Cook's Crumb

07/12/2025

Is there anyone available to lend a truck or truck and trailer on Sunday the 20th for moving purposes? I am willing to provide payment. I have movers lined up, but the cost of U-Haul is beyond my budget.

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