Still here, still struggling, still feeling like there's too much trauma in the world to be talking about cookies. But still rising. I actually have been baking and even cooking as part of my coping mechanism but just haven't felt like writing about it like the world isn't literally burning around us. But I'm also tired of being a defeatist. There are many, many people who have it much worse than I do and they still get up every morning and keep persevering. I feel like I can do no less, even in whatever small way I can.
So I'm going to channel some angst in trying to lift up others, particularly small businesses I want to support. Let's start with the T-Rex Cookie Company. I had never heard of it before until I came across a post on Facebook where the owner, Tina Rexing, made a heartfelt post about what was going on in her home state of Minnesota with the ICE raids and the trauma being inflicted on her community She's Filipina, a first-generation immigrant, a baker, a small business owner and a Minnesotan. I won't repeat what she wrote as I encourage all of you to look it up yourselves and read it directly from her. But I do want to support any business who speaks up about what's going on today and clearly state it's wrong and they don't support it. They get my business far more than those who remain quiet.
I ordered from T-Rex the weekend that she was donating 20% of her profits to the Minnesota Immigrant Defense Fund. That's what I want my money to support. Plus cookies.
They ship nationwide via Goldbelly so that's where I ordered from. I got the 5-pack for $59.95, free shipping. Yes, that's $12 a cookie. No, I don't care when it's for a good cause. Normally even *I* can't eat 5 giant cookies over any length of time, even when I freeze them for later consumption. But I had people to share the cookies with. We ate two when my niece and her husband had friends over for brunch. Then, over time, my niece and I split the remaining 3. Or we might've split 2 and I ate 1 on my own. Who remembers.
I don't have pictures of all of them, particularly the ones we shared, but I do remember a few things about these cookies. First, you definitely need to warm them up first, preferably in the oven or the air fryer, until they're just warm. Second, the cookies tend to be more crisp, rather than chewy. At least the snickerdoodle was. The chocolate chip ones were more chewy as was the peanut butter.
They're good when warm, albeit the sugar and the snickerdoodle were a trifle too sweet for me. I don't say that often as I have a high-tolerance sweet tooth that would make a 5-year-old proud. The peanut butter and chocolate chip ones weren't too sweet but just right. If 5 giant cookies are too much for you, Goldbelly offers a 3-cookie option that might be more doable. In either case, I'm more conscious than ever that I spend money not just to buy "things" but to support causes and businesses that align with my values. T-Rex hits that mark.
