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January. You've gained 6 lbs. from one-too-many servings of mashed potatoes, your excitement at the first snowfall has transformed into cursing at the 37th day of this God-forsaken slushy crap, and the dreaded February reminder of your really, really long period of singledom is right around the corner. Worry not -- there's a bright spot on the horizon.It's GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SEASON. Just when things were looking downright bleak, those cute, cheery, matching-outfitted purveyors of boxed humanity appear outside your local grocery store to restore meaning to your life. (And, yes -- cookies = humanity around these parts.)
In celebration of our 10th anniversary of binge eating Samoas, we got in touch with the people over at Girl Scouts for some fun facts about those delicious baked goods.
Get your Girl Scout cookie trivia on, after the jump.
Did you know?
Girl Scout cookie sales began in 1917 in Muskogee, Okla., when the Mistletoe troop began baking and selling cookies in its high school cafeteria as a service project. 
In 1942, Girl Scouts sold calendars in lieu of cookies due to sugar, flour and butter shortages during World War II.
Cookie variety was limited to the Sandwich, Shortbread and Chocolate Mints in 1951 (now renamed the Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos, Shortbread/Trefoils and Thin Mints, respectively). 
Thin Mints are the biggest seller, making up 25 percent of all sales, followed by Samoas/Caramel deLites at 19 percent.
As of 2005, 71.5 percent of women in the U.S. Senate and 67.1 percent of women in the House of Representatives are Girl Scouts alumnae. 
Jennifer Sharpe, age 15, of Dearborn, Mich., holds the record for most cookies ever sold, with 17,328 boxes in 2008. Of the $21,000 her troop raised to go on a 10-day tour of Europe, $14,000 was due to Sharpe.
Different types of cookies are sold in different regions at varying prices set by individual Girl Scout councils. And sometimes even the same cookies have different names.
For example, Do-Si-Dos, formerly called Gauchos, are also called Peanut Butter Sandwiches in other areas. Confusing, right? This is because there are two licensed bakers, ABC and Little Brownie, that get to propose and name the cookies that they bake. 
About 200 million boxes are sold every cookie season; the Girl Scout cookie program has generated about $700 million per year since 1999.
New cookies pop up every once in awhile and are continued based on their success. 2010's newest addition is Thank U Berry Munch, described as "hearty cookies with real premium cranberries, sweetened with creamy, white fudge chips." Want to try the original Girl Scout cookie?
The following sugar cookie recipe was published in The American Girl magazine in July 1922 by a Chicago director named Florence E. Neil. The recipe was given to 2,000 Girl Scouts, and girls across America began to sell their homemade cookie packages from door to door for about a quarter a dozen.
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar plus additional amount for topping (optional)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired. Bake in a quick oven (375 degrees) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.
Tell us! Were you a Girl Scout back in the day? What years did you sell cookies, what kinds of cookies did you sell, and where?Also: Find out when your local troop is selling here.
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Comments:
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Tuesday 02 February
By Gussie
Does anyone know how many Thin MInts are baked every day during the cookie season?
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Tuesday 02 February
By Dayna
I was a girl scout as in a girl version of Baden Powell's boy scouts (jungle book and what not), I was a revolutionary! I joined Girl Guides which is the NZ equivalent of Girl Scouts and was bored out of my mind! But I remember one year as a cub scout we sold Scout Scroggin. Chocolatey raisiny nutty goodness!
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Wednesday 03 February
By Barbara
I have been a Girl Scout for the past 35 years. I started as a 6yo brownie. When I started selling cookies they were 75 cents a box. My troop was very unique and still is. Troop 27 in Hartford Connecticut. My grandmother started it in 1940. my mother grew up in it and then became the leader. I grew up in it and also became the leader. I am very proud to be the 3rd generation leader. I have all the original books, flags, pictures and uniforms. the troop is now 70 yrs old.
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Thursday 25 February
By Crystal
Barbara,
From a second generation leader you are awesome. Thanks for continuing the Girl Scout traditions that so many people completely miss. It is leaders like you that keep this organization strong. Way to go!!!!!
Thursday 25 February
By L. Kerwin
I was a Girl Scout in the mid to late 70s in Upstate New York. I'm tempted to say a box cost 75 cents when I started, but I think it went up to $1.25 at some point. We had the sandwich cookies, a sugar or a shortbread (or both?), a chocolate chip, and I THINK a sort of cheddar cracker. Does anybody else remember that? They were good! I seem to recall having to stash a box under my bed so my mom wouldn't know I had them.
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Thursday 25 February
By ilana
It's the last week of Girl Scout cookies and, if you're like me, the boxes of Thin Mints are looooonnng gone.
Check out this locator & find more cookies! Welcome to 2010, where girl scouts now have GPS systems!
http://www.k103.com/main.html
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Thursday 25 February
By csw
I am the troop coookie manager this year..we made about $2,000 and what our troop share is is about $400..out of that we need to donate to GS council..
Divided between 8 girls, we figured we can take them roller skating and for pizza and thats about it. Compared to last year, when the CM kept all the money, at least we have some money this year. We have yet to see a dime of it though....we ended the sales Jan 1st and still haven't received our cookie money yet..frustrating..We worked very hard and did as much as a bunch of six year olds could do.
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Thursday 25 February
By Tracy
I started Brownies in 1965, was a Junior Scout a Girl Scout and a Cadette Scout until I graduated high school in 1978. There wasn't a Troop that had a Senior Scout program where I went to college so I fell out then. Cookies were 35 cents a box when I started and about 75 cents when I sold last. I was always proud to wear my uniform even in high school. I had to "cross-over" recently when my son joined cub scouts but scouting is still scouting. We had 6 kinds of cookies and I always sold the most in my troop. We had Lemon, Tre-foils, Savannahs (Peanut Butter), Grasshoppers which became Thin Mints, a Fudge Sandwich cookie and the half and half sandwich cookie (I think) . I lived in the country and yes we walked door to door. Each case had carry handles and God forbid if you broke the handle while you were out. We were supposed to sell in pairs but I didnt until my sister sold too. We didnt do prepay preorder we just sold what we had in the box. If you got to a house and they wanted Mints and all you had were Lemon they would either buy the Lemon or you would go back with Mints. Each case would hold 12 boxes so you could carry 24. You usually would only take 1 of the less popular maybe 2 and pack in on the big sellers. I sincerely miss the fudge cookies they were even better than the Thin Mints. When the fudge cookies went away I think they had a type of macaroon cookie but it wasnt very durable, The staple 5 were always there and the 6th used to change every few years. I used to sell about 125-145 cases (yes cases) each year and we only sold in March (snowy in NY in March and very cold but it made the Thin Mints very crisp and snappy hahaha.
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Thursday 25 February
By mbproses
I sold Girl Scout cookies in the 70's.. back in Rhode Island..They were 1.75 a box back then..We also sold calenders back then too.. I remember the peanut butter cookies called Peanut Butter Sandwiches. I too remember a cookie with a chocolate strpe on it.. Trefiols have been Trefoils has long as I can remember.
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Monday 02 August
By Julie Peterson Freeman
I sold cookies in the late 1950's when there were three kinds,Thin Mints, Savannas (peanut butter sandwich), and Scott Teas (shortbread). My mom was the Cookie Lady for troop 1366 plus for my two sisters' troops in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. Those were the days when Protestant families had 6 kids and the Catholic families numbered 8 - 10. Man, could we sell...and EAT cookies. Our house was floor to ceiling cases of cookies on every wall in every room. Question: why don't the cookies taste the same today as they did up until about 10 years ago. I say, "Make new friends, but keep the old - and delicious" - the cookies from a while back were better, correct? Why?
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