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
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