Thursday, July 30, 2009

Now Departing: National Ice Cream Month

The moment many of you have been waiting for. One day left before bidding farewell, for another year, to National Ice Cream Month. Finally we are featuring July's celebratory cookie - compliments of Fancy Flours.

Background. Once a month Highlowaha partners with Fancy Flours to host a Cookie Cutter Challenge. I identify a holiday worth celebrating and you identify the cookie cutter I must incorporate into the celebration. It's a challenge, because many of you select the cookie cutter you think least likely or least related (i.e. National Ice Cream Month and airplanes, Richard's birthday and mermaids, Earth Day and porcupines). Once the cutter is identified, I have one month to make the cookies and "serve them up."

This month was a double challenge. Not only did I have to find the point of intersection between ice cream and planes, but I also need to construct (literally) the 3-D airplane cookies. Baking 3-D cookies are not for the faint of heart. In fact, I'd say the ideal resume of a 3-D cookie maker is part baker, part architect.

I haven't quit my day job, but still I'm pretty pleased with what I, and the rest of my flight crew, came up with. Take a look.

Now Departing: First Class Sundae!

You'll notice, we kept "decorating" to a minimum. Only the tips of the wings were dipped in chocolate. The cookie itself is so remarkable, we wanted to keep the main thing the main thing. Each cookie sat atop a mountain of ice cream surrounded by cumulus whipped cream clouds. Weather conditions changed as passengers showered their "plane" sundaes with crushed Oreos, coconut, sprinkles, nuts, or hot fudge.

For added touches, baggage tags served as napkin rings and boarding pass sleeves served as covers to our First Class Sundae invitations.

Two cookie tasks today.

First, win your own 3-D cookie cutter by making the winning suggestion (as judged by me, Cheryl, Heather, and Katie) for another occasion when you might use the airplane and the accompanying slogan.

Second. Help select the cookie cutter for next month. Theme?...

College campuses all around the country are gearing up to present their award winning orientation programs and welcome week activities to the class of 2013 (or so). I am sure there are impressive things happening everywhere, but the one program in the country I have the most fun following is the Orientation program at Bucknell University.

The Assistant Dean in charge of their program is one of the most visionary, most creative, and one of the biggest thinkers I know. Student staff at Bucknell must feel like they've returned to campus early, not only to selflessly serve new students for a week, but also to step foot into Disneyland. From theme to decorations, to leader treats, to table decorations, and promotional materials, there is no detail unattended.

Today we will gear up to celebrate Bucknell's orientation program. This year's theme? Tricky, that's what it is. The theme they will bring to life, under her leadership, is...

"O" Museum. She will transform portions of her campus to be exhibits of dinosaurs, air and space exhibits, a portrait gallery, and leader-created modern art. Maybe in early fall I will work with the Assistant Dean to feature pictures of her production. Then you can see the magnitude of what I'm so ineptly describing.

In the meantime... give me my cookie cutter. What's it going to be? Peruse the Fancy Flour museum of cookie cutters and find me the one you think I ought to have to use. Then tune in early next week to find out the winner.

Signing off until tomorrow...

24 comments:

Chaotic Kristi said...

Another use for the plane? Place Mmarkers for a going away party along the lines of "Leavin' On A Jet Plane. You can put traveler(s) name(s) on the wings (and can serve as appetizers if meal should take too long to arrive!)

Pliers, since they are going back to work & they will be PLIED with welcome week activities.

http://cache.fancyflours.com/fancyflours/images/items/cookie-cutter-pliers.jpg

Tera said...

You could use the plane for a graduation party:
"Congratulations, so-and-so! You've earned your wings!"

or

"Fueling yourself for success...best of luck at college!"

My cookie cutter vote is the caterpillar...
http://www.fancyflours.com/site/4300-FO-CT-1.html

Cheryl Houston said...

Please help the slow girl... Next weeks celebration is Orientation or Bucknell's Museum theme?

The airplanes were super cute and the kids really thought they were neat but they aren't as easy as piping and flooding.

Now Departing for Heaven... for a wake. ;)

Kat said...

I can see a really fun little boys birthday party with the airplanes as a cake/table decoration. "Come Fly With me!" would be the theme.

I vote for the armadillo!

http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-armadillo.html

Diana Leilani said...

I vote for the Dutch Canal House 1!

http://www.fancyflours.com/site/4200-EC-CH1-1.html

C;laudia said...

Yes, Cheryl. The theme for which we are picking next months cookie is Bucknell's Orientation. Their theme is "O" Museum.

Vote, vote, vote...

Unknown said...

This is so cute!!! My favorite part of the entire entry today, Claudia, is your phrase "cumulus whipped cream clouds." Oh, my heart skipped a beat when I read it. In addition to being a fantastic baker and architect, you are now a poet as well!!

I will be back to post a party theme and vote for the next cookie cutter challenge.

Oh, and I marked the Taste of USA on my calendar...if I can get back to Louisville that wkd, I will most certainly attend!

MT-Kelly said...

Like the plane cookies! I can see them being used to celebrate for a person acheiving their wings by flying solo for the first time. My brother did that when he was 15. Just read that Tera had the same idea...

My suggestion for the next cookie cutter and the museum theme would be to find out what was the first cookie cutter designed and highlight the first ever cookie cutter in museum style- usually we go to museum to see history, so why not have cookies highlighting the first ever cookie cutter made.

Unknown said...

A new year's eve party - "SOAR into the New Year in Style" Aviation themed, of course.

Cookie cutter: Hammer Song Snowqueen Ballerina

http://www.fancyflours.com/site/4200-HS-SB-1.html

Cheryl Houston said...

Great airplane themes everyone.

Okay... so next months theme is Bucknell's Orientation "O" Museum.

So far- nominated cutters are:
Pliers
Caterpillar
Armadillo
Dutch Canal House
Snow Queen Ballerina

Keep nominating!!

Unknown said...

Cheryl - I just realized you wrote this today! My apologies...love love love the words you used to describe the sundae!

Cheryl Houston said...

Lauren- you were right the first time. Those are Claudia's words.

Heather @ HouseofShine.com said...

For saying thanks to a colleague

"I couldn't let the day fly by without saying thank you"

And only because I think it is cute I'm voting for the ear of corn:
http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-ear-of-corn.html

lindsaymarie said...

i want a first class sundae in my belly right now... looks delicious!! i thought of amelia earhart when i saw the plane, because i just think she's awesome. i would make the cookies to celebrate the release of an upcoming movie about her life, "amelia", and the tagline would be a quotation from the woman herself - "adventure is worthwhile in itself."
my former boss at seton hall's admissions office was a proud bucknell alumna, i am surprised i haven't heard about these epic orientations before! i worked at shu's orientation as a peer advisor one year, and can definitely appreciate the effort it takes to impress college freshmen, they're a tough crowd! i nominate the pumpkin-in-wheelbarrow cookie cutter: http://www.fancyflours.com/pumpkin-in-wheelbarrow.html

Chaotic Kristi said...

and now, it is 12:48pm and all I can think of is that the town where I work has NO FREAKIN' ICE CREAM PARLOR.. sigh

Anonymous said...

I can PLANELY see why I am a lurker. My creative wing span fails to launch me into the clouds of your creative minds.

Cheryl Houston said...

Anonymous-

I disagree... your statement is quite clever.

bu-bye. bye now. bu-bye.

Katie said...

Hello HLA!

Caution, Crash Landing: life the groom's sister!

I also pick the acorn cutter again!

Back to wedding madness, I go!

Katie said...

Ps, Lindsay Marie, I can't wait to see you in 8 hours!

And Mt Kelly, it is so good to see you back and commenting!!!

Anonymous said...

I'll vote for the ear of corn, it sounds cute. No time to browse myself today.

Lots of cute ideas here. How about some sort of thank you/just because...

I am so thankful (Love you so much/Think you are so amazing, etc), I want to write your name in the sky!

They would also be fun at a holiday get together, acompanied with other goodies that are shaped like trains and cars. A Planes, Trains and Automobiles Holiday Party! Maybe the cookie could be part of the invite!

Sporadic Spy

cassie p said...

i pick the golf club

Cheryl Houston said...

I'm going out on my own this month. I pick this one:

http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-dragonfly-copper.html

b.k.root said...

Is there an elephant cookie cutter... that's my vote if there is. (too impatient to sort through the cookie cutters)

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Yes, Brian. There are two elephants and both are cute. We'll add it to the list.