It’ springtime here in Carolina and my herb garden and surrounding plants are starting to strut their stuff. While I probably don’t take as much time away from the oven or the keyboard as I should, I do enjoy looking at the plants up close as they begin to transform themselves without the least bit of help from me. Some things we’ve planted have died, while others keep coming back year after year.

We prune things back a bit, move some around from time to time, and sometimes we try new things, giving them room to grow. I’m thinking the same rules should apply to things called ‘ideas’ that we plant in the garden of our mind.

An idea, like a flower or an herb, is really an amazing thing. Some provide wonderful health benefits. Some are just pretty to watch. And some are harmful and should be avoided (i.e. I won’t be growing any poison ivy in my garden). If we expect to have a bountiful garden, then we have to take the time to plant and nurture those ideas that are helpful, and give them room to grow. And when things don’t work out, we have to set aside our fears, take out the pruning shears and get to work.

It is okay for different people to have different types of gardens. I watched an interview recently with Elizabeth Gilbert, the best selling author of the book, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. She spoke of her mother and how she planted a ‘Depression Era’ garden where everything had a purpose and a place. Her garden on the other hand, was one she described as having ‘indefensible beauty’.

Having a business like Anna’s Gourmet Goodies has provided me the opportunity to cultivate my mental garden with all kinds of ideas. (Thankfully, Debbie has learned to tolerate my cultivation habits). Some have worked, while others have wilted, but I try to actively tend to the things I plant.

I was at a networking event the other night and someone asked me about our business, how we were doing in this economy, and what ideas I was working on. It made me think for a moment of Elizabeth’s quote about indefensible beauty.

In our last newsletter, we included a note and a special offer to help us send cookies to raise money for Annalise Pelton as a part of a St. Baldrick’s Event. Some of you responded, and we sent up a large bucket to be auctioned, along with some packages made special with her picture and logo. We posted a photo of her angelic smile on our Facebook page. Priceless.

About a week later, Annalise finally lost her battle with cancer.

The memory of that photo, the idea that maybe, for a brief moment, what we do at Anna’s Gourmet Goodies made this little girl smile, is one that I’ll be tending in my mental garden for the rest of my days. I may not always tell this story when someone asks about our business because it is sometimes difficult to share, but you can be sure that it is well rooted in my mental garden.

We’ve been working on some new ideas in the bakery for gluten free products. It’s early in the process, but there is a possibility that we may have a product some day. When my neighbor, who suffers from a severe gluten allergy, tasted the cookie for the first time, it actually brought a tear to her eyes. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had something this good?”

The idea that our cookies make people happy is not some clever marketing idea, it is the foundation of what we do. And when I take time to cultivate new ideas in my mental garden, I’ll do so with the idea of creating indefensible happiness among our customers. Now that’s an idea worth nurturing.

At Anna’s Gourmet Goodies, we look at it from a slightly different perspective. I prefer to think that we simply enjoy doing things for customers that are not expected. Sometimes they know about it, and sometimes, frankly, they never know about the little things we do.

We correct spelling errors on messages. We look up incorrect addresses. We adjust shipping dates to optimize delivery. And much, much more. I do believe that while these things cannot always be measured, the benefit of doing something that helps someone and is not expected, is worth far more than the cost.

This package was not on 'the menu' - but we created something special for this order just because.

One of our long time customers placed an order with use recently. She was sending a thank you gift to someone for their hospitality during Mardi Gras. She simply asked us to use a yellow, or purple – if we had it, ribbon for the box.

We don’t have Mardi Gras packaging on our website (maybe we should….) but I know that the colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and yellow. Turns out we did have purple ribbon and some crinkle filler in these colors, so we put together a package that fit right in with the celebration.

I shared a photo of the package with our customer and she was both surprised and delighted. You might be tempted to say this was done to get her to order from us again, but you’d simply be wrong. Our intent was to send her client a gift that would stand out as being more than a box of cookies and would carry with it recognition and respect for an important part of the culture of New Orleans.

We did this because we know that when they open the box, they’ll smile and when they bite into our cookies, they’ll probably close their eyes and say, ‘mmmmmmm’. We did it because we know and respect our customer, and take pleasure and pride in being of service in unexpected ways.

If you’ve ever asked my opinion on sending gifts from Anna’s Gourmet Goodies, especially as a part of your business, I’ve probably shared a similar philosophy about the value of doing something nice for someone when they least expect it. Of course you hope that it will leave a lasting impression and that they will return. But more importantly, it makes a statement about your beliefs and how you choose to treat others. When you are known as someone who does something nice for others when they least expect it, that is a powerful way to brand your life, your business and leave a legacy that lasts far longer that a box of our cookies or brownies.

Our cookies, and the little things we sometimes do to make them special, really do make people happy.

These cows are enjoying breakfast on a crisp sunny morning.

As we always like to do just before Christmas, Anna and I headed out on our day trip together, visiting, sharing and thanking those people who helped our business during the year. This past December, we decided to visit the suppliers for our Artisan Cookies, Lindley Mills, Latta’s Egg Ranch, and Homeland Creamery.

Our first stop was at Lindley Mills. I’ve been buying flour direct from the mill since about 2003. I cannot remember ever walking in the door and seeing anything other than a beaming smile from June and Cathy (even when I don’t have cookies in hand). They don’t check email on their phones or hide behind some terminal (they don’t have Internet access at the mill). They always have time for catching up and asking about our business.

While we are there picking up our comparatively small order, they’ll be loading semi-tractor trailers with product bound for large bakeries and distributors. Everyone will be greeted with the same warmth and genuine caring. Dewey gets off the forklift, throws a couple of 25 pound sacks on his shoulders, and carefully loads up our vehicle by hand. As always, he smiles and wishes me a nice afternoon.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit and visit with Joe Lindley and I understand exactly why the people at Lindley Mills are like they are. His philosophy of building sincere, long term relationships with his customers is not some business strategy, it is simply who they are and how they live. He works hard to build and run his business so that the business can take care of the people who work hard for him.

Our next stop was the Homeland Creamery in Julian, NC. Terri was still out to lunch so we visited with Cookie (that’s her name, seriously – imagine that). She works at the retail operation, along with her ‘adopted’ sister and her sister’s daughter. Practically everyone who works there comes from the local community or their church. The Bowman Family that runs the dairy is a sixth (heading into seventh) generation of farmers caring for the animals and the land. This is truly a community and family business.

Talking with them, you get a sense that working at the Creamery is not simply another job, but a way of life that you probably won’t find in corporate retail operations. It’s a mild day in December with just a touch of rain falling, but there is a steady flow of customers driving miles from the nearest town for a scoop of ice cream. Everyone is served with a smile and leaves with a smile.

Terri came back from lunch and we visited for awhile, talking about business and our plans for 2012. It was going on 2:00 p.m. and ‘The Girls’ were beginning to make their way to the barn, heavy with milk and looking forward to getting a little relief. In a few days, when much of the world is fast asleep looking forward to Christmas morning, ‘The Girls’ will wander toward the barn around 2:00 a.m. and a group of farm hands will do the work of taking their milk, just as they do every day of the week, 365 days a year.

Our final stop was at Latta’s Egg Ranch. When we arrived, Frank Latta had left, but Ray was there just finishing up the afternoon’s egg packing. Ray has been working on the farm since he was old enough to walk. I’ve watched him stand over the light table, carefully inspecting each egg for cracks, embryos or other imperfections before they get packaged.

It is the same routine that happens every day, 365 days a year at Latta’s egg ranch. On Christmas morning, they’ll be out gathering the eggs before breakfast, just as they do every day because chickens lay eggs every day. And someone has to care for them. Frank, Ray and the rest of the Latta family do just that.

Visiting with our suppliers and getting to know the people that work there, is an incredibly valuable part of our business. They are doing real work, every single day that adds value to our business and touches the lives of many people. Not just in our local area, but around the country.

At Anna’s Gourmet Goodies, our customers place orders on our website, over the phone and by email. We have never met or spoken to many of our customers. But I want you to know that despite using technology to facilitate the transaction part of our business, we understand and value those people who ‘do the work’. We try to connect with them. And we put that same effort and passion into the cookies we make. Each one by hand – weighed before it is baked. Packed with love and care, and sent off to someone, somewhere, with the hope that when they take that first bite, they’ll feel that connection back to those who are doing the work, every day of the year, to put food on our table.

Jon Leonardo from TEW invited me to join a panel focused on the food business. Entrepreneurs and foodies joined myself, Trevor Chambers from Bella Monica Flatbread Company and host Sarah Wechsberg at Sitti restaurant in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday morning. Trevor is a friend, a former customer of Anna’s Gourmet Goodies and a great guy to hang out with and talk about food. We shared different perspectives on the food business (wholesale vs. online retail) but we both share a common passion for making truly exceptional products and taking great care of our customers.

After the panel ended, I headed over to The 2011 Internet Summit where I had a chance to mingle with the tech savvy Triangle crowd and hang with my friends Jack Spain and Susan Maravetz from TheMGen.com. As is the case with most conferences, I suffered from severe information overload, trying to catch as many presentations as possible. I connected with some great people and walked away with some ideas and perspectives I hope to apply to Anna’s Gourmet Goodies.

Some bite sized nuggets I picked up:

It’s a mobile world – 62% of people under 50 have a Smartphone

“Governments don’t create jobs any more than hospitals create children” – Marc Cendella, Found of TheLadders.com

If you are into improving your search ranking, you really need to be on Google+ – look at authorship markup

14% of people tune out TV commercials – 43% of people tune out banner ads

“The Devil has a Prada iPad case”

33% of FB use is on a mobile device

The Internet continues to shift the power away from companies that used to control their message, into the hands of consumers. Social media is about the democratization of opinion, where anyone with an Internet connection and a phone or camera can immediately have a large and potentially long lasting impression on virtually any company or product. If you’ve been hiding behind poor quality or shoddy service, your days are numbered.

This is great news for Anna’s Gourmet Goodies. We started our company by creating great products and making people happy. Customer service is not something we do because ‘we have to’ – it’s a part of who we are and how we live our life – period. We’re continuing to improve how we use the Internet and social media to tell our story and reach those customers who value what we do and want to do business with Anna’s Gourmet Goodies. Forget about the bad economy, this is a great time to be in business if you love to serve your customers.

I’ll be filtering through ideas in between baking cookies over the next month and a half or so. Our holiday schedule is already filling up, so I expect that I’ll have to leave some of the things I picked up at the Summit in the proofer to rise for awhile. We’ll be living our lives in ‘five minute increments’, spinning cookies, packing boxes, and making people happy. It was a good week for sure and a great source of energy to get me going for the holiday gift season.

When I look back at our journey starting Anna’s Gourmet Goodies, I am struck by the number of people that have stopped to help me along the way. One of my managers early in my sales career, Don Brown, used to say that the nine most powerful words in the English language are, “I have a problem, and I need your help”. It might seem like an overstatement, but the number of people that have said ‘Yes, I can help’, far out number those who’ve turned away.

A few months ago, the Kroger store in Wakefield Commons shopping center closed their doors. Some employees transferred to other company stores, while others found work at new businesses. Faye, one of the ladies in the bakery, went to work for a dry cleaner. She was one of the first people I remember helping me when we started Anna’s Gourmet Goodies nearly ten years ago.

I wondered into the bakery one day and had some questions about packaging and where they purchased various items. Faye always had time to help and even sold us some supplies to get us started. I visited the store many times over the years and she always had a smile and a word of encouragement.

We started our business using flour from Lindley Mills. We found it in Whole Foods market where Mike Davis worked in the bulk food section. I knew a little about flour, but Mike was always very helpful whenever I had a question about anything in his area. We started buying in small quantities, but as our business grew, he helped us increase our capacity and reduce cost by ordering in bulk when we were too small to buy direct, but needed more than just a few pounds.

Our company grew by having people and business partners that were willing to help us with their time and expertise. I’ve always been grateful for that help and have incorporated that into our business model at Anna’s Gourmet Goodies. Here are some areas where we actively practice being helpful for our customers:

Website. I designed our website to be a friendly place with helpful information. When a customer comes to AnnasGourmetGoodies.com, we want them to be able to find the products and information they need – not just what we are trying to sell that day. A great website should be helpful to visitors.

Orders. Before we ship an order, we import the address information and check it for validity. If it does not show up as a valid address, we’ll first try to find the correct one if it is a small typo, then we’ll contact the customer for clarification And if we find a typo in the message, we’ll fix that as well. We help our customers by getting the gift to the right address with the right message.

History. When a customer sets up a custom label or note card, we save that for later use. If a customer sends us a list, we save that as well in case there are questions in the future, or that want to use it again. We help by remembering the order details for our customers.

At Anna’s Gourmet Goodies, we’ve adjusted our business with new products and ideas over the years, but a core principle of our company has not changed – we genuinely try to help people, whether or not they are a customer. We seek out and nurture those suppliers, business partners, and people that offer up their help and advice. By doing so, our goal is to build a community of loyal customers and suppliers who value what we do and share that experience with others who have similar beliefs.

We absolutely make outstanding gourmet cookies, but our passion for service and being helpful by offering our knowledge and expertise are key ingredients in all of our recipes.

I will remember, always

I stepped out of my office and looked down the hallway as Rob walked by very quickly and said, “They’ve just bombed the Pentagon”. He kept walking. That is my first memory of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

A few minutes later, most of the employees at SciQuest were huddled around a television in the break room, watching intently as the story unfolded. I remember seeing the live footage of the plane hitting the second tower. I know it was live, but I just kept thinking, ‘this can’t be real’.

The room was filled with a combination of news commentary and an eerie quiet. There were occasional gasps of disbelief, some comments and questions, but for the most part, I think we were all stunned. Tears appeared for some. I remember walking slowly back to my desk. I sat and tried to think about work, but it was no use. I called my wife, she was okay.

A little later that afternoon, Ann from HR walked around to everyone’s office. In a calm, somber tone she explained that it would be okay if we wanted to go home and be with our family. I left work, feeling numb and unsure what would happen next. Was our nation about to come under a full scale attack? My daughter Anna was three years old.

On the drive home, I kept hearing Don Henley’s, The End of the Innocence playing in my head. Thousands of innocent lives lost. Unbelievable acts of courage. Thousands of more lives changed forever.

In 2003, I had the opportunity to travel to New York for business. I made it a point to extend my stay just a bit longer. I wanted to visit the site of this horrific event and see first hand the remnants of what I watched on TV.

I had also reached out to Brother Rick Curry, founder of the National Theater Workshop for the Handicapped and author of the book, The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. His office was in Soho, not far from ground zero. Brother Curry ran the workshop and partially funded the operation with a bakery up in Maine. After seeing an article on Brother Curry and his bakery in Oprah magazine, I called his office and offered to take him to lunch.

Meeting Brother Curry was a true inspiration in my early journey with Anna’s Gourmet Goodies. We spent the afternoon talking about baking, business, his work there and enjoyed lunch at a local Soho favorite. I explained my passion to start our bakery and how ‘our most important ingredient, is love’. “Don’t ever lose that”, said Brother Curry. I like to think that we have not.

We also talked about September 11 and he shared some of his experiences. He spoke about his friend Father Mychal Judge, the first certified fatality in the attack. In a soft voice with damp eyes, he recalled the image of a woman, leaping from the tower, holding her dress down as she fell to her death. “Dignity, even at the moment of certain death”, said Curry. It is an image that I did not see in person, yet it is burned into my memory.

My time with Brother Curry that day was magical and one I’ll always remember. He gave me a signed copy of his book, offered up his blessing, gave me a hug and sent me on my way. I walked from his office to ground zero.

I don’t recall specific expectations regarding what I might see. I felt the same numbness of that day as I walked closer and closer. I knew the cleanup effort would be going on. It was a damp, cloudy day, which in an odd way, seemed appropriate. As I approached the site, I saw adjacent buildings draped in long black fabric. Designed to control falling debris, they looked like mourning cloths. A quiet show of respect paying tribute to those lives lost on this ground.

The hole where the buildings once stood was large. Far deeper than I had imagined, the large dump trucks hauling away debris on the bottom looked like tiny ants crawling along in a slow, intentional pace.

A man who looked as if he lived life on the street, walked down the sidewalk yelling to himself. While I did not make out his words, it seemed okay in a place where the entire range of human emotions has played out over and over again.

I walked around for a few minutes, trying to take everything in and understand how this could be real, just as I did that day in the office at SciQuest. At some point, it was overwhelming. I caught a cab, and returned home safely to my family, grateful for everything around me.

I can’t say that the events of 911 were the single factor that propelled me in my journey with Anna’s Gourmet Goodies. I do believe that I, along with countless other Americans, were changed in a profound way during that time. I did not lose family or close friends, but I was jolted into thinking more deeply about what is important to me.

I’ve since become friends with James Johnson, a New York City police officer who was a first responder on that day. Meeting James and hearing his story has helped me connect with the events of 911 in a more personal way. I can now see some small measure of good, meeting someone who was there, serving others and risking his life in the midst of chaos never before seen in the United States.

And, at least a few times a year, I pull out Brother Curry’s book and bake one of his recipes. This Sunday, I’ll be making a couple of loaves of Brother Bandera’s Italian Bread. I’ll remember our conversation, stories about Father Judge and visiting ground zero.

I don’t know if the families of the men, women and children who lost their lives that day can yet look back and see the good in anything related to the events of that fateful day. I do pray that day will come. But until then, the best I can do is to offer up my promise that I will remember, always.

Bill and Darlene came by and picked up 600 oatmeal raisin
cookies bound for the NC Special Olympics

As a gourmet cookie company, we certainly get our share of requests for donations. We try our best to balance the needs of the business while giving back to the community. One of our favorite groups to support is the NC Special Olympics. We’ve been providing cookies to fuel these athletes for the past several years. Bill and Darlene McKenney are friends and members of the Wake Forest Civitan Club. Members of the club volunteer and serve lunch to the athletes.

This year, we added labels to the cookie packages with a few words of encouragement to support their quest to give their best effort. In addition to a great cookie, we wanted to add a little extra to help put a smile on 600 or so faces when they are giving it their all.

I received another request today from an organization, and while it might be a worthwhile event, I decided to pass. They asked for free cookies as gifts and prizes for a member reception. In exchange for the gift, I was to get my name in front of 100 or so ‘potential customers’.

I’m certain that I’ve lost out on plenty of promotional opportunities in the past, but that’s not the primary reason we donate. Supporting a group just to (hopefully) make a profit some time in the future is simply not my style. I like to think we put our support to work where it can really make a difference.

That’s not to say I don’t get repaid many times over when we give. It just seems to come back to me when I least expect it. A surprise. A small measure of gratitude. A sign post that lets me know I’m on the right path. Last week, it came from Tim Minard, a hot dog vendor at Waterfront Park in Louisville, KY.

The Two Annas

We ventured back to Kentucky for a weekend wedding. We spent a day driving around Louisville and decided to take my two Anna’s (that’s another story) down to the Waterfront Park on the Ohio River. The river is not for swimming, but it did not take the girls long to find water spouts to take the edge off the 95 plus degree heat.

We were walking around and Debbie left her purse in the car. She is the keeper of cash in our family. The girls asked for some water so I strolled over to the hot dog stand to see what I could find.

I asked if they accepted credit cards. “No, I’m sorry we don’t. What did you need”. I explained that I was looking for some water for my daughter and niece, but had only plastic for payment. He pulled out a couple of bottles and handed them to me before I could say no. “No charge” he said.

I noticed he was wearing a visor with the Special Olympics logo on it. Turns out that Tim is a big supporter of Special Olympics and recently helped raise more than $70,000. His company, Dogs on the Run, works with Special Olympics Indiana for Area 2. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he understood what it means to give something back with no expectation of a return. Just because it is the right thing to do.

It was not until after he gave me the water that I shared my story of donating cookies for the athletes. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but I said a quiet ‘thank you’, smiled and enjoyed a conversation with a new found friend.

If you happen to be in Louisville, I’d recommend you get off on River Road and look for the Dogs on the Run cart. Tim will serve up a fine dog, a cold drink and a friendly smile. And you can be sure that some small measure of what you spend will help an athlete you’ll never meet at next year’s Special Olympics. You can smile knowing that you made a difference in the life of someone out there giving their best effort. In my book, that’s what it means to give something back.

Have a charity and need door prizes, cookie packs or discount certificates? Visit our website and complete this form to get more information:

AnnasGourmetGoodies.com/Charities

But in my mental file cabinet, is one series for the Boy Scouts of America. It featured several famous people, including President Gerald Ford. The theme of the campaign was centered on the concept that you never know where scouting will take you. I was a Boy Scout, and while I can’t claim to recite the pledge and probably won’t become President, I do remember the motto, ‘Be Prepared’; two powerful words that provide a valuable lesson for life and business.

I recently attended the 2010 Men’s Retreat hosted by August Turak at his farm. A group of very successful entrepreneurs, attorneys, teachers, consultants, a black belt, and others from various walks of life, gathered not for idle chit chat about sports, females, or money, but to explore their faith and share their toughest and most intimate personal and business challenges. To understand what it means to ‘spend time in the desert’ as Joseph Campbell describes in his book, “The Hero’s Journey”. And, ultimately, to prepare for the challenges we will all face in our lives.

The study materials for the weekend came from the Bible and were based on The Book of Job. An article entitled, ‘The Cup of Trembling’ provided the basis for discussions among the group. Perhaps it was the stunning scenery, the abundant and wonderful food, or simply Augie’s hospitality, but I cannot recall spending time with a group of men so engaged and open about their triumphs, their tragedies, and the challenges that lay ahead.

Each one of us has faced, or will face, tragedy and setbacks in our life, our family, and in business. Augie once told me that, “A small business owner dies a thousand deaths”. I understand completely. Baking cookies is honestly a pretty good occupation, but running and managing a business with world class service, like Anna’s Gourmet Goodies is tough and there are ups and downs like waves in the ocean. The key to surviving and succeeding is to understand and accept that adversity and ‘time in the desert’ is a part of the process. You can embrace it and gain strength to persevere, or wallow around and ultimately die of thirst – it is your choice.

One of the readings from the weekend was an excerpt from Mitch Albom’s book, ‘have a little faith’ – taken from one of ‘The Reb’s sermons. In it, he describes a farm hand looking for a job. The man presents his letter of recommendation from his former employer that states simply, “He sleeps in a storm”.

After he is hired, a terrible storm comes up and the owner panics, calling for the hired hand to help secure the farm. But he does not answer. When the owner runs out into the storm to check the animals, the hay and the grain, he finds that all are secure, in preparation for the storm. The hired hand is sleeping.

Storms will come. Again and again. The question that I ask myself, and you might as well, is this; are you prepared? People ask me about Anna’s Gourmet Goodies all the time, and I’d be untruthful if I said that we have not weathered our fair share of storms over the past 9 years or so. And in my personal life, I’ve spent some time in the desert as well. But through it all, we try very hard to take care of our resources, to cover the hay and lock up the grain, so that we can sleep through the storm.

As I was editing the video for this blog post just after midnight, something happened to my computer that I cannot explain. All of the icons from my desktop disappeared and some of the files that I had saved were gone. But every day, I create a complete image of my machine. So I simply backed up the current files, started the restore process, and went to sleep, knowing that when I woke up, the sun would be out and my computer would be running again with everything in place, ready for the next storm.

Never heard of BugFest? It’s put on by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and sponsored by a number of companies including Whole Foods, Chick Fil A, Bruggers Bagels and of course, Terminix. It’s a one day event that celebrates all things about bugs.

You can learn about bee keeping, play with a Madagascar cockroach, or the little kids can pretend to be a dung beetle and roll around a large ball that represents what this small insect normally does on a daily basis. Live bands perform throughout the day, providing just the right measure of music for a fun day outdoors.

Visit their website at www.Wheels4Hope.org

One of my favorite bugs was actually a blast from my past – a 1968 VW Beetle. This was my first car. It was on display and for sale, by WheelsForHope.org. This local, faith-based organization accepts donated vehicles, reconditions them, and then gives them to individuals in the community that are on their way to getting back on their feet, but need a little help with transportation. I didn’t drive away in this bug, but enjoyed talking with Dick, one of the volunteers, and traveling back in time for a few moments.

And of course there were plenty of food vendors serving up the requisite festival food including ribbon fries, chocolate dipped cheesecake, and fresh squeezed lemonade. But one of the most interesting food venues, was the Café Insectica. That’s right, it’s your chance to sample a variety of cuisine made with, you guessed it – bugs.

If you’ve never eaten a bug, it’s actually not as far out there as you might think. There are bugs that are edible and some that are not. All these edible creatures were cleaned and cooked – no chasing anything off your plate. Meal worms and crickets seemed to be the most popular addition. We sample most everything, from chocolate ice cream pops, to quesadillas, hushpuppies, bread pudding, corn bread, and of course – cookies with crickets. The line was long and stretched around the building, so we were not the only ones up for a little culinary adventure.

Zack Lemann, an entomologist from the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans, baked up a big batch of cookies with crickets. He was very enthusiastic about his confectionery creations, so I asked a few of the younger patrons what they thought. Several of those I spoke with, thought that eating crickets in cookies was probably okay. And, since we were on an adventure outside the oven, we gave them a taste as well.

While they were not ‘disgusting’, and variety is the spice of life, Anna (our Official Taste Tester) and I both agreed that the recipes at Anna’s Gourmet Goodies will stay as they are now with NO plans to add crickets or any other crawling creatures to our cookies. It’s great to have some fun and get outside the oven, but you can be certain that’s exactly where we’ll leave the bugs – outside.

We’ve camped in Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area before, and Hurricane Campground in Sugar Mountain, VA is our favorite. Although Ed, our campground host asked me to keep it a secret, Hurricane has been listed in National Geographic as one of the 10 most beautiful campgrounds in America. With an elevation of 2,800 feet, tall trees and a stream flowing through the campground, it is cool at night and comfortable during the day. Nice bath houses and clean camp areas offer enough creature comforts. There is no electricity and fortunately, you can’t get a cell phone signal there.

On Friday night, we ventured down to Abingdon, VA, about a 35 minute ride just off Interstate 81. We surprised Anna with tickets to see Annie at the Barter Theater. Founded in 1933, the theater is an intimate and welcoming place with a capacity of just over 500 patrons.

The name of the theater comes from the founder, Robert Porterfield and his innovative idea of trading produce and animals with local farmers for admission to the shows. It was a huge success, and to this day, you can ‘barter’ for admission at least once a year, with donations supporting the local food bank (Maybe we could trade them cookies for tickets – we’ll give that a try next time). After the show, we enjoyed some dessert in the theater café before heading back to the campground.

Saturday morning, we headed back to Abingdon and stopped at the Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop. It’s a family owned business with a friendly staff that will outfit you for a pleasant ride down the trail. They offer a shuttle service throughout the day to ferry bikers up the mountain for a ride down the trail. You can start at White Top Mountain or Damascus, VA and ride back to the bike shop, located at the end of the trail. The ride from White Top to Abingdon is 34 miles and Damascus is right in the middle, so you have a couple of options for selecting the type of terrain and distance you want to cover.

The trail from White Top to Damascus is mostly downhill and is an easy ride. There were families with children of all ages (yes there were a few riders with baby carriers) on the trail. There are plenty of places to stop along the way to take in the view, grab a snack, a meal, or some ice cream. The trail is very well maintained, includes 40+ bridges and winds through dense forest and open farmland.

We planned on riding all the way to Abingdon, but were ready to pack it in by the time we reached Damascus. We started late in the day and the ride from Damascus to Abingdon is flat to slightly up hill, so we opted to catch the shuttle back to the bike shop. If you’re going to ride the full way, you’ll want to start early in the morning.

This was our first family mountain bike adventure and hopefully not the last. One of the secrets to staying connected to family and friends is to take time to swap the noise of technology for the sounds of nature. We love baking cookies, to be sure, but taking a break is vital to staying passionate and motivated. Southern Virginia is now one of my favorite places to disconnect, rejuvenate and in turn, re-connect.