2 years already?

Saturday marked my second year as a wheelchair fencer all in all this year was a positive one, that’s not to say I didn't have set backs, there were moments when I asked myself “what the heck was I thinking” When I attended that first practice I had no idea what I was doing nor what I was getting myself into. There were many times in that first year when I seriously contemplated quitting fencing, especially when the costs started adding up. During that first year I kept at it getting stronger and learning all I could, fortunately I also struck on the idea of making cookies to support my fencing habit, and not just any cookies, shortbreads, a rather obscure cookie style to support a passion for an obscure sport, a rather unknown version of that sport at that.

This last year in fencing I continued to develop and managed to win my first medals. Cookie sales were a great help with gear, registration fees, food and the most important thing. Coffee! Each year on my “fencing birthday” I set goals for the next year, this year I want to continue as I have over the last two years continue collecting medals and keep finishing higher each time I compete.

My next tournament is in March over St Patrick’s day weekend with luck and your support I can hoist a Guinness in celebration of new medals and a great finish.

Again I want to thank you all for joining me on this adventure, purchasing my cookies and standing in my corner while I compete, train and build my cookie business from an experiment into something that will not only support my fencing dream but will help others reach a measure of financial freedom (as outlined  in  Where do I go from here?)

So here I go embarking on another year as a fencer, the hours of training, the miles put on my tires, the frustrations when practices get tough. Another year slinging cookies to suppourt my passion and my dream, full of highs and lows, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I challange you to a dual..

Dear Walkers Shortbreads.

I am a small shortbread cookie baker who sells his cookies to support a his dream. It is my belief that your popularity is based purely on  a large marketing budget and Christmas tins shaped in the image of a tin highlander. I am also a fencer and as dueling has gone out of style I have chosen this medium to call you out as it were. I challenge Walker Shortbreads to a taste test, my traditional versus yours. You may choose the when an where as you are the challenged party.  I anxiously await your response and will interpret you silence on this matter as an acquiescence on your part that my hand crafted shortbreads are superior to your mass produced... cookies.

Respectfully
Richard Zengler
aka the Wheeling chef

National Shortbread Day

Its National Shortbread cookie day so I figured it was time I should share just how this whole cookie experiment came to be. It amazes me how a simple idea can turn into something worth while. About 5 years ago I was at a Renaissance festival when I saw a vendor selling welsh cookies and making a killing at it. I filed that away for later reference. A few months later I was still looking for a job and trying to find a way to make ends meet. Then I remembered the guy selling cookies and wondered if I could do something similar.

I picked up some old cookbooks and found a basic shortbread cookie recipe. To this point I had done very little baking, in school my major was culinary management and they sorta skipped over the whole baking thing for us. I had made simple doughs before so I figured I would be able to make a simple butter cookie. After some experimentation and some frustration, OK lots of frustration I came up with a cookie recipe and a product to offer the shortbread deprived public.

I had a product and I managed to find a few craft fairs that welcomed me and my cookies, but they didn't sell as well as I had hoped.  Before I could go back to the drawing board, life took a different path and I found myself in Atlanta. Wheeling Chef took a backseat for a while while I adjusted and rebuilt my life. It was during this hiatus that I found myself  getting involved with wheelchair fencing.
I knew early on in my fencing experience that I wanted to do more then just work out I wanted to compete nationally and eventually internationally, with the ultimate goal of making the Paralympic
team. This dream would take hard work and a good bit of money. It was time to relaunch wheeling chef.
I revamped my cookie recipe and was off and rolling. Thanks to twitter and a few lucky breaks wheeling chef started to get sales and some marketing exposure. Those first sales helped cover the entry fee for my 2nd national. I couldn't believe that such a simple idea was paying off. I continued to sell cookies and train and started to see the benefits of both Cookie sales have helped me purchase new weapons  a new uniform a new mask and have  covered my entry fees to 5 tournaments. More important then all of that I'm having fun in this whole adventure!

Cookies have certainly helped financially but I have also met some very cool and supportive people because of my cookie experiment. You all have kept me going when sales have slowed and fencing gets frustrating, and I appreciate it. In celebration of National Shortbread Day and in gratitude for your support I'd like to offer a blog reader coupon. 20% off your entire order between today and 1/10/2012 when you include the word Foil in your order! Thank you again and Happy Shortbread Day