Cook's Crumb

10/28/2025

I have some bad news. Kitty (also known as Lucy) has taken off and has not returned.

As most of you know I decided this past summer to pack up my things and hit the road. I wanted to travel and see the country for a while. At first, I thought I needed to find a home for Lucy, but nobody wanted her. She had all of her claws and wasn't a cute little kitten anymore. Not even the shelters would take her. My daughter Samantha offered to take her to live on her acreage in the country (thanks, Sam), but I wasn't sure how that would go since she was an indoor cat. Then my friends suggested I take her with me. I thought she'd never even get in the van! She did surprisingly well after getting used to it. It took her about a week, which was incredible since she was so skittish. (You see, she was a rescue from the Manchester dog pound when she was only weeks old). On the road, we even developed a routine. She would always curl up and ride in the passenger's seat as we drove. She always used her kitty pan. She never made a mess. I would take her to parks to prowl around, and at each day's end, I would let her out with no leash or collar, and she would return after about 5 minutes. This was the same as our routine when we were together in the house. We drove all the way from Iowa to the Atlantic Ocean and then to the Pacific Ocean (this trip that I am currently taking).

About a week and a half ago, we pulled into Everett to stay at my cousin's place for a few days. She was really anxious to get out of the car, and we were in a suburban yet very wooded area, so I decided to let her out right away and let her do her kitty things. She started out sniffing around the van, and a car went by, and she started trotting off to the woods in the back of my cousin's house. I started to chase after her but stopped when I remembered how she would just run away from me faster. I sat down in the back of our van home in my chair and waited for her to come back. She never did.

My cousin and I tried everything to find her, but she's gone for good, I'm afraid. We put her food and water out in her bowls next to her kitty cave that my newly found cousin in the Netherlands bought her. (thank you, Suzan) I put her favorite baby toys (mousie toys) in it too. My cousin contacted all the neighbors and even printed out a lost kitty sign. (thank you, Jonathan) I consistently left the van door open, so when she returned, she could jump right in. There are a lot of coyotes in the area I guess. I am heartbroken and feel like a bad parent for bringing her on this trip.

So, from here on out I will be going it on my own. I'm ok with that as I am a loner of sorts. I sure did enjoy our time together though. I will miss her cuddling up to me at night and her talking back to me when I talked to her. I will also miss her purring as she sniffed at my eyes with her soft nose each morning to wake me.

I love cats. I am a cat. I am the cat whisperer, but I don't think I'll ever have another one - especially like her.

05/30/2025

There have been some questions about my plans for the future, so I thought I'd let everyone know what’s going on.

For those around my age, remember when you were in your 30s and 40s, thinking you were a true adult, knowing everything about life and having your future all planned out? I do too! Fortunately, I’ve managed to keep the kid in me alive, remaining spontaneous and adventurous.

I always imagined that one day I would retire with a big RV to travel around the USA and live out of it. While the big RV didn’t work out as planned, I’m still going to make that dream a reality with what I have: my van and some funds from Social Security. I have closed the bakery, and I’m planning to put my things in storage while I travel across the U.S. to experience the "van life," similar to what is shown in the movie "Nomad" starring Frances McDormand. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d recommend it! Who knows? I might not enjoy it, but then again, I could love it. The important thing is that I need to try it while I still can.

My first trial run will be in July when I drive to the Pacific Northwest to visit family. I lived there for many years and am looking forward to it. I plan to return in August for doctor’s appointments and to celebrate my August and September birthdays. After that, I might head south for the winter—perhaps to New Mexico, Santa Fe, or Taos, or even explore the snowbird lifestyle. When I get tired of traveling, I’ll likely come back and settle down somewhere around here. I want to stay connected with my family and friends I’ve made since moving to this area.

I might start a vlog or a blog on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube since I’ll have plenty of time during my travels. Those moments in between destinations are what I cherish the most. You know, those times when you're between here and there, on the road—I love it. I come by it honestly; it's in my blood. All three of us Cook kids are like this—vagabonds at heart—without apologies.

Thank you all for your support throughout the years and for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I came here to recover from my struggles, and with the help of my family and friends, I accomplished just that.

05/16/2025

**ORDER UP!!!**

Your orders are ready for pickup, and there are extras available.

The porch will be open all weekend. After that it will be closed permanently. I will be in attendance at the Manchester Farmer's Market though starting on the 24th. I may only do that one or I may be there some of the following weekends but nothing past June for sure. Sorry to be vague but the timeline changes every day.

Here’s a list of the available extras:

- 5 Rosa Focaccia - $11
- 5 Rosemary Garlic Focaccia - $9
- 1 Grandma's Farm Bread - $8

If you catch me real quick I may be here and can reserve something for you, otherwise it's first come, first served!

05/14/2025

https://tinyurl.com/CooksCrumb

05/12/2025

Hello!

Hey gang ! Here's what I'm baking this Friday.

Right before I left for France I made 1 loaf of what I then called Tiger Bread. One customer mentioned that the name didn't really fit the look of the bread since it wasn't striped. They said maybe it should be called Giraffe Bread. Good point. It does look more like a Giraffe than a Tiger. I don't know why some call it Tiger bread but that's what they sometimes call it. I have also heard it called Dutch Crunch bread so today, I hearby call mine Dutch Crunch Bread as well. The bread is the same recipe as Grandma's Farm Bread but with a sweet crunchy topping on top. There was enough interest in it that I thought I'd offer it this week so you all could try it!

I haven't made The Rosa Focaccia for quite some time. It's one of my more popular recipes. It's the one with pistachios, red onion, Parmesan, and Rosemary on it. The photo shows it as a round shape but that's because I haven't made it since I started making mine square in sheet pans to keep production costs down. All of those little round pans take a while to prep and wash ya know...

Guess what. I'm going to do the Manchester Farmer's Market this year! (At least more than I did last year) It's a lot of work but I kinda miss it and seeing people's smiling faces. I'll be there this summer with my grandkids helping me! I'm pretty sure the first one is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

For more information and to place your order, please click the link below to visit the website.

**SCHEDULE**  

I like to vary my monthly baking schedule, so be sure to keep an eye out for what's coming up next! I can be a bit unpredictable sometimes!

**ORDER DEADLINE**  

You can place orders from this menu until Wednesday night at around 8 PM. After submitting your order, please check your email to confirm that it went through. You will receive a verification email with an attached invoice for each order.

**ORDERING PROCESS**  

To place your order or to find pricing, descriptions, ingredients, and photos, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/CooksCrumb and click on "Browse Products." Make your selections, then click continue to complete your order. You c

05/10/2025

GOOD MORNING! The Manchester Farmers Market isn't up and running yet but you can still get some good bread from That Bread Man at the Cooks Crumb Porch Store located at 112 Liberty Street in Manchester, Iowa. Just a walk in grab some bread and leave your payment in the payment box. (Venmo, PayPal, & Cash accepted) 

The porch will be open all day and into the evening.

Here’s a list of the available extras:

- 3 Cranberry White Chocolate - $9/11
- 2 Brick - $9
- 3 Country White - $7/9
- 2 D'OH! Date Oat & Honey - $11

05/09/2025

**ORDER UP!!!**

Your orders are ready for pickup, and there are extras available.

I thought Carl and I might have lost our touch over our hiatus but nope, all good (except I have a weird weakness/clumsiness in my left/dominant hand). Did you know that Carl sat patiently in my fridge for over a month with no signs of fatigue? I fired him up with one feeding and he doubled! Now that's a good starter my friends. If you guys want any let me know.

Some of you have multiple bags, so please ensure you've picked up all of them!

The porch will be open all weekend.

Here’s a list of the available extras:

- 2 Jalapeno Cheddar - $11

- 3 Cranberry White Chocolate - $11

- 2 Brick - $9

- 3 Country White - $9

- 3 D'OH! Date Oat & Honey - $11

It's first come, first served!

05/05/2025

Hello!

Real quick here - here is the menu for this Friday's bake, and the items are now available for order on the website. I'm a little late with this so get your orders in quick! The deadline is Wednesday at bedtime.

For more information and to place your order, please click the link below to visit the website.

**SCHEDULE**  

I like to vary my monthly baking schedule, so be sure to keep an eye out for what's coming up next! I can be a bit unpredictable sometimes!

**ORDER DEADLINE**  

You can place orders from this menu until Wednesday night at around 8 PM. After submitting your order, please check your email to confirm that it went through. You will receive a verification email with an attached invoice for each order.

**ORDERING PROCESS**  

To place your order or to find pricing, descriptions, ingredients, and photos, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/CooksCrumb and click on "Browse Products." Make your selections, then click continue to complete your order. You can choose between a half loaf or a sliced loaf, and please remember to select the day you plan to pick it up by clicking on the calendar.

**ORDER PICKUP**  

Please pick up your order within 24 hours of receiving notification that it’s ready. If you can’t come until Saturday, Sunday, or even Monday, just let me know. If I don’t hear from you, I may consider the order abandoned and will require pre-payment for future orders.

Thank you so much!

04/22/2025