From the Heart

A dear family member recently underwent open heart surgery. An improperly functioning valve was causing problems for her, and the doctors at Saddleback Memorial Hospital replaced it with one that now opens and closes as it was intended.  Admittedly, heart surgery is major, major surgery. But the professionals at this hospital made it seem as routine as a tooth cleaning.  

I prepared this gift of gratitude for the nursing staff who cared for her in the days and nights following the surgery.  They were so knowledgeable and caring, and we were greeted with warm smiles every hour of the day. Truly impressive. 

Our heartfelt thanks go out to the nurses, doctors and administrators who made this experience less frightening for all of us. Our 'Gramma Joycie' is on the mend and is getting stronger every day, thanks to you.

XOXO's to Saddleback Memorial's team.

Lucky You!

March seems to have almost blown by us!  Storm after storm has descended on the California coast this month, and there is no shortage of GREEN anywhere!  Now we're just waiting for the sky to clear long enough for us to get outside and enjoy the scenery.

We prepared a batch of Shamrock Cookies for shipping to an office in San Francisco.   I learned from Mary that she had previously sampled some of our cookies last Christmas season, when her office was the recipient of gift cookies from our Safety Vest project.  She had suggested to her boss that shamrocks were in order for this year's St. Patty's Day.  Thank you, Mary!

 

       

These multi-step shamrocks were fun for Kimi and I.  Something about green always makes us smile!  We finished them off with some white 'pearls,' packaged them in cello bags with green ribbon, and they were ready for their trip to the City by the Bay.    ;-)

  

XOXO Cookies hopes that all the lads and lasses of PG&E's San Francisco office enjoyed their cookies.

May you receive satisfaction from your work, may you make time to play, 

and most of all,

May you live all the days of your life!

Get your green on!

Our entire family tries hard to promote the rules of sustainability whenever possible. We are preparing to plant our veggies as soon as California's spring weather replaces the random snowstorm (!) that hit the Central Coast this weekend.  Kimi's hens are learning to do what hens do -- lay fresh, organic eggs!   So, in search of healthy options for dinner last week (healthy = anything green in the produce aisle), I stumbled upon a display of Oreo cookies.  But whoa, not just any Oreos....these would be Oreos with green minty filling!  I don't normally succumb to buying store-bought cookies, but I really wanted convinced myself that I needed these for a weekend project (project = XOXO creations).  It is, after all, almost St. Patrick's Day!

I experiMINTed making cookie pops.  The cake pops are great, so why not cookie pops?   The idea of an Oreo cookie, combined with a mint filling, covered with chocolate and drizzled with more chocolate?  A winning combo.

Kimi took the taste test and it's a winner!

So many cookie pops, so few mouths.   Kimi and I split them up and took them to our friends at work.  By the afternoon, I wondered why I hadn't kept just one aside for myself.  I better get back to the store and buy some more minty Oreos soon.  I sense a run on these puppies.   

An early St. Patrick's Day wish to you, from XOXO Cookies!

May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.