Iconic Cookies

It's Spring time! The flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing (particularly in my front lawn), and the girl scouts are going house to house selling crack (I mean their cookies). They are quite addicting! In fact, I have to hide (and I will not reveal where the hiding spot is!) all the cookies so my husband doesn't finish off the 17 boxes of cookies in one sitting. Anything is possible.

The power of the girl scout cookie. No matter when, or who - the girl scout cookies always always wins. The number-one seller is Thin Mints at 25 percent of the market. More Girl Scout Cookies are sold every year than Oreos and Chips Ahoy, making them the best-selling cookies in the US!!

You might think DESSERT only when you think of these cookies. However, LAtimes reported restaurants claim to use these delicious goodies in their main dishes! Since the months to buy cookies are only Jan -March, people have to jump on the wagon while they have a chance. On the Girl Scout website, there are a bunch of different ways to ingest this deliciousness (not just in cookie form!). This recipe got me at coconut shrimp.

FRIED SAMOAS SHRIMP
4 extra large shrimp, peeled and veins removed
5 Samoas Girl Scout cookies, finely chopped
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups flour
1 cup coconut flakes
4 egg whites
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 lime for garnish
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Toss coconut flakes with bread crumbs, cayenne pepper and chopped Samoas Girl Scout cookies.Dredge shrimp through flour, followed by egg whites and Samoas Girl Scout cookies mixture.Fry shrimp in vegetable oil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown.
Garnish with coconut flakes and lime wedges.

Combines a few of my favorite things! yum yum.

BERRY MUNCH CRANBERRY PECAN CHICKEN SALAD
For salad:
1 package mixed salad greens
6 ounces fully cooked chicken breast strips
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup dried mandarin oranges
1/2 cup Berry Munch salad topping (see recipe below)
Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

For salad topping:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
11/2 cups pecans
10 Thank U Berry Munch cookies, broken into 1/2-inch pieces

Place salad greens in a serving bowl, scatter toppings on salad and serve with salad dressing.To make salad topping: In a four-cup bowl, stir together honey, oil and orange rind. Add pecans and stir to coat. Add cookie pieces and stir to coat. Spread mixture evenly in greased jelly roll pan or on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cool.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with Ciabatta bread. Salad topping is tasty on any salad, and is also a great addition to any trail mix.

All these recipes sound so good, it makes me wish I ordered more cookies!!

To end your evening, who doesn't love Thin Mints? To add to that, who wouldn't love a Thin Mint with alcohol?

Dirty Girl Scout

1 oz vodka

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz Bailey's

1 oz white creme de menthe

Mix (though it looks gross!), tastes great! I'm sure this drink has a multitude of names, but since we are on the subject of girl scouts - I figured I would change it around.

I was a Brownie, then a Girl Scout - so I will end this with the Girl Scout Motto:

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law. (and eat lots of cookies!)

**Thanks to Natalie Dee for the amusing Girl Scout cartoon**