Here it is, the official announcement of the “Guess How Many Cookies Dave Baked in 2014” winner…

Using “Price is Right” rules (i.e. closest number without going over), the winner is Mike Brooker with a guess of 2,000.

The correct answer is that I baked 2,959 cookies in 2014!  This averages out to about 4.75 dozen cookies per week.

Thank you to everyone for playing.  Mike, I will get your prize package out to you sometime this year  🙂

PS – I anticipate that 2015 will bring an exciting “Cookie Milestone” to the Paulsen house, as I am projected to bake my 25,000th cookie late this Fall.  Coverage of this exciting event will be provided exclusively by www.CookiesbyDave.com.

PPS – For folks who love statistics and records, due to your strong support, I am pleased to announce that January 1, 2015, set a new record for visitors to www.CookiesbyDave.com with a total of 224 clicks.  This total by far surpassed the previous record of 160 (an increase of 40%!), which accompanied the launch of www.CookiesbyDave.com in early September 2014.  Bless each and every one of you.  May your milk be cold and your cookies fresh.

Visit www.CookiesbyDave.com, be the closest to guess how many cookies Dave baked in 2014 (total amount), and you could win an extra special www.CookiesbyDave.com prize package.

The contest starts…  now!

Official contest rules:  The contest ends at 11:59PM tonight, January 1, 2015 (Central Standard Time).  Entries received after 11:59PM on January 1, 2015 (Central Standard Time) will be immediately disqualified.  Entries must be submitted at www.CookiesbyDave.com, as a comment to this very post.  All other entries on Facebook, Twitter, AOL, Myspace, Classmates.com, Napster, and the like are not eligible for the extra special www.CookiesbyDave.com prize package.  Only one entry per person.  Sample entry format:  “10,000” (spoiler alert…  this is not the correct answer).  Choose wisely, you only have one guess per person, although guesses by multiple family members are welcome.  Entries must be accompanied by a name (first and last).  Entries under “Anonymous” will be immediately disqualified.  The “Price is Right” Rules apply (i.e. closest to the actual number without going over wins).  In cases of a tie or other means of dispute, “Cookie” Dave Paulsen will be the ultimate judge and jury.  Honesty is encouraged to assist with maintaining my sanity.  The winner will be announced on January 2, 2015, and “Cookie” Dave Paulsen will make his best possible effort at contacting you.  If for some reason, you are declared the winner and do not hear from him, please contact him at CookiesbyDave@gmail.com to coordinate receipt of your winning prize.  Your prize package will be delivered to you sometime during 2015.  I promise.  No purchase necessary.  Void, where prohibited.

On September 4, the Internet forever changed with the arrival of www.CookiesbyDave.com.  I may write everyday, but you make those stories a success.  As a result, I wanted to provide you with the “Top Ten” posts of 2014, selected by you according to unique visits.  From the staff at www.CookiesbyDave.com, thank you for making 2014 great and together we can make 2015 even better.

TOP TEN www.CookiesbyDave.com POSTS in 2014

Note:  I only included narrative posts, rather than photo based, contest, promotional, or grand opening posts.  That’s right.  People actually read these.  Impressive.

1) Christmas All Lawyered Up from 12/26/14 – 100 unique visits…  unique visits don’t include visits to the main www.CookiesbyDave.com page

2) My Coffee Kryptonite from 12/29/14 – 40 visits

3 tie) My Academic Decline from 11/19/14 – 38 visits

3 tie) Wings. Beer. Awkward Moment. from 09/24/14 – 38 visits

3 tie) Catch of the Day from 10/28/14 – 38 visits

6) The Blurry Word of God from 12/28/14 – 37 visits

7) That’s cold(play) from 09/18/14 – 34 visits…  my personal favorite post of 2014

8) They Must Scare Easy from 11/02/14 – 33 visits

9 tie) Cookies to the Rescue from 09/21/14 – 32 visits

9 tie) Sine Curves and Sidewalks from 09/28/14 – 32 visits

As for the www.CookiesbyDave.com serials, two are worth noting…

The “Where in the World are Jacob’s Socks?” series had 14 installments for a total of 238 unique visits (or 17 visits per post or 8.5 visits per sock)

To help celebrate the success of “Where in the World are Jacob’s Socks?” here’s a special stovetop appearance.

The “Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies” had 183 total visits (just over 15 visits per post or with 350 cookies baked over 12 days, just under 2 visits per cookie)

Editor’s Note:  Today is a big day for www.CookiesbyDave.com, because earlier today my cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie,” was downloaded for the 100th time!  Plus, it’s free, so why stop at 100?  Download it today, because today is a great day for a cookie!

I grew up in Battle Creek (Michigan) and although I have been gone for a long time, I like to think that I have some sort of telekinetic bond with the pulse of the city.  More likely that I just hear news on Facebook, but somehow I think it is something more spiritual.  Something more primal.  But maybe not.

A few weeks ago, I sat with my wife at her service club’s annual Christmas program.  One of the owners of the Willmar Stingers (our town’s excellent college baseball summer league team) was also at our table.  Considering that my hometown also has a team (the Battle Creek Bombers) in the same league (the Northwoods League), we had a brief conversation about Battle Creek.  During the conversation, he mentioned something new.  Something exciting.  Something I was baffled to be unaware of.  At the Battle Creek Bombers games, they feature something called the “Twinkie Dog.”  Yep, that’s right.  The “Twinkie Dog.”  A hot dog with the Twinkie serving as the bun.  Right up my alley and a product of my hometown, yet I was completely unaware.  I had to make amends.

Yesterday was New Year’s Eve and I found my opportunity.  The boys were home on Winter Break.  Willing participants in the Twinkie Dog experiment.  Charlene had a work lunch.  She would not be grossed out by the Twinkie Dog experiment.  It was New Year’s Eve.  If something went horribly wrong, I could leave the memories behind in 2014.

The ingredients were purchased.  Name brand.  No generics.  No half steppin’, my friends.  We were all in.

The participants were willing.  Note:  since it was our first foray into the world of the Twinkie Dog, I decided to go basic and forego any toppings, although my research indicates that a true stadium Twinkie Dog is topped with whipped cream, colored sprinkles, and a cherry on top.

We jumped right in (after the obligatory group photo) and…

…they were indeed tasty.  Salty and sweet.  Thumbs up, all around.  We all downed our Twinkie Dogs and some of us had seconds.  An epic finish to the year.  A Twinkie Dog conclusion.

It’s that time again.  Change the calendar.  Out with the old.  In with the new.  And my favorite, “Wait Till Next Year Meringues.”

Since New Year’s 2007, our house has heard the same joke.  Nine years running, “These cookies are going to bake until next year.”  Then the next morning, we would enjoy delicious meringue cookies for breakfast.  Yep, pop these cookies in the oven tonight and eat them up tomorrow morning.  The perfect cookie for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s morning.  Enjoy and Happy New Year from www.CookiesbyDave.com.  Thank you for making 2014 a year to remember.

The Paulsen boys enjoying “Wait Till Next Year” Meringues

on January 1, 2010.

“WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR” MERINGUES

“The secret to these cookies is making sure to froth the eggs well.  Then during the beating stage, beat those eggs.  Beat them some more and then when you think they are finished, beat them a little more.  Before you know it, next year will be here and you’ll be enjoying delicate meringues on New Year’s morning.  A classic way to say good morning to 2015.”

The meringues waiting all snug in the oven for 2015 to arrive.

2 Egg Whites

2/3 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract

¾ cup Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg whites until frothy.  Then beat them some more, just to make sure.

Gradually mix in sugar.

Mix in clear vanilla extract.

Continue to beat until very stiff with a spoon.

Stir in mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto foil lined cookie sheet.

Place in oven on New Year’s Eve.

Close oven door tightly.

Turn off oven.

Leave cookies in oven until next year.

Enjoy a delicious meringue for breakfast on New Year’s Day.

Makes about 18 cookies.

Source:  page 70 of my cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie.”

Happy New Year from the Paulsen boys.

Just enough snow.  Just enough left.  Just enough remaining to assemble what the world really needs…  The Lone Snowman.

“Hi-ho, Silver, away!”

A cardboard sign and a Mardi Gras mask…  all of the ingredients necessary for a Winter legend.

My poor family was concerned that I had been wearing the same Batman exercise shirt to the gym too much.  As a result, they purchased me a new Superman workout shirt.  Now at the gym, I could embrace my geekhood in two different superhero styles depending upon my mood of the day or the status of the laundry.

Well, I was very proud of my Superman shirt and decided to wear it around town on Boxing Day.  Various errands and of course picking up a caramel latte were high on the agenda.  Then a cool opportunity arose with Grandma and Grandpa in town to watch the kids, I would be able to go to the noon hour spin class with my wife.  That’s right, my Wonder Woman would be exercising right next to me.  Those cycles did not stand a chance against our dynamic duo.

As is customary for me at the gym, I was five minutes late.  Considering it was Charlene’s 100^th something spin class, she was already speeding along when I arrived.  Sitting atop my bike, I tried to catch up, but no matter how hard I tried, my tree trunk sized legs just could not peddle fast enough.  That’s when it hit me.  Caramel lattes were my Kryptonite.  My delicious weakness in a cup.  Yep, in order to do my new shirt justice this Superman would need to switch to black coffee.  Strong black coffee suitable for a Man of Steel, a Man of Java.

Superman a.k.a. Clark Kent, portrayed in stunning fashion by coffee connoisseur Dave Paulsen, in front of his two favorite Willmar (Minnesota) coffee establishments…

Cornerstone Coffee (www.cornerstonecoffeeofwillmar.com)

and The Goodness (www.downtowngoodness.com).

Both featuring yummy caramel lattes, indeed.

One of the volunteer opportunities I enjoy at church is serving as a lector.  A few times a year, you read some passages from the Bible.  Easy peasy.  The passages are provided and all you have to do is read them.  No problem.  In fact, it even gives me a chance to practice a little public speaking, as well as work on my “radio voice.”  “This is Doctor Dave bringing you the latest reading from the New Testament on Z100, ‘Your Power Rock.’”  Okay, maybe I don’t have that much discretion in improvising, but I can drop everything down an octave and make it sound much better.  Plus, if the reading includes any exclamation points, I get to decide if the congregation is going to be yelled at.  “Fire and brimstone, Z100 style.”

Well, I am still recovering from the Christmas sugar rush and as a result, I vary between fits of hyperawareness and intense sleepiness.  This does not lend well to advance preparation.  As a result, there I was late Saturday night printing out the readings for Sunday morning’s church service.  Finding the right email, I pushed print and soon realized that my children had been using the printer and had left it low on “Light Cyan” ink.  Really, I was printing in black and white, so why should Light Cyan make a different.  Would not the only essential cartridge be “Black” ink?  You would think so, but you would be wrong, because there was my printout in a semi-legible I-am-low-on-Light-Cyan ink font.

I knew it would be tough to read my paragraph.  I knew I would have to give it my best shot.  I knew I would have to bring my Lector A Game.  Sure I could have also used one of the hundreds of Bibles in the church, instead of my semi-legible printout, but that would be logical.  That would be sensible.  That would not be as exciting.

Digging deep, I read my lesson and…  aced it!  Yes!  And as a bonus, the Apostle Paul even gave me two exclamation points to work with…  “Abba!  Father!”  Yep, it was a good one.  Short and sweet and packed with excitement.  So today, as you experience low amounts of Light Cyan ink in some part of your life, don’t let it bring you down, instead make it epic.  The Apostle Paul would be proud.

A bulletin that reads, “Lector:  Dave Paulsen.”  Now you know a quality reading is on its way.

It seemed like any other day in the Paulsen house, as I had the boys in the backseat and we were headed to the drive-thru to get me some coffee.  On the way, I was struggling to find a song on the radio.  I even became so desperate that I settled on “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie.  The kids were less than thrilled, but I saw a teachable moment.

Pulling up to the drive-thru, I explained that Lionel Richie was singing the song and that Lionel Richie was a member of “The Commodores” and “The Commodores” sang “Brick House.”  Yes, the “Brick House” that is a cult classic in the Paulsen house.  The song that almost requires you to get up and dance to it (while of course spanking your own bottom or someone else’s), whenever it is heard on the radio.  “Brick House,” the only song that we have ever called into a radio station as a family to request.  Yes, that “Brick House.”

Seeing that the boys had a new appreciation for “All Night Long” (or so I thought), I was overcome by a momentary sense of embarrassment, as the barista came up to the drive-thru window to hear our car playing the song a bit too loud.  Well, steeling myself, I decided to keep on the music and explain to the barista that I was just teaching my boys about Lionel Richie.  Her face all at once registered a sort of “you’re-an-old-loser-and-that-is-strange-but-I-will-still-smile-because-I-am-required-to” kind of look.  Ha, she obviously needed to know more about the Lionel Richie – Brick House connection as well, but we had places to be (well, really not “had” to be, but rather we were headed out and about voluntarily, not so much the kids, but me).

Then I heard from the backseat and unmistakable “clicking” sound of my 7-year-old boy Sam trying desperately to open the locked car windows.  Sam obviously had experienced enough and was trying to jump out the window, while the car was still safely stopped at the drive-thru window.  His opportunity for escape was fading fast.  No such luck, kid, but I did turn down the music some to help him cope.

Driving to our next destination, with delicious coffee in hand, my teachable moment surprisingly had one final gasp, as I flipped some more around the radio dial.  There was the unmistakable sampling of Lionel Richie singing “We’re going to party, fiesta, forever” in 2010’s “I Like It” by Enrique Iglesias.  Together my boys and I had musically traveled from the late 1970s to 2010 with Lionel Richie at our side and I am happy to report that I did not lose a single child in the process.  “Shake it down, shake it down now.”

Click on Brick House for the 8 second video tribute, where the Paulsen boys are “lettin’ it all hang out.”

The time was 1965 and the Peanuts gang tackled the issue of commercialism and Christmas. Flash forward half-a-century and now we have the problem of legal boundaries and the Holidays. I bet even Lucy charges more than a nickel now at her roadside therapy stand.

Well, here are the new electronic device boundaries for the Paulsen kids. I’m not a lawyer, but sometimes I play one at home. Now for the hard part of being a parent. Pray for me.

Sure it’s one sided, but to our credit, we did not ask for their souls in exchange for access to “Cyber World.”  A copy of the text follows…

ELECTRONIC DEVICE AGREEMENT

This agreement outlines the rules and expectations for using electronic devices in the Paulsen house.

It is mutually agreed that…

1) Gratitude – I understand that this device is a gift and I will at all times show gratitude and appreciation for being allowed to use it.  Any failure to show appreciation may result in the loss of the device.

2) Ownership of Others – I will respect the ownership of other family members.  I will not play with, alter, or view their device without their permission.

3) Responsibility – I take responsibility for the care of my device.  I understand this includes paying for any replacements and being extra careful with my device.

4) Prior Approvals – I promise not to download or purchase anything without parental approval.

5) Access – I understand that limits will be placed on my usage of the device.  I understand that any time using the device will be deducted from my allotted daily screen time.  I will provide my parents with full access to the device at any time, including providing them with all current passwords and pin numbers.  I will not share my passwords and pin numbers with friends or anyone outside my immediate family.

6) Location – I will keep the device in the house, unless parental approval is received for use in other locations.  I promise not to loan out or let my friends borrow my device.

7) Nighttime – I will return my device to the agreed upon docking location for the night.  Under no circumstances is the device permitted to stay in a bedroom overnight.

8) Suspension of Privileges – I understand that any inappropriate behavior, poor treatment of the device, poor treatment of others, or disputes may result in the temporary or permanent loss of privileges and access to my device.

9) Changes – I understand that my parents may amend this agreement at any time without my prior approval or consent.

10) Enjoy – I understand that the device is meant to be fun and educational.  I promise to enjoy it.

By signing below, I agree to all of the terms outlined above.

________________________
Jacob Paulsen, user

________________________
Sam Paulsen, user

________________________
Ben Paulsen, user

________________________
Charlene Stevens, parent

________________________
Dave Paulsen, parent

Dated:  December 25, 2014

At least they are sitting together.  I suspect that Iron Man is plotting some type of national defense strategy.