It's time again for one of America's favorite treats.

Girl Scouts are taking orders for cookies through Sunday, March 14.

This year's cookies include Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Thanks-A-Lot, Lemonades, Daisy Go Rounds and Peanut Butter Patties.

The price per box is $3.50, and all of the proceeds generated from the cookie sale program stay within the girls' local area and the 41-county council.

In 2009, Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines (GS-NCCP) troops earned more than $1.3 million in proceeds. That's an average of just over $1,000 per troop.

"Girl Scouts in central and eastern North Carolina hope to sell 2.6 million boxes of cookies in 2010, and we need your help to achieve that goal," says a spokesman.

Back by popular demand is the "BUY 5" promotion. Customers who purchase five or more boxes of Girl Scout cookies in a single purchase can enter their name in a drawing to win a year's supply of free Girl Scout cookies from Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines! Six winners will be selected and will be announced in May.

Girl Scouts cookies can be ordered online. Girls can send e-mail messages to friends and family who can order cookies by replying to the e-mail message.

During the weekend of Super Bowl XLIV, Girl Scout cookies will be sold at thousands of cookie booths from Feb. 5 -7.

"If you did not have a Girl Scout visit your home or ask you via e-mail to purchase cookies, you can visit cookie booths outside of your local businesses on the weekends from Feb. 13 to March 14." says the spokesman.

To find a local booth, visit thecookie booth locator at: www.nccoastalpines.org.

For the sixth consecutive year the council will be participating in Operation Cookie Drop. Customers can make donations through March 14. Those donations will be used to purchase cookies to ship overseas to military personnel at Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson AFB, and the North Carolina branch of Give2TheTroops based in Greenville. Since the program first started more than 221,000 boxes have been shipped to the troops.

For almost 100 years the Girl Scout Cookie Program has helped girls develop skills they will use throughout their lives. Through this annual activity, Girl Scouts ages 5-17 learn time and money management, how to set and achieve goals, the value of teamwork, how to build communication skills and customer service. These skills can even be listed on job and school applications and on resumes.

For information on how to purchase Girl Scout Cookies visit, www.nccoastalpines.org.