Family Letter 2005

Dear Friends,

Greetings from my family and all the folks at Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies. What a year! Once again, we have been blessed by some national publicity. In November 2004, Al Roker of “Roker on the Road” featured our bakery. It was quite thrilling! We consider ourselves so fortunate that our little bakery in the middle of nowhere (that’s actually part of the directions to our bakery) continually receives the recognition of programs like the Food TV Network. However, in all honesty, I must humbly but proudly admit our cookies do make us a rather unique company. We may even be the largest hand-made cookie operation in the world! How’s that, you may ask? Well, every cookie is hand-rolled and hand-cut and hand-packed. We make around 100,000 pounds of cookies a year and there are at least 100 cookies a pound. That equals TEN MILLION COOKIES, each cut out one by one using only a cookie cutter. That is quite a feat! We continue making our cookies by hand out of respect for our Moravian heritage and pride in our family business. At a recent board meeting we actually discussed getting a machine to make the cookies. It can be done (other Moravian cookie companies do it) but our recipe would have to change and our cookies would not taste the same. My children, Ramona and Mike said “NO”. As Ramona stated on the Al Roker segment, “We will continue to make our cookies by hand just as long as there are people who appreciate quality and are willing to pay for it”. I have to agree with her. We want to be known as a one-of-a-kind company that makes a one-of-a-kind cookie.

Now for the family update.

At 73 years old, one of my favorite past times is gardening. I love starting plants from seeds in my greenhouse and can’t bear to see a seedling not planted. This means that I get on my knees and start crawling around and planting ALL those seedlings in the spring. While I don’t think my family is to the point of staging an “intervention” for my planting addiction, I have noticed that several of my recent plant catalogs have started arriving with a “Just Say No” sticker on the front.

Travis (my husband of 53 years) and I also began teaching an exercise class at our church. This has been a lot of fun, but I haven’t lost a pound! (Of course that probably has something to do with the bowl of ice cream I enjoy each evening.) Cooking is still a passion. I prepare dinner once a month for my church circle (23 people plus) at our house. Then at least once a week, I make dinner for my family and assorted friends. I love to cook. I love to garden. I love my family. I consider myself very blessed.

Other news: Grandson, Jed (formerly known as Collegiate Marketing Director) has decided to take a break from college at Chapel Hill and pursue his songwriting and guitar playing career. He is building a sound proof studio in his parents’ basement. (The “very far corner of the basement” says his mother Ramona.) To supplement his songwriting career he will be helping out at the bakery as “Ramona and Mike’s Assistant.” His job description is; “Do whatever your Mother tells you to do”. Jed says “I’ve been doing that for years”. I’m afraid I can’t repeat Ramona’s reply to that statement.

Fifteen year old Granddaughter Madison (Chief Cookie Taster) continues as head of Quality Control. She continues her interest in becoming an astronaut and attended Space Camp again this year. She also received her Learner’s permit. (Okay, what if she did knock down a mail box on her first day of Drivers Education?) Ramona just hopes Madison doesn’t practice her rocket piloting skills while driving.

Granddaughter, Isabella (Assistant Cookie Taster) is entering the second grade. She is a self proclaimed “dessertarian” (that’s actually the word she came up with to describe herself.) I think that makes her more than qualified for her job.

Son Michael continues his church activities and tries to keep his sister’s, Ramona spending in office supply stores under control. (I must admit Ramona does have quite a fascination with colored pens, highlighters, and post-it notes.)

And Ramona, well she is just trying to survive riding in a car with another teenage driver. She figures she is going to have to find a doctor to prescribe tranquilizers for her or look into yoga classes because trying to keep her eyes tightly closed is just not working.

So, that’s our news. Have a wonderful 2005 and 2006. I’ll write again next year unless my children have me in Gardening Rehab.

Evva Hanes