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FAMILIES DURING WORLD WAR TWO. BRITTANY. GAI. KORIR. THANKS. THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO HEAL A BROKEN HEART. BUT A BIRMINGHAM WOMAN’S BUSINESS GIVES NEW MEANING TO EATING YOUR EMOTIONS. �������� 13 S CARLA WADE HAS THE STORY BEHIND THE BREAKUP COOKIE AS WE HIGHLIGHT BARRIER BREAKING WOMEN ACCEPTING THAT A RELATIONSHIP HAS COME TO AN END CAN BE PAINFUL AND DIFFICULT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THAT’S JUST HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES. BUT SOMETIMES THAT’S ALSO JUST HOW YOU COOK UP A NEW BUSINESS VENTURE. THE BREAKUP COOKIE BEGINS WITH A LESSON IN LETTING SOMEONE DOWN EASY FROM CREATOR EMILY HALL. I WAS DATING SOMEONE WE HAD BEEN DATING NOT VERY LONG, AND I DECIDED THAT IT PROBABLY WASN’T A GOOD FIT. AND SO HE CAME OVER ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND WE HAD PLANS TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I JUST KIND OF STOPPED HIM IN THE KITCHEN AND WE SAT DOWN TO TALK, AND I HANDED HIM A COOKIE. SHE HELPED HER SOON TO BE EX BEAU SWALLOW A BITTER PILL BY WASHING IT DOWN WITH SOMETHING SWEET. HE WAS EATING A COOKIE AND I SAID, THIS JUST ISN’T GOING TO WORK OUT. AND HE STARTED TO PROTEST, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE ME HIS REASONS WHY HE THOUGHT I WAS MAKING A BAD DECISION. BUT HE STOPPED HIMSELF AT THAT POINT AND SAID, MAN, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD COOKIE. AND GIVING HIM SOMETHING TO CHEW ON. BESIDES THE DEMISE OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP, I WAS LIKE, I’M SO GLAD YOU THINK SO. AND I HAD PRE-MADE A BAG OF TO GO COOKIES FOR HIM, AND SO I JUST HANDED HIM THE BAG AND SENT HIM ON HIS WAY AND WISHED HIM THE BEST. AT THE TIME, EMILY WAS WORKING AT A COFFEE SHOP, JUST TINKERING WITH COOKIE RECIPES FOR THE STORE. SHE DID EVENTUALLY LEAVE THAT SHOP, TAKING A JOB AS A FOOD STYLIST FOR A MAGAZINE. THE COOKIE AND THE BREAKUP WERE BEHIND HER. BUT THEN THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED, AND EVERYBODY IS AT HOME WITH A LOT MORE TIME ON THEIR HANDS AND WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THAT TIME AND AND WHAT IS LIFE AND WHAT WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? AND SO I STARTED MAKING COOKIE DOUGH AT HOME TO SELL TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY, JUST THINKING IT WOULD BE A SEASONAL THING. BUT WHAT SEEMED AT FIRST LIKE A HALF BAKED IDEA TOOK OFF AS A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS. SHE SOON HAD TO GET COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND FOR ORDERS BRANCHING OUT INTO NEEDING EMPLOYEES AND BECOMING AN EMPLOYER AND BECOMING A MANAGER. THESE WERE ALL NEW THINGS TO ME, AND BY 2021, PREMADE BREAKUP COOKIE DOUGH WAS AVAILABLE IN BIRMINGHAM STORES. RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ONE FLAVOR. WE HAVE THE BREAKUP COOKIE. THE ORIGINAL BREAKUP COOKIE, AND THAT IS A CHOCOLATE CHIP, SEA SALT TOPPED COOKIE. IT’S MADE WITH THREE TYPES OF PREMIUM CHOCOLATE CHIPS, AND IT COMES WITH A BAG OF FLAKY SEA SALT FOR YOU TO SPRINKLE ON. AFTER THE COOKIES COME OUT OF THE OVEN. EVENTUALLY, IN SIX LOCAL PIGGLY WIGGLY STORES, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE WITH THE LOCAL PIGGLY WIGGLY CHAINS HAS BEEN WAS A GAME CHANGER. AND IN PLACES LIKE TINA’S MARKET HERE IN HOMEWOOD, PARTNERING WITH OTHER WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN HAVE FOUND A GREAT SUPPORT NETWORK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING SOMETHING ADJACENT TO WHAT I’M DOING. WE’RE NOT DOING THE EXACT SAME THINGS, BUT WE’RE DOING THINGS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER. AND TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP AND SOOTHING HEARTACHES WITH A COMFORTING TREAT.