The most wonderful time of the year: Girl Scout Cookies!

It's my favorite time of year: Girl Scout cookie season. A time when a plethora of cutie-patooties bombard us with their puppy dog eyes asking us to help them go to camp or earn funds for craft supplies by buying their cookies.

After growing in curiosity with where exactly my funds were going when I succumb to buying the fatty things, I came across a Girl Scout Cookies MySpace page. It's there where I gathered the 4-1-1 on Girl Scout Cookies.

Here are some interesting facts I came across:

• Girl Scout Cookies do not contain preservatives; they are all made with pure vegetable shortening, are all kosher, and all freeze well to extend their shelf life.
• All of the girls pictured on the cookie boxes are registered Girl Scouts; every box shows Girl Scouts in action, having fun and growing strong!
• All Girl Scout cookies are now zero trans fat per serving, with the same great taste that has made them one of America's favorite treats over the years.
• Girl Scouts of the USA approves and licenses two bakers, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC/Interbake Foods; the bakers employ American labor union members, using American-grown agricultural products and American-made packaging materials.
• Licensed bakers offer up to eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies every year; only three types are mandatory: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos™ and Shortbread/Trefoils.
• For more than 80 years, this annual cookie sale has helped Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts and Girl Scouts (ages 11-17) have fun, develop valuable life skills and make the world a better place by helping to support Girl Scouting in their communities.
• The best selling cookie are Thin Mints.

Every day, Girl Scouts are working to create a positive change in their communities. From writing and producing a documentary on eating disorders to creating a physical education curriculum for students with multi-disabilities, Girl Scouts should be getting attention not only for their delicious cookies, but for their outstanding service.

Girl Scouts, please continue to ask me to purchase them from you... and give me your Samoa's, your Peanut Butter Patties and how about those Thin Mints? Ohhhh baby. At only $3.50 a box and for a good cause, I can't resist!