Will new Girl Scout cookie unseat Thin Mints?

If you've got a box of Thin Mints in the freezer, it's time to thaw and eat. Girl Scouts cookie sales for 2012 started Friday and you'll need to clear space for new supplies when they arrive next month. • The news this year is the introduction of Savannah Smiles, a lemon cookie that is dusted with powdered sugar and commemorates the 100th anniversary of the scouts. Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912 in Savannah, Ga. Besides the new cookie, the stalwart Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Trefoils and Do-Si-Dos return, along with the newer Dulce de Leche and Thank You Berry Munch. • Girl Scouts in west-central Florida will be taking preorders — or their parents will have order forms in the office — until Jan. 27. Cookie delivery starts Feb. 16. Look for scouts in front of grocery stores and other business Feb. 24 through March 18. • Last year, the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida sold 2.2 million boxes of cookies and raised $1.3 million. That's a lot of dough at about $3.50 a box. • Folks seriously sticking to their New Year's weight-loss resolution can buy cookies and have them sent to troops in combat zones through the Girl Scouts' Cookies From Home program. Donations can be made through a Girl Scout during the cookie drive. • For more information regarding purchasing Girl Scout cookies, visit gswcf.org/cookies or call toll-free 1-800-881-4475, ext. 1838. Janet K. Keeler, Times food and travel editor