "now" and later, and order enough that you can try out one (or more) of these interesting recipes:

What's For Dinner? 
Peanut Thai Chicken made with Do-Si-Dos!
Do-Si-Do Chicken

Then, for Dessert try out one of these:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sunday Pie.
Do-Si-Do Cheesecake

Be sure and check out our other posts, including recipes with other GS Cookies!! For a list of all GS cookies being offered in our region, and to find out how to place an order, click here!

And, be sure to stay tuned to learn more about GS cookies, and sales in Loudoun County!

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Tagalongs, My Favorites!

There is a discrepancy between the Girl Scout cookie sales reports and the online voting at GirlScoutCookies.org as to whether Thin Mints or Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) are America's favorite cookie.  Regardless of which you trust, Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties) come in a solid 3rd place.  Since these are my personal favorites, I am a little shocked, but that's fine, it means less competition for me!

Follow these links to see recipes for:

Fudgy Peanut Butter Balls (requiring only 3 ingredients, and found on the ABC Bakers web site)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait (which reads like a rather challenging recipe) or Southern Peanut Butter Pie (I am imagining it melt in my mouth right now), both found on the web site for the GS Council of Western Washington.

I found several recipes for basic milkshakes incorporating crushed Tagalongs, but this one which is a banana-vanilla tagalong shake is intriguing: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1713157

And, even though these sound really, really good, it goes against my grain to chop up these cookies in anything other than my very own mouth.  I love them almost frozen, or completely melting in my hands!  I simply love these.  The only problem, I open a box and those darn cookies run and jump into my mouth and next thing you know they are on my hips!  To me, another hour on the bike at the gym seems worth it to enjoy these wonderful treats!

Have you ordered your Samoas, Thin Mints or Tagalongs yet? Place your order early!!  In Loudoun and the Dulles area, please contact me for details.  Elsewhere, please find a cookie sales-scout near you at http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/.

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Thin Mints, More than a Cookie! A Key Ingredient for These Tasty Treats!

Remember, you can only buy Girl Scout cookies once a year... but they freeze well, and there are so many things you can do with these American classics!

GirlScoutCookies.org has an ongoing poll, and as of today, THIN MINTS are the second favorite GS cookie.  But, the Girl Scout organization reports Thin Mints are #1.  Last year, our troop sold exactly as many Thin Mints as Samoas, so how can we really know? 

In any case, here are some Thin Mint Recipes to get your creative juices stirring...

THIN MINT BROWNIES - suggested by Little Brownie Bakers (the bakers that make Thin Mints)

THIN MINTS PIZZA SUPREME - leave it to Rachel Ray to come up with this one! Yum!
THIN MINTS CHEESECAKE - continuing with my theme from yesterday, I must highlight a cheesecake recipe!
DOUBLE LAYERED MINT CHOCOLATE CAKE - offered to us by the Central Texas GS Council
THIN MINT ICE CREAM - in the mood to make your own ice cream?  Try this recipe from ABC Bakers.

For a simple option, add crushed Thin Mints to your already made milkshakes - made of  Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate or even Vanilla Ice Cream.   As Dairy Queen found out last year, this is a sure fire crowd pleaser!

Be sure and check out our earlier post on Recipes With Samoas, the #1(?) GS Cookie! 

For a list of all GS cookies being offered in our region, and to find out how to place an order, click here!

And, be sure to stay tuned to learn more about GS cookies, and sales in Loudoun County!

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Got Samoas? We Got Recipes!

According to an ongoing poll at http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/, 34% of us voted that Samoas are our favorite Girl Scout Cookie offered!  (The GS organization, however, reports that only 19% of the cookies sold are Samoas; topped by Thin Mints which account for 25% of the cookies sold.)

My troop is now taking orders for Samoas and other Girl Scout Cookies in Loudoun County, VA!

Not only are they a great cookie, but you can use them in lots of recipes.  Little Brownie Bakers (the bakers for the GS cookies we get locally), offer recipes for:

* Fried Samoas Shrimp (not sure how I feel about this one)
* Samoas Dream Cake (mmm...I am dreaming already)
* Samoas Sweet Rolls (Sounds scrumptious, but it's not what your thinking, these are made with crepes)
* Samoas Trail Mix (very "Girl Scout" don't you think?)

Samoan Cheesecake: Someone on uses the basic recipe for "Philadelphia Cheesecake" and crumbles up Samoas to add to the filling, and garnishes with a few extra for a nice presentation.  I LOVE cheesecake, and this sounds wonderful.

ABC Bakers (the "other" company who makes "Caramel deLites"-a similar cookie also sold in some regions by GS) offers a recipe for a Chocolate Caramel Coconut Dessert which sounds scrumptious! Click here to see this recipe.

Stay tuned for more Girl Scout Cookie News!  In Loudoun, contact me for details on ordering.  Elsewhere, go to http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/ and find a place near you to buy your own.

Remember, they are available only once a year, so buy enough to freeze!

Gifts of caring are also encouraged if you'd like to share this yummy tradition!

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Rufus the Red Nosed Rain Dog

Did you see him?  He was in Leesburg this morning!   

As part of the Childrens Performance Series, Kaleidoscope Theatre at Ida Lee, Rufus was our special guest this morning!  Once a month, there is a different performer.  My son and I try to go each month - it's special "Mommy-Devon" time; but this month, our friend Zavion joined us.

Rufus is a brown dog with a red nose.  He's been homeless, hungry, cold and in the rain, for some time.  He was looking for some food to eat and a place to stay when we met him.  Then, out of the blue, SANTA arrived!  But, Santa did not believe he was a dog, as Santa had never seen a dog with a red nose. 

You see, Santa's dog is hot pink and has a purple nose, and so that is what Santa thinks ALL dogs should look like.  To prove he is a dog, Rufus had to go to dog school, taught by a Banana!  There, he learned important vocabulary like "ARF" "GRRR" and other such common dog language. 

In the process, we had some fun with letter sounds, and rymthing words.  In the end, Santa learned an important lesson... things that make us different make us special, and we're all different.  Santa offered Rufus some food and a permanent home, and dubbed Rufus the "Red Nosed Rain Dog" telling him to go find other special dogs that are out in the cold and rain with no food and no home... and to bring them all to the North Pole to live with them as one big happy family!

It was a great story and we didn't feel bad about skipping preschool to go, since there were several good lessons in the story.  The most important lesson of all:  Our differences make us special.

Thank you to Blue Sky Puppet Theatre for a great show today!  Be sure to check out the upcoming schedule for the Kaliedoscope Theatre HERE; and we hope to see you next time.

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For more information about Loudoun Living, stay tuned to

http://www.livinginloco.blogspot.com/

For real estate information, check out

http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

You can search for homes for sale in the Northern Virginia market at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Happy Holidays to you all!

Changing The World, One Cookie At A Time!

The Loudoun Chapters of the Girl Scouts are kicking off their cookie sale

December 18th (Friday). 

My girls would LOVE to have your order!!  They are $3.50 a box.

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This year's choices are:
(ALL GS cookies are Kosher)

Lemon Chalet Cremes

Vanilla sandwhich cookie w/ hint of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme filling
* I am told these are Vegan!

Trefoils

Shortbread cookies

CLICK HERE to see serving suggestions

& recipes using this classic GS cookie!

Do-Si-Dos

Oatmeal cookies w/ creamy peanut butter filling
Have You Tried Do-Si-Do Chicken, or Peanut Butter Sandwich & Jelly Pie?  Click here to see these recipes and more!

Samoas

Vanilla Cookies, covered w/ caramel, rolled in toasted coconut and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating
For Recipe Ideas Like Samoan Cheesecake and More, Click Here!

Dulce de leche (New 2009)

Inspired by confections of Latin America, these are bite sized cookies rich with milk caramel chips

Thank U Berry Much: (New 2010)

Real cranberries provide a delightly tarness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy white fudge chips.  Yumm!

*  I am told these are Vegan.

Tagalongs

Tasty cookies topped with creamy peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating.  (Vicky's favorite)
Find Scrumptious Tagalong Recipes by clicking HERE!

Thin Mints 

Thin wafer, covered in a smooth chocolaty coating,
made w/ natural peppermint.  For Thin Mint Recipe Ideas, Click Here!

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SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS

 & HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS

You may also purchase cookies to be donated or contribute to the troop's GIFT OF CARING
- our troop will be sending the donated cookies to Afghanistan/Iraq (if possible).  Alternatively, the cookies will be donated to our local food bank - Interfaith Relief.  Please specify if you'd like to donate to one of these causes. 

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With your help, the Girl Scouts are building the leaders of tomorrow,

 changing the world for the better.... one cookie at a time. 

In Loudoun and Dulles, contact vchrisner@verizon.net
to find out how to place your order.

Outside Loudoun, visit http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/ to find a troop near you!
*  Dietary Information for Girl Scout Cookies can be found here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.littlebrownie.com/downloads/NLIs_All.pdf