Christine DeLosSantos shows a photo of the cookies she baked for Betty White and a wall full of photos from her cookie-baking career at her Town of Center home. - Photo by Keith Skenandore
Many people now have what’s called a “bucket list”.
It’s a list of events, activities or destinations one would like to complete before they die, otherwise known as, kick the bucket.
Did you ever think baking cookies for Betty White would be on a list?
Christine DeLosSantos, 56, can now cross that activity off of her bucket list.
”It was on my bucket list to bake her cookies,” said DeLosSantos, owner and CCB (Chief Cookie Baker) of “Happy Cookies”.
She was flown out to Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 11, 2011, and met Betty White while filming on the set of the television show, “Hot in Cleveland.” “It’s a day I’ll never forget,” DeLosSantos said of the date but also the special occasion.
The meeting almost didn’t happen. White was so busy with the filming and was scheduled to leave to another location for another filming. Those waiting with backstage passes, including DeLosSantos, were unsure if they would get to meet the 90-year-old actress. DeLosSantos said a floor manager came up to the audience and took only her down and “plunked me down on the couch of the set of ‘Hot in Cleveland.’” ”You can’t buy something like that.”
Before you know it, DeLosSantos was sitting with White, along with the three other co-stars of the comedy hit show, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves. As for the cookies she baked for White, DeLosSantos carried them with her on the flight and gave them to her that afternoon. The cookies were frosted stars with the names of each actress along with their character’s name. Cookies spelled out the word “HOT” along with frosted leaves and pumpkin cookies.
”She said the cookies were really pretty,” DeLosSantos said.
White apologized that she could only spend a couple of minutes with her, but for DeLosSantos, it was “so precious.”
How does baking cookies for Betty White happen? An avid reader of Woman’s Day magazine, DeLosSantos said she comments frequently on articles and recipes published using Facebook. Comments of a recent episode of “Hot in Cleveland” were made and DeLosSantos chimed in. ”She is one of the women I admire most in the world,” said DeLosSantos.
A couple weeks after her posted comments, DeLosSantos was contacted by the editor-in-chief of Woman’s Day magazine, Elizabeth Mayhew. Mayhew followed DeLosSantos posted comments, and also her posted bucket list.
”We want to make that happen,” Mayhew told DeLosSantos.
As part of the 75th anniversary of Make A Woman’s Day, Mayhew invited her to fly out and meet White on the set of “Hot in Cleveland”.
This opportunity is one of many that DeLosSantos makes for herself.
First off, how does one become “The Happy Cookie Lady”.
For DeLosSantos, it wasn’t easy. She was a computer programmer for about 20 years until her job was eliminated in 2002. She literally mailed in thousands of job applications but was receiving 10 to 12 rejection letters a day. Her husband, Joel DeLosSantos, would see the pain on her face as she opened those rejection letters and couldn’t stand his wife, usually a happy-go-lucky lady, being disappointed. He also recalled how Christine would come home with headaches over her computer issues. He decided to give her an early retirement and built a small bakery in their basement in Center Valley. He went as far as contacting the Health Department so it was within their guidelines for Christine to start her new business.
“I’ve been going full force ever since,” said Christine, who now is eight years into her new career. For orders, she says, she can be reached via e-mail at HappyCookies4me@aol.com or by phone at 920-731-8908. An Internet engine search will also bring up her web page that provides her contact information.
And how has her new career been going? Her first “Happy Cookie” business customer was the Center Valley Co-op. She said a gas customer purchased one of her cookies at the Co-op and contacted her for her first big break. ”He was the food director for the Performing Arts Center,” Christine said. She now bakes for the PAC’s big events, including last year’s four-week stint of “Wicked”.
Shortly after that break she was meeting a friend for lunch in Green Bay. She was the only one in the restaurant and was looking around and noticed their bakery. She asked how does one get their bakery sold and they told her to “bring some cookies in.”
She did and it was another strong business customer. And that account, it was A’Bravo Bistro, partly owned by Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver. Having that connection with Driver led her to baking for weddings and bridal showers for at least five Packers players wives. ”Every break led in the right direction,” she said.
She now has regular appearances on Fox 11’s “Living with Amy” and “Good Day Wisconsin”. Her popularity has led her to bake for other celebrities who have come to the area.
Joel’s favorite television show is “Everybody Loves Raymond”, so when Brad Garrett performed at the PAC, Christine was able to get two backstage passes and meet Garrett, and of course, gave him cookies.
In her office she has photos of those she met and baked for. She calls it her “Wall of Fame”.
So who is on her wall? You’ll see photos of Garrett, Martina McBride, Bobby Flay, Brad Paisley, and of course, Donald Driver..
Who’s left on her bucket list to bake for? ”I’d love to meet Carol Burnett,” DeLosSantos said. “I”d also like to bake for Mary Tyler Moore, Rachel Ray, Paula Dean and Emeril (Lagasse). ”Those are people that I admire and respect.”
So who is her all-time favorite to bake for? ”I still love baking cookies best for the kids,” DeLosSantos said of birthday orders. “It’s the school treats for kids. It’s the most rewarding.”
