Not many moms can say they own and operate a cookie company, but that's exactly what Jill Robbins does! After her son began developing allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy and soy, as a mom she had to get creative with her cooking! Those allergens are often found in baked treats or in facilities where baked treats are made. Did you know that more than 1 million Americans are allergic to peanuts alone? Add all the allergens together and there are more than 12 million Americans who can't eat cookies!
Jill said, "Watching my son, watching everyone else enjoying treats was my motivation for starting my allergen free baking." Before starting her cookie company, HomeFree Cookies, Jill was still busy working as a clinical psychologist, singing in a choir and volunteering at her son's school. Now, she has a much more fun job.... baking cookies! Here is what she had to say about it:
Jill Robbins, owner of HomeFree Cookies
How have you involved your son in the “cookie business”?
In the most fun way possible - taste testing! Every cookbook recipe and every HomeFree product has to get a very high “score.” My son with food allergies also sometimes helps at fundraising events, where he proudly enjoys handing out HomeFree cookies to participants.
What has been your hardest struggle when it comes to balancing your family life with your work life?
It is hard to be pulled by both. I went from working part time as a psychologist to working much more than full time to build our new company. That has been a challenge for my whole family. But my husband has taken on a lot of the cooking and shopping, so that when I am not working it is easier to spend time on other family activities.
It is hard to be pulled by both. I went from working part time as a psychologist to working much more than full time to build our new company. That has been a challenge for my whole family. But my husband has taken on a lot of the cooking and shopping, so that when I am not working it is easier to spend time on other family activities.
You are obviously very busy. How do you find time to balance your crazy schedule and spending time with your kids? Do you have a set “Mommy and Me Day”?
Today is a good example. I considered staying home to work this weekend, rather than join my family to visit relatives. Instead, I am here, spending most of the time with the family, and some time on my computer. With regard to “Mommy and Me” time, we have sometimes had Saturday afternoons for that (after shipping orders in the morning), but mostly we like our time to be family time.
What are your kids’ favorite Mommy and Me Activities?
One of my sons is grown. My son with food allergies (age 12) has a passion for Scrabble. So he and I started a Scrabble club at his school. Our favorite activities together are Scrabble related. For example, kind of like a “soccer mom” going from game to game cheering on her child, my husband and I take our son to Scrabble tournaments. We just got back from 5 days in Ohio cheering on our son at the National Scrabble Championship. We also play ping pong, play Wii, play with our dog, and co-create recipes for cookies!
What struggles did you come across in starting your business? Did your family support you?
Starting any new business requires an incredible amount of time, money, and energy. Because allergy safety is so essential to me, I had the additional need to construct and operate my own baking facility. My family has been amazingly supportive in every way. They share my mission of making widely available our delicious, wholesome, inclusive treats.
I am very familiar with organic products as both of my nephews have allergy issues and my brother keeps them on a very strict organic diet. I know it can be a struggle getting kids to eat organically. How do HomeFree cookies taste? What has been the response from kids?
Today is a good example. I considered staying home to work this weekend, rather than join my family to visit relatives. Instead, I am here, spending most of the time with the family, and some time on my computer. With regard to “Mommy and Me” time, we have sometimes had Saturday afternoons for that (after shipping orders in the morning), but mostly we like our time to be family time.
What are your kids’ favorite Mommy and Me Activities?
One of my sons is grown. My son with food allergies (age 12) has a passion for Scrabble. So he and I started a Scrabble club at his school. Our favorite activities together are Scrabble related. For example, kind of like a “soccer mom” going from game to game cheering on her child, my husband and I take our son to Scrabble tournaments. We just got back from 5 days in Ohio cheering on our son at the National Scrabble Championship. We also play ping pong, play Wii, play with our dog, and co-create recipes for cookies!
What struggles did you come across in starting your business? Did your family support you?
Starting any new business requires an incredible amount of time, money, and energy. Because allergy safety is so essential to me, I had the additional need to construct and operate my own baking facility. My family has been amazingly supportive in every way. They share my mission of making widely available our delicious, wholesome, inclusive treats.
I am very familiar with organic products as both of my nephews have allergy issues and my brother keeps them on a very strict organic diet. I know it can be a struggle getting kids to eat organically. How do HomeFree cookies taste? What has been the response from kids?
The question surprised me. It has been a very long time since organic products didn’t taste great. Organic simply refers to the practice of having foods grown and processed very naturally, such as without unnatural pesticides, additives, or genetically modified organisms. If anything, some people think organic products taste better than non-natural products, since they are just made from real food. The question I hear more often is how our cookies taste, given that they are 100% whole grain. But the grains we use – oats and barley - taste delicious and have wonderful texture. Every HomeFree cookie contains at least ½ serving of whole grain (the oatmeal cookies almost a whole serving!) out of 3 recommended daily servings. Pretty amazing from a cookie! And, yes, kids LOVE them. (Adults do too.)
Can we buy HomeFree cookies online and get them shipped anywhere in the US?
Yes. At http://www.homefreetreats.com/ people can find not only our cookies (boxed and individually wrapped), but also our hand made coffee cakes, our Allergen Free Baking cookbook, and our allergen-tested baking ingredients. Our cookies are also increasingly available at stores, as well as at schools and other institutions. People can request the cookies too – store buyers and institutions really care about meeting the needs of their customers.
Can we buy HomeFree cookies online and get them shipped anywhere in the US?
Yes. At http://www.homefreetreats.com/ people can find not only our cookies (boxed and individually wrapped), but also our hand made coffee cakes, our Allergen Free Baking cookbook, and our allergen-tested baking ingredients. Our cookies are also increasingly available at stores, as well as at schools and other institutions. People can request the cookies too – store buyers and institutions really care about meeting the needs of their customers.
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