The Rotary Cares Committee, at the suggestion of Past President Rosemarie, prepared gift bags for our member residents at Glacier Hills who have been sequestered since last March. Among the goodies that were assembled were very special Christmas cookies baked by new member Julie Picknell. Julie is a realtor with Reinhart Realtors and every Christmas she bakes cookies for her clients. This year she baked 5,000 cookies! There are 26 different kinds, it took her eight days to bake and three days to deliver 150 boxes.

Julie graciously donated eleven 8” x 11” boxes of cookies for our Rotary gift bags. When asked how long she had been baking Julie replied, “I have been baking as a hobby as far back as I can remember. Both my grandmother and mother were incredible in the kitchen. Baking by their side was a way that I could get “one on one” time with because my sisters had no interest. I was typically on clean up duty, but I watched and learned. I was taught that baking is not an exact science as most believe…each egg has different egg to yolk ratios and every oven has different heating cycles. I learned how to measure by density and texture rather than measuring cups….and the smell of the batches baking in determining when to pull them out of the oven rather than timers.  It’s a true labor of love.”

We thank you Julie for all your work. Here is a reply from one of the recipients, “Thanks so much for the Christmas goodies you brought me yesterday.  They brightened an otherwise drab day for me, and my enjoyment of the gifts continues as I gradually diminish the stock of cookies one-by-one.”