So today, November 2nd is my partner in cookie crime, Cookie Monster’s birthday. While he remains ageless to children, he is actually a bit of an old man as Frank Oz started portraying Cookie Monster in 1969!  Despite his voracious appetite for cookies, he still looks pretty healthy for a monster in his 40’s.  A few years ago, like most folks saying goodbye to their 30’s, Cookie adopted a bit of a new mantra of “Cookies are a Sometimes Food” as he gobbled bowls of fruit in interview after interview – I was devastated.  The monster had either grown up, needed to lose weight or someone got to him to spout the new mantra. I was definitely suspicious.  Growing up with “Me Want Cookie” and “C is for Cookie” a bit of my childhood fun was quashed by Cookie’s new attitude.  I wasn’t sure who he turned into, maybe just an ordinary monster?

Stephen Colbert’s interview with Cookie Monster is priceless and he takes him to task on his 360 shift in focus.

As a child, I had my share of cookies (Oreos, Chips Ahoy and Nutter Butters) but usually snacked on candy and chips more often.  The candy cigarettes, pixie stixs, pop rocks and a host of other candies had to be way, way worse than cookies!  As an adult, rarely do I buy supermarket cookies opting instead to seek out local baked cookies (read about my cookie searches in NYC and Chicago and Dublin).

Locally my go to cookies are Hope’s Cookies or Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia (order a dozen and you’ll be addicted too).  The Metropolitan Bakery’s sour cherry, sea salted, chocolate chip cookie is so good I’m sure Cookie would abandon the fruit bowl pretty quickly….although cherries are a fruit, so is the cookie healthy?  I think Cookie Monster, while embracing the healthy meal first and then the cookie, should have focused on fighting the food companies to make cookies the old fashioned way – butter, milk, eggs and ingredients we all know, love and can pronounce.  My sister’s wedding recently featured a cookie table – a tradition of guests bringing homemade cookies to share and take home – what a great idea!

Despite his conversion to fruit and the “sometimes food”, I’m still a Cookie Monster fan. So join me in eating a cookie (or two) today to celebrate our little Monster friend on his 40 something birthday.