"C" is for Cookie

To quote Cookie Monster, "Home is where heart is. Heart where cookie is."

Hello Norwich,

I saw this below posting on the Norwich Listserv and thought it would be nice to follow up with a story on Sandie Anderson who is responsible for making and distributing her wonderful cookies around Norwich.

Here is the Listserv post, I reached out to Jacqueline to thank her for her kind post and to let her know about the story idea.

15. Thank you to the unknown cookie lady!
From: Jacqueline Springwater <jacqspr@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2022 12:29:39 -0500

How sweet it is that last week some thoughtful person  was giving away
homemade ginger cookies in order to bring a bit of enjoyment in pandemic
times.

My husband came home from the PO with a small heart-decorated packet of
delicious cookies but he was not sure of her name.

So, to whomever you are, here is our heartfelt thanks for a caring gesture
and superb treat!

Sincerely,
Jacqueline Springwater

After reading the above post I called Sandie and asked if she could tell me a little bit about herself and the cookies she makes.

The photos below were taken at various times and are being used for this story

Sandie Anderson and Reeve Williams

And here is her story:

I seem to have been cooking forever and cookies have recently appeared as my specialty since redirecting after teaching French at Hanover High School for years!  During my years at HHS, I would always make carrot cakes for special occasions and they became known as Sandie’s Killdeer Carrot Cake.

I started making ginger cookies about 15 years ago using a recipe from King Arthur and then started making a few changes, tweeking the recipe and making it my own.  The small plastic snack bags I would distribute them in, were not earth friendly and then I discovered Lunchskins at the COOP.  They were recyclable, food and freezer-safe, non-wax and compostable and I could put 4 cookies in a bag and the recipient could carefully open the bag and take out a cookie and reseal it. 

I started out making the ginger cookie dough in quantity, 8 cups of flour a week, would store the dough in the fridge and bake about 140 cookies every other day.  I’d carry my bag of 35 Lunchskins filled with 4 cookies in each and offer them to people I’d meet, at the post office, Dan and Whit’s, the bank, the COOP, in the street, hikers from the AT!  Most people were pleased and surprised to get a treat and also to have a chance for a short conversation and I’d be on my way looking for someone else to surprise.

For several years we’d head up to East Thetford to Isabell’s for breakfast and go by the MCS crossing guard, Demo, making the crossing safe for the students and adults going over to the school.  One day the crossing guard, Demo, asked if I ever made cookies with chocolate in them.  Back in the 90s I made Cowboy Cookies with chocolate chips, walnuts and rolled oats and I decided to see how the cookie fans would like to have a choice.  Since then the cowboy cookies are in the Lunchskins with the blue sharks and the ginger cookies are in the Lunchskins with the red apples (also called hearts).

With the arrival of the pandemic, I noticed that many people aren’t smiling or exchanging a greeting.  When I approach and say, “Ginger or Cowboy”, the surprise is great enough that generally people will express a bit of confusion since they don’t know what I mean.  Then I get a chance to tell them that I have ginger cookies and cowboy cookies in my Munch Box and they are welcome to take a bag!!

Sandie Anderson

Hi Ho Cookies

The red bags are the ginger cookies and the blue bags are the chocolate chip cowboy cookies

A sunny day in Norwich with some friends , coffee, and a cookie or two

Sandie making a very special cookie delivery on a very cold day in Norwich.

Stay safe and thanks for reading my stories