Meg's Crazy Cookie Project

Meg's Crazy Cookie Project

Suzanne Marsh

Trinity, Texas 2000

"This meeting will now come to order. The first order of business on our agenda is the

4H horse barn. The horse barn desperately needs to be replaced, it is beyond hammer

and nail repair it has been for several years now. Since no bank is willing to touch the repairs

our only alternative is to raise one hundred thousand dollars for a new barn, that is not

inclusive of labor and materials. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

Meg thought for several minutes; she remembered reading about a small town up north that made the Guinness Book of World Records creating the world's largest apple pie. How about the world's largest cookie, it seemed logical. Meg timidly raised her hand, the chair acknowledged her:

"The chair recognizes Meg Tanner."

"Madam Chair" Meg said in a barely audible whisper:

"I was reading a story about a small town up north that baked the world's largest apple

pie. It was in the Guinness Book of World Records. Since a pie has been done already

what about a giant cookie. According to the article thus far the world's largest cookie

is one hundred and two inches wide; weighing forty thousand pounds. According to the

article the small town up north sold pieces of the pie for a dollar fifty a piece, with

inflation I was thinking three dollars and fifty cents for a piece of our cookie, would

help to defray the cost of making the cookie. It would be a win/win situation for Trinity;

it would put us on the map and raise the money we need for the horse barn."

The rest of the 4H board discussed the matter, the gavel came down:

"Meg, that is a brilliant idea, we are placing you as the head of the committee."

Meg thought: 'me and my big mouth, I didn't think they would appoint me.'

The meeting ended. Meg strode out to her fire engine red Tundra truck. She had a few weeks before the next meeting to decide who would be on the committee. She drove over the Trinity River toward her family ranch, where she lived with her parents and her daughter Carrie. Meg had been divorced for several years. She thought about some of her high school friends who she could call who had a son or daughter in 4H. She began to run through a list in her head. The first person was Mary Goddard, her husband worked as a dispatcher for a large trucking line. Her next choice was Jessie Stuart, her husband was CEO of Stuart grocery chain. Finally Gloria Jones, her husband was an owner operator

with his own authority. She called each woman that night. Mary agreed readily, she also said she would talk to Ted, her husband about getting the trucking company to donate a few trucks and drivers to bring in the materials needed. for the barn and the cookie. Jessie Stuart the social butterfly took Meg three days to speak to her. Jessie listened:

"Yes, Meg I will speak to Jack and see if he will donate at least some of the ingredients."

Gloria Jones, like Mary Goddard, was more than happy to help with the idea; as it became known as:

"Meg's crazy cookie project". Meg informed each woman when she spoke to them; that there would be a meeting at the Double M in two weeks time.

The morning of the first meeting Meg was busy in the kitchen making pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, and chocolate brownies. She had the coffee urn going by eleven; the meeting began at noon. Meg, for the first time since she became the volunteer chair of the cookie project, felt as if she was over whelmed. Things like this were better left to others except this time she was the other. Meg took a deep breath, resolving herself to getting the project done.

Mary, the most dependable of the three other committee members arrived first:

"Okay Meg I have to hear how you got shanghaied into chairing this project."

Meg gave Mary a wan smile:

"That was really easy I opened my mouth with a suggestion and the next thing I knew

I was chairwoman of an overwhelming project."

Mary and Meg chatted until the doorbell rang. Meg opened the door as Jessie Stuart sauntered into the room, the social butterfly herself:

"Meg, this could be the social event of the year if it is done properly. I know that is the

reason you asked me to be here today."

Meg and Mary simply rolled their eyes at each other. Finally Gloria arrived:

"Hi Meg, sorry I am bit late but one of the mares decided it was time to be Mama. She

was having a hard time. She had twins."

All four women smiled. Meg led everyone into the formal dining room where the table was set. There was a lap top set up on a small mission oak table. The women began with a blessing then dove into the best pulled pork in the county. After lunch, the ordeal began; who was going to be in charge of what. Meg, had already thought through who would be needed on what part of the committee:

"Mary is there a possibility that Ace Trucking would be willing to donate several trucks,

trailers and drivers to pick up donations from various areas throughout the United States?"

Mary sat quietly wondering how she was going wheedle Mark into talking the CEO. The CEO was Mary's father. She could do it herself but Mark was more familiar with the workings of a trucking company than she was:

"I'll talk to Mark tonight when he gets home, the worst he can say is no."

Meg sighed:

"Thank you Mary."

"You are welcome Meg."

"Jessie, you are in charge of publicity and what are the chances of your getting donations for

several of the items we need to bake the cookie?"

Jessie, never one to back down from a challenge, thought for several moments:

"Meg, that is no issue at all Tom is CEO and I know I can convince him to supply

what we can't get through donations."

Gloria, had the sinking feeling her job was going to be:

"Gloria, I know Matt is an independent trucker but could he haul the donations from the

Stuart Groceries firm?"

Gloria, like the others thought before answering:

"I think Mike will do it but I have to talk it over with him first."

Logically the next step was to get the entire town of Trinity involved in baking this monster cookie. The committee went through dozens of chocolate chip recipes before settling on everyone's childhood favorite; Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. The challenge now was mathematical, how much would be needed for each ingredient. The next person to become involved was the tenth grade geometry teacher, Barbara Allen. Meg approached Barbara the following day:

"Let me get this straight Meg, you want me to calculate the amount of each ingredient,

then how many trucks will be needed? How many pounds can a truck handle?"

Meg shrugged her shoulders, dug in her purse, pulled out her cell phone and called Gloria:

"Hey Glor how many pounds can a truck haul?

"Simple Meg eighty thousand pounds."

"Thanks"

Meg turned to Barbara:

"eighty thousand pounds."

Barbara, smiled:

"I will have the answers for you this afternoon. Will that be all right?"

Meg returned the smile:

"That is great, thanks Barbara."

Barbara called later that afternoon:

"Meg, you are going to need at least three trucks. I was thinking about the barn itself,

if Mary Goddard is going be able to get Ace Trucking to do donate trucks why not

get them to help move the building materials for the barn also?"

Meg, thought about that for several moments:

"Great idea how many trucks will we need all total?"

Barbara replied:

"At least ten all total. I hope this helps. I'll be there to help with the monster cookie."

Meg for the first time felt as if she were making progress. She phoned Mary:

"Mary we are going to need ten trucks between the items for the cookie and the barn."

"Meg, I'll talk to Ted this morning. What date are you going to need the trucks for

the remaining baking goods?"

"Mary, in about a week. I am still lining up walnuts."

"Fine, keep me posted."

Things were finally falling into place. Summer was already arriving the temperature was ninety five the day three tractor trailers arrived. Logistically, it had become a nightmare where to put a truck load of semisweet chocolate chips. With the temperature as high as it was they would have to find a place to keep the chocolate from melting. Meg, when she discovered the problem phone Jessie:

"Jessie, help! Does Tom have any idea where we can keep the chocolate chips cool?"

"Meg, let me put you on hold, I'll call Tom now, where is the truck?"

"Sitting at the fair grounds."

"Meg, hold on."

Jessie explained to Tom what the problem was, he told her to use the cold storage facility in Kerns. Tom quickly phoned his poker buddy Jack Morris:

"Jack, Jessie is mixed up in some crazy cookie project have you got room for a truck load

of semisweet chocolate?'

"Oh yeah I heard about the "monster cookie project" yeah send the truck here."

Tom informed Jessie that the truck driver should go to the cold storage in Kerns.

Jessie relayed the message to Meg.

The 4H fair was always a huge success, publicity had brought in folks from as far away as

Dallas and Brownsville, everyone wanted to see the "monster cookie". The cookie had taken two days to bake. When it was finished, pictures were taken. Television stations were picking up the story as well as a AP correspondent. They sold over one hundred thousand pieces of cookie. The new horse barn was completed, Trinity, Texas "monster cookie" made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Trinity, Texas was finally on the map!