You all remember the amazing family we placed in our first Survive to Thrive home last fall, James and Chantel and their children are doing great! James is currently working on his landscaping business and has applied for the Akron police academy. Chantel has started a business - MmmHmm Cookies - to supplement the family's income! The following is an update from Chantel
I have always had a serious sweet tooth! For as long as I can remember I have loved desserts. As kid I can remember showing up to holiday parties and family gatherings and only eating from the dessert tables. I mean who wants chicken breasts or turkey when they can have apple pie?
As I got older I began baking for myself and I wasn’t very good at it. In high school I would make those infamous three ingredient peanut butter cookies (peanut butter, eggs, and sugar) and I found that I enjoyed the process of baking, from the mixing bowl to the oven. For me it was very satisfying even though looking back I can tell you that I faithfully over baked those cookies every time! And though they were burnt, dry and too crumbly, I still thought that they were great.
Just recently my oldest sister reminded me of how bad they were, saying “I remember you used to make those peanut butter cookies that were so nasty and you would make them all the time”. But luckily for her I would eventually graduate on to other types of cookies, trying out many recipes over the years. I made them so much that I no longer required a recipe and could make them from memory, tweaking them for the textures and flavors that tasted best to me. I had never really baked for anyone but myself and a few lucky bystanders (my mom and husband, and they had to like my baking by default, right?) It wasn’t until earlier this year when I baked for a movie night with my sister and niece that it became apparent to me that others really enjoyed my cookies as well. That same sister that told me how terrible my old peanut butter cookies were was now telling me that my cookies were the best she’s ever had.
And I guess it’s no secret, but last year around this same time my family and I became homeless. It was hands down the most afraid I’ve ever been in my life and not just for myself but for my children! I thank God all the time, whole heartedly for Family Promise because it kept us off the streets and truly changed the trajectory of my life. That being said, I never want to experience something like that again and that was honestly the driving motivation to start my own business, MmmHmm Cookies.
I’ve been baking for over 15 years now and it’s something I enjoy that also allows me to still be the primary care taker of my small children. I started the LLC March 4th of this year and since then I’ve had such great responses to my cookies that it’s motivated me even more. People keep telling me how they’re much better than Crumble Cookies and Insomnia! I can’t even begin to explain how great those compliments feel. They give me hope to dream big and the courage to keep striving for a brand as established as those despite the obstacles that come my way. It may be a slow start, but it’s sure to have a fantastic finish!
MmmHmm Cookies 330-353-9377
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