Cookies

Deepa Bharath Dorothy Smith was everyone's grandma. Her arms were always open and her gracious heart was always welcoming -- be it her daughter and her friends or granddaughters and their friends. Dorothy's cookie jar was always filled to the brim with fresh oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and everyone knew the "routine" when they walked in the door. They grabbed a cookie, took the glass of milk she handed to them and sat down to talk. To Dorothy, the generation gap was as good as a myth.

Barry Faulkner One could point to a rejuvenated offense, a comparative break in the schedule or the cumulative hard work of those involved in a program destined for success. But there are those who believe the Corona del Mar High football team's four-game winning streak began in Coach Dick Freeman's kitchen. Kathie Freeman, Dick's wife, in an attempt to lift the spirits of a coaching staff sapped by an 0-3 start, whipped up some chocolate chip cookies for the coaches to enjoy prior to the Sept.

Robert Tighe worked right down the street from Amos' Sunset Boulevard store years ago, and he can still vividly recall the taste of the fresh- baked chocolate chip cookies there. "I spent almost all my money on those cookies," Tighe said. So imagine the Newport Beach resident's surprise when he walked into the Cannery Restaurant for a Sunday brunch and sitting at the table, signing books, was the man behind the cookies, Wally "Famous" Amos. Tighe was thrilled and bought two books just to collect a signature, and to talk cookies and Hawaii with Amos who has lived in the town of Kailua, on the island of Oahu, for the past 29 years.

Stacking racks of homemade sugar cookies decorated with colorful frosting flowers and hearts, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church member Don Farmer said he was happy to give up his Saturday morning to do something good for others. “You need to give back to the community,” Farmer said. “God has been good to us, and we’ve been blessed. It’s good to give back.” About 2,000 people turned out at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach on Saturday to volunteer for tasks ranging from decorating cookies to cleaning up local beaches.

Andrew Edwards Cookies and cinnamon rolls are Danielle Winchell's business. Not doughnuts, as the surname might imply. Cinnamon Roll Fair, a Balboa Island bakery, opened in late March. The tiny shop is owned by Danielle and her husband Greg Winchell. It started because Danielle needed more kitchen space to expand her other home-based cookie company. "I had a part-time business doing cookies, and I needed a kitchen to expand my clientele to corporate accounts."

THE PLACE The Sweet Life Bakery & Cafe THE JUDGE Lolita Harper, Daily Pilot Costa Mesa reporter THE MEAL Turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on a croissant with potato salad, two miniature oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and a Diet Coke. (Yeah, yeah, I eat a lot.) SPEED The Sweet Life has a consistent line running out the door, but it doesn't pose a problem for the rushing lunch crowd. The line moves relatively fast. With all the delicious options to choose from, you will most likely want a little time to make up your mind.

Once upon a time there was a magical dreamland with cascading chocolate fountains, sea-foam green vistas, glittery walkways and a pretty blond princess waving her wand at the castle gates. Everything in the magical world was deliciously sweet -- swirled lollipops, creamy caramel, whipped fluffy icing, and moist and chewy snicker doodle cookies -- and that made its inhabitants happy. This fairy tale, dreamt up by the mother-and-daughter team of Sondra and Allyson Ames, came true in the fall when Wonderland Bakery opened at the Bluffs shopping center in Newport Beach.

COSTA MESA — It's not every day that you get to share warm cider and cookies with your neighbors. But for residents of the Halecrest community, it's at least an annual event. Linda Brumbaugh and Leslie Connell took another neighbor's idea of getting residents together and transformed it into the popular "cider on the corner" get-together to celebrate the holiday season. The event at Parnell Place and Loren Lane reminds Mike Brumbaugh, president of the Halecrest Homeowners Assn.

STEVE SMITH Some organizations deserve their reputations, others get a bad rap that they never seem to shake. Nordstrom is a good example of an organization that deserves its good reputation. Its employees work hard every day to earn their reputation over and over again by offering all the elements of a good shopping experience. The phone company -- pick one -- is a good example of an organization that has achieved legendary status as an evil empire but one in which, from my experience, is not deserved.

BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Needle found in cookie packages Packages of Keebler cookies were removed from the shelves of a Costa Mesa Albertsons after a store clerk found a sewing needle sticking out of one package. The clerk at the 2300 Harbor Blvd. grocery store was stuck with the needle while scanning the cookies Sunday evening, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver said. The clerk was not injured, police said. The store manager removed all of the other packages from store shelves and contacted a Keebler representative, Carver said.

COSTA MESA — Bernadette "Miss Bernie" Loeffler celebrated her 90th birthday Thursday by coming to work at Kaiser Elementary School's snack bar just like she has done for the last 15 years. After all, somebody has to make sure the kids eat no more than two cookies. "I love them," Loeffler said, in her faint Boston accent. "They are all my cookiefaces, as I call them. " The Costa Mesa resident celebrated her milestone birthday with cake and presents from her colleagues, handmade cards and hugs from students, and a colorful birthday banner hung over her snack bar. "She's a trooper," said Kathi Doran, the nutrition services cafeteria manager.

Stacking racks of homemade sugar cookies decorated with colorful frosting flowers and hearts, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church member Don Farmer said he was happy to give up his Saturday morning to do something good for others. “You need to give back to the community,” Farmer said. “God has been good to us, and we’ve been blessed. It’s good to give back.” About 2,000 people turned out at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach on Saturday to volunteer for tasks ranging from decorating cookies to cleaning up local beaches.

A group of 11 sixth-grade girls at Newport Heights Elementary has decided to give back to their school before they go on to seventh grade. Their medium? Thousands and thousands of cookies. The girls of the Students Thinking About Youth (STAY) club spend their spare time baking at one another’s homes, then bring the sweet treats to bake sales after school and at sporting events. “It’s really fun because we all get to hang out while we make cookies,” said Kate Hefner, 12. Each girl has her own responsibility, including cash management and trash collection.

The ranks of the Hare Krishna movement had swelled to more than 10,000 worldwide in the late 1970s, when 28-year-old devotee Alexander Kulik had dreams of developing a line of Krishna-sanctified health food cookies called Bionic Bits. That was before Kulik and his Krishna investment firm became implicated in the gangland-style murder of a drug dealer in Newport Beach. Kulik was a respected financial donor to Hare Krishna temples in Laguna Beach and San Diego, The Los Angeles Times reported.

NEWPORT BEACH — State Sen. Tom Harman has an apron at home with the word “girlyman” printed across it, a sly reference to one of his governor’s favorite gibes. So when the staff at Wonderland Bakery asked Harman to don an apron with pink trim and a portrait of a young blond woman on the front Friday morning, he didn’t put up a fight. Harman recently chose Wonderland Bakery as the winner of the California Small Business Award for his district, which stretches from La Palma to Dana Point.

Margaret I Wilson, 84, entered eternal life peacefully at her home Saturday, January 5th.  Born in Little Rock, Arkansas on October 14, 1923 she spent her adult life in Los Angeles and since 1968 in Huntington Beach.  She was a widow since 1991. She is survived by her son, Don Evans of Irvine, daughter-in-law Diane and 2 grandchildren David and Dena.  Retired grocery checker and property manager, Margaret spent many years building and renovating homes.  she was as good at concrete finishing as any professional.

Used to be cool. Now it's not. There was a time, not long ago, when having a golden tan was just about as hot as cool could be. Now? Apparently it is the most dangerous thing a person can do. Apparently your body and mind need a certain amount of sunlight, but baking in the stuff is asking for trouble, to say nothing of skin cancer. Ideally you should wear a huge floppy hat and use sunscreen at all times, preferably SPF 120 or higher. This all came clear to me the other day while I was driving along and noticed how many tanning salons there are in our corner of the universe, which is a lot, which tells me people are taking all the warnings about how the sun and your skin are not friends seriously.

Now Orange County boasts a trio of H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) stores. The Swedish giant apparel company H&M is filled with fashion trends for men, women and children. Two H&M stores opened yesterday at South Coast Plaza. The larger Crate and Barrel and Macy's Home Store Wing carries apparel for women, men, teen boys and girls, and children. The second location (in the future Bloomingdales wing) offers ladies concepts and accessories. Today H&M opens at the Irvine Spectrum Center offering apparel for women, men and teen girls.

COSTA MESA — It's not every day that you get to share warm cider and cookies with your neighbors. But for residents of the Halecrest community, it's at least an annual event. Linda Brumbaugh and Leslie Connell took another neighbor's idea of getting residents together and transformed it into the popular "cider on the corner" get-together to celebrate the holiday season. The event at Parnell Place and Loren Lane reminds Mike Brumbaugh, president of the Halecrest Homeowners Assn.

"Everybody does golf tournaments, but I thought, 'We've got to try softball sometime.' They're paid to stay in shape, so they've got the advantage on us." ? Sandy Segerstrom-Daniels, founder of the Festival of Children Foundation and a managing partner of South Coast Plaza, on a softball game held last weekend between Costa Mesa Police officers and mall security; the event brought in more than $2,000. The police won. "I think it's fantastic that so many people brought their children and parents.