Girl Scout cookies. I just had two Thin Mints... yum!
The Girl Scout phenomenon in the US always confused me, because we don't have them here in the UK. I always assumed that the girl scouts baked them themselves and sold them locally, but apparently they all come from a central factory, is that right?
Girl Scout cookies. I just had two Thin Mints... yum!
The Girl Scout phenomenon in the US always confused me, because we don't have them here in the UK. I always assumed that the girl scouts baked them themselves and sold them locally, but apparently they all come from a central factory, is that right?
Two national bakeries, actually. Each Council (regional bodies) decides which bakery to use. I think the breakdown is basically one bakery serves the eastern U.S. while the other serves the western U.S., but there may be some exceptions to that.
Some cookies—Trefoils and Thin Mints, which are probably the two most iconic Girl Scout cookies—are available from both bakeries. Other cookies are also available from both bakeries, but with different names, such as Samoas/Caramel DeLites. And each bakery has a few cookies that only it offers.
Originally (going back to the late 1910s and early 1920s), cookies were homemade. In the 1930s, the Girl Scouts started licensing bakeries to produce the cookies.
Girl Scout cookie sales provide a very large percentage of the funding for troops and councils.
The Girl Scout phenomenon in the US always confused me, because we don't have them here in the UK. I always assumed that the girl scouts baked them themselves and sold them locally, but apparently they all come from a central factory, is that right?
I had an elderly friend (who passed decades ago) who told me about her Girl Scout troop here in town making the cookies themselves. Apparently they were set up in one of the local shop fronts to do the baking. I've often wondered how they arranged for the proper equipment and if it was done there so passersby could watch!
I keep making risotto. Each time I do it's yummy, but I also tell myself I've made this enough for a while, and that I need to be more creative about supper. Then, I make risotto again, but this time with _____!
Out of interest, how do US boy scouts raise money?
In not nearly as uniform (see what I did there?) a fashion. Which to me, as one involved in Boy Scouts as a youth and an adult, is interesting, as the Boy Scouts are generally much more uniformly organized in a top-down fashion than the Girl Scouts.
Boy Scouts—now just Scouts, as girls are allowed to join—have sold popcorn and popcorn-related products (like caramel corn) in the fall, but not with nearly the success of Girl Scouts cookies.
One reason is the price; a box of Girl Scout cookies has always been reasonably inexpensive considering it’s a fund-raiser ($6 a box, this year), while Boy Scout popcorn products start at something like $15.
Another reason is that there just isn’t the cultural tradition and history around Boy Scout popcorn that there is around Girl Scouts cookies.
So different Scout troops will do different things. Selling Christmas trees and wreaths is one I encounter a lot, but there are others. It kind of becomes a thing where each troop establishes its own tradition that local folks come to expect.
Out of interest, how do US boy scouts raise money?
I know you asked about the US, but we here in Australia did occasional car washes in my youth. Clearly not raking in 1000s, but it all helped. We also had "bob a job" week [a bob being the old word, iirc, this was before my time, for a shilling [12 pence] -- it is still somewhat in use as meaning a small amount..., primarily among older generations]: it was some nomimal, usually, gold coin 1 or 2 dollars, or even a small note, I recall once $5 seemed like a fortune! -- polymer now, paper then ($5 then) -- if they decided / depending on the task, where you asked neighbours if you could help them with some household chore.
edit: added links in case you want to see our money
As I understand it, it needs to brew longer for the higher alcohol, so flavour has more time to develop as well. Karl will doubtless enlighten us, as it's more complex than that, but it's why Brakspear and Jennings bitters used to stick out, they had unusual strength and depth of flavour from beers that were about* 3.4% - the so-called session bitter that you could drink all night.
It also contributes to the feel in the mouth - Adnams 0.5% Ghost Ship (which is real beer with the alcohol spun off, and is about the best of the low alcohol brews widely available) definitely feels thinner on the tongue than "full-fat" Ghost Ship. That's a bit more variable though, there are other things that contribute to mouth feel, some of the singing strength Belgian beers
not tasting anything like as strong as they are.
*productive toast rendered that as "shit", which is not what I was trying to say!
He he.
Thank you very much; I appreciate the explanation. Sorry to ask again, if I should internet search let me know, but I find asking questions here gives interesting answers and personal anecdotes I find fascinating, what is meant by "singing strength"?
Thank you. 8% being middling is very interesting. Are European beers generally stronger? Or Belgian in particular? I have had some Belgian dark beers and they were very interesting [compared to the beers we get here of which the taste does not appeal; not judging...we are all different. I tried Guinness at the factory when I lived in Dublin for a short time for work [2001] and was not impressed; again, we are all different]
From the link:
La Chouffe is a Belgian Ale, which is unfiltered and re-fermented in the bottle. Marcel, the most fearless of our dwarfs, is the main artisans involved in making La Chouffe. He goes around the brewing equipment in brewery Achouffe, quickly tastes the blond beer and shares the brew with beer lovers everywhere. The recipe of La Chouffe was found by the gnomes of the Valley of the Fairies in an old grimoire. They say it accounts for their joie de vivre, or maybe they just really like to sneak a drink. A gulp of this beer will awaken the gnome inside you.
I wrote I am not a beer drinker. This has me curious at the least.
I think everywhere has traditions of some strong beers, eg the German Bocks, but the Belgians seem to be particularly fond of brewing to strengths that will put hairs on your chest. They will brew beers at 10%+ ABV, which are guaranteed to cure you of any semblance of sobriety.
Indeed! It emerged from a ridiculous Christmas in 2006. That year, Christmas Eve was on a Sunday, and our new Interim Priest was loathe to cancel or reschedule any Eucharists, so... we had a Saturday 12/23 evening service at 5PM, three Sunday AM services -- 8AM, 9:30AM, 11AM -- followed later that afternoon/evening by three Christmas Eve services -- 4PM, 8PM, and 11PM. It was probably 1:30AM on Christmas Morning before I cracked open that Chimay Grande Reserve (compliments of a chorister friend), because there was another tradition at that time & place of a Champagne toast after the midnight Eucharist! That Blue Label Chimay more than did its job of tucking me in for that too, too short night: there was also an 8AM Christmas Day service. Admittedly, I have very little recollection of that.
I am not a beer drinker [can have a German/Belgian dark one if need be...], and don't drink much alcohol save the occasional gin/cider/wine. Very occasional.
How do you tell the difference, say, between 3.8% and 4.5%? I take it it is something in the taste? Can you describe it to an ignoramus?
It's literally less watered down. Beer is made by steeping malt in hot water - as far as the fermentable sugars bit is concerned, which is what become alcohol. The amount of malt and therefore sugar in a given quantity of water dictates the final alcohol content and strength of malt originated flavour.
It's not *quite* as simple as that as you can also add malts and other grains that don't have much fermentable sugar but do add flavours. And a massive part of the flavour comes from the hops - but again, you have to have a malt backbone to match the hops to, so a stronger beer (more malt) can have more hops as well.
I know you prefer 4.5% to 3.8%, @KarlLB but I find a significant difference between those two strengths. After pint of 4.5% I shouldn't drive for a couple of hours. But 3.8% and my head is clear. Maybe my metabolism? Our local Flower Pots brewery do a very pleasant Pots Bitter real ale at 3.8% and I once had a very pleasant pint of Pi real ale (3.14159% !!).
After an hour and a half at the YMCA gym, my most welcome late breakfast is a toasted Montreal style bagel with butter, a sprinkle of salt, an excessive amount of za'atar herb mix, and two mugs of coffee. It just sort of evolved from nowhere a few years ago, and guarantees happiness. It wouldn't work with a New York style bagel, which would completely negate the time spent at the gym.
I am not a beer drinker [can have a German/Belgian dark one if need be...], and don't drink much alcohol save the occasional gin/cider/wine. Very occasional.
How do you tell the difference, say, between 3.8% and 4.5%? I take it it is something in the taste? Can you describe it to an ignoramus?
It's literally less watered down. Beer is made by steeping malt in hot water - as far as the fermentable sugars bit is concerned, which is what become alcohol. The amount of malt and therefore sugar in a given quantity of water dictates the final alcohol content and strength of malt originated flavour.
It's not *quite* as simple as that as you can also add malts and other grains that don't have much fermentable sugar but do add flavours. And a massive part of the flavour comes from the hops - but again, you have to have a malt backbone to match the hops to, so a stronger beer (more malt) can have more hops as well.
I don't know if this is cheating, but I don't think a really lovely crunch apple can be beaten. My personal favourite is Pink Lady and I've only ever had one in a box that has not been pleasant. I like to eat them fresh and sometimes with a piece of cheese. When we run out of applesauce to have with pork, they even cook up OK.
For many years I'd not been eating apples (as I like to cut them up and it's a bit of a pain), but I am now right back in the fold!
My son was able to bring me a large green tomato today. Big surprise in March. He said it was from his local food stand. So fried green tomato an occasional pleasure is on for tomorrow.
Comments
The Girl Scout phenomenon in the US always confused me, because we don't have them here in the UK. I always assumed that the girl scouts baked them themselves and sold them locally, but apparently they all come from a central factory, is that right?
Some cookies—Trefoils and Thin Mints, which are probably the two most iconic Girl Scout cookies—are available from both bakeries. Other cookies are also available from both bakeries, but with different names, such as Samoas/Caramel DeLites. And each bakery has a few cookies that only it offers.
Originally (going back to the late 1910s and early 1920s), cookies were homemade. In the 1930s, the Girl Scouts started licensing bakeries to produce the cookies.
Girl Scout cookie sales provide a very large percentage of the funding for troops and councils.
@Nick Tamen is correct.
I had an elderly friend (who passed decades ago) who told me about her Girl Scout troop here in town making the cookies themselves. Apparently they were set up in one of the local shop fronts to do the baking. I've often wondered how they arranged for the proper equipment and if it was done there so passersby could watch!
Boy Scouts—now just Scouts, as girls are allowed to join—have sold popcorn and popcorn-related products (like caramel corn) in the fall, but not with nearly the success of Girl Scouts cookies.
One reason is the price; a box of Girl Scout cookies has always been reasonably inexpensive considering it’s a fund-raiser ($6 a box, this year), while Boy Scout popcorn products start at something like $15.
Another reason is that there just isn’t the cultural tradition and history around Boy Scout popcorn that there is around Girl Scouts cookies.
So different Scout troops will do different things. Selling Christmas trees and wreaths is one I encounter a lot, but there are others. It kind of becomes a thing where each troop establishes its own tradition that local folks come to expect.
I know you asked about the US, but we here in Australia did occasional car washes in my youth. Clearly not raking in 1000s, but it all helped. We also had "bob a job" week [a bob being the old word, iirc, this was before my time, for a shilling [12 pence] -- it is still somewhat in use as meaning a small amount..., primarily among older generations]: it was some nomimal, usually, gold coin 1 or 2 dollars, or even a small note, I recall once $5 seemed like a fortune! -- polymer now, paper then ($5 then) -- if they decided / depending on the task, where you asked neighbours if you could help them with some household chore.
edit: added links in case you want to see our money
He he.
Thank you very much; I appreciate the explanation. Sorry to ask again, if I should internet search let me know, but I find asking questions here gives interesting answers and personal anecdotes I find fascinating, what is meant by "singing strength"?
From the link: I wrote I am not a beer drinker. This has me curious at the least.
@The_Riv that sounds like a splendid tradition!
Ditto my husband's home made burgers. I've tried to make them but they don't pass muster.
It's literally less watered down. Beer is made by steeping malt in hot water - as far as the fermentable sugars bit is concerned, which is what become alcohol. The amount of malt and therefore sugar in a given quantity of water dictates the final alcohol content and strength of malt originated flavour.
It's not *quite* as simple as that as you can also add malts and other grains that don't have much fermentable sugar but do add flavours. And a massive part of the flavour comes from the hops - but again, you have to have a malt backbone to match the hops to, so a stronger beer (more malt) can have more hops as well.
PS didn't there used to be a Ship thread on beer?
That is correct, @Merry Vole!
You would be very welcome to start a thread on that subject.
jj-HH
There still is!
Indeed there is! I forgot this one also includes beer!
Thanks, @Sandemaniac
Thank you very much.
For many years I'd not been eating apples (as I like to cut them up and it's a bit of a pain), but I am now right back in the fold!