POWAY, Calif. — A Poway mother received a holiday surprise she never saw coming; her homemade chocolate chip cookie business is an overnight success. In this Zevely Zone, I met the makers of Oli's Cookies.
In order to be a great chef and mother, sometimes you need to write your own recipe. "It's time to start baking," said Laura Bache. She is a stay-at-home mom, but the cookies she's crafting are leaving her home by the thousands. "Today I will be baking 460 cookies," said Laura. "I am doing it for him. I am doing it for us."
Laura graduated from the San Diego Culinary Institute and was working in high end restaurants, until her son Oli was diagnosed with severe autism spectrum disorder.
"It was very difficult. I was shocked, you think I would have noticed the signs, I didn't have a clue," said Laura. Oli was three at the time. "When I realized it was severe autism, I was devastated," said Laura.
He's now seven and in second grade. "Oli and I have been doing this single parent thing for about two years now," said Laura. "Can you come help momma?"
Laura created Oli's Cookies just a few weeks ago and customers are already ordering her plant-based chocolate chip cookies by the hundreds of dozens.
While she bakes, Oli draws. He doesn't say much, but his creations do all the talking. "Oli is an amazing artist. He draws all of the time," said Laura who launched the business so she could spend more time with her son.
"Hawaii is our happy place," said Laura. "Oli has learned to surf, I have learned to surf."
When Oli isn't in the ocean or playing soccer, he's his mom's number one helper.
"This is a busy kitchen," said Laura. How is Oli at making cookies? "Well, let's just say he is better at eating them," said Laura. There's only one cook in this kitchen, but on this shift two taste testers. "Yum," I said while biting into my first cookie.
If you think the cookies are sweet, wait until this mother tells you about the dozens and dozens of reasons, she wouldn't want her life any other way.
"Oli is amazing, he is my everything, I do not know what I would be doing right now without him he is my purpose, he has changed my entire life," said Laura. "He just makes my life better."
Laura says baking is an outlet for stress and anxiety and a way she can express and share her love with people. She started sharing the plant-based chocolate chip cookies more than three years ago, but finally decided to start packaging and selling them in November. It is her goal to continue exposing Oliver to new adventures and help him thrive in life while spreading Autism awareness and acceptance one delicious cookie at a time.
For more information click and follow Olis_cookies on Instagram or go to oliscookiescompany.com.
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