"GirlScoutCookies" news and stories

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado-Corn Salsa. Photo: YumSugar

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Raw corn off the cob can perk up a shrimp cocktail when you make a salsa and throw it in a taco.

Has Wal-Mart ripped off those delicious cookies the Girl Scouts have been selling for years?

Bottarga makes for a fine "poor man's" caviar.

Grilled bruschetta chicken is a fast and easy dish perfect for evenings when time is of the essence.

Rum punch is prime for a technicolor luau.

Julie Powell, of "Julie & Julia" fame, dishes about the movie.

A test of your M&M's know-how to separate myth from fact.

Leftover chicken thighs are prime candidates for Peking-style chicken wraps.

According to a report just yesterday from MSNBC, Girl Scout troops selling their cookies in Washington state are the latest victims of fraud. They have lost $100 so far due to fake $20 bills. This comes at a particularly rough time for Girl Scout cookie sales.

According to The Consumerist, a troop leader states that sales are down by as much as half. As The Consumerist states, "Girl Scout Cookies are not recession-proof." Apparently, they are also not safe from the fraudsters that seem to be sweeping our country, like Bernard Madoff and Robert Allen Stanford. As a result, troop leaders are defending themselves with counterfeit detecting pens. This specific troop of Girl Scouts in Bremerton, WA plans to sell more cookies this weekend, but with a cautious eye and a defensive pen.

Continue reading on AOL Food.

A couple of nights ago, I was having dinner with a couple of people, when the topic of Girl Scout cookies came up. We all had stories about friends and co-workers who have convinced, cajoled and harrassed us into buying a box or two and eventually someone asked, "where are the actual Girl Scouts who are supposed to be selling the cookies?"

As a child, my parents always insisted that if my sister and I were to participate in a fundraising event that included selling things, we had to sell them ourselves. They refused to take cookies and candy into their workplaces and shill for us. We had to trudge around the neighborhood on our own to make our sales. We were both always so jealous of the friends who could simply have their father take the sales sheet into the office and come home that night with the sales quota met.

According to an article on CNN.com, the Girl Scouts of America actually stress that cookie sales should be done by the girls* themselves, however, most people recognize that fundraisers like this one often require a great deal of parental participation.

What's your take on fundraising sales like Girl Scout cookies and school candy sales? Should parents participate, or should the kids be the ones to do the work?

*I would like to note that Scott and I bought two boxes of cookies this year from actual Brownies, who were stationed just outside a local grocery store. However, it was the first time in years that either of us had encountered any real scouts.

Source

It's January, the month for fresh starts, healthy eating and Girl Scout Cookies. Yes, that's right, sometime this month (start dates vary according to region), little girls in patch-laden sashes and perky uniforms will be knocking on doors and setting up tables, all in effort to raise funds via cookie sales.

However, in recent years critics have called into question the Girl Scout Cookie, because they of their negative health effects (particularly since they've historically contained trans-fats). There's even talk of doing away with the Girl Scout Cookie as a fundraiser altogether. However, for those of you who love your Thin Mints or Do-Si-Dos, take heart. There's another way to get your fix - make them yourself!*

Over the years, Nicole at Baking Bites has developed a series of cookie recipes that allow you to make all your favorites at home. This way, you can get your favorite flavors without all the questionable additives. In addition to the cookies mentioned above, she's also got recipes for Samoas and Tagalongs.

*If you'd normally buy a box or two from your local scout, consider giving a donation to make up for the lost cookie revenue.

Source

The good folks at Chattanooga Bakery have seen fit to re-release their previously discontinued peanut butter permutation of the traditional choco-coated cookie, and not a darned second too soon. I'm here to tell ya, this li'l fella is some seriously good -- if nigh on violently sugary -- eating. With a crunchy, fudgy cookie as the foundation, a hearty slathering of extra-sweet peanut butter in lieu of the standard marshmallow and a silky chocolate coating, the confection bears an astonishing texture and flavor resemblance to the perennial Girl Scout vended fave, Tagalongs®, a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties®. Served frozen, per a suggestion on the box, it's simply a revelation.

The upside is that unlike the GSA confection, Moon Pies can be acquired year-round. The downer for those trapped north of the Mason-Dixon is that they're not especially easy to come across in stores. $17.99, plus $8.95 (give or take) shipping will net you 48 pies, but I'd daresay it's worth the investment at least once. Tell ya what -- if you don't like 'em, next time I see you, I'll spring for your R.C.

Buy Moon Pies online.