diff --git a/api/api/__init__.py b/api/api/__init__.py
index 23d2b2d..21452f2 100644
--- a/api/api/__init__.py
+++ b/api/api/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
 
 
 from api.settings import app_settings
+from api.util import CustomJSONEncoder
 
 # instantiate the extensions
 db = SQLAlchemy()
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ cors = CORS()
 def create_app(script_info=None):
 
     app = Flask(__name__)
+    app.json_encoder = CustomJSONEncoder
 
     # set config
     config_engine = app_settings[os.getenv("APP_SETTINGS", "dev")]()
@@ -34,5 +36,9 @@ def create_app(script_info=None):
     #     app.register_blueprint(users_blueprint)
 
     # shell context for flask cli
-    app.shell_context_processor({"app": app, "db": db})
+    app.shell_context_processor(lambda: {"app": app, "db": db})
     return app
+
+
+# Model import occurs here to allow flask_sqlalchemy to import metadata
+import api.models
diff --git a/api/api/app.py b/api/api/app.py
index f9dd01b..5038367 100644
--- a/api/api/app.py
+++ b/api/api/app.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import os
-from flask import Blueprint
+import datetime as dt
+from flask import Blueprint, jsonify
 
+from .models import Cookie
 
 main_blueprint = Blueprint("main", __name__)
 
-
 __version__ = "1.2.0"
 
 
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@ def pong():
     return {"message": "pong"}
 
 
-@main_blueprint.route("/env")
-def env():
-    """Exposes the environment variables."""
-    return dict(os.environ)
+@main_blueprint.route("/date")
+def current_date():
+    """A route that simply returns the current datetime of the system"""
+    return {"current_date": dt.datetime.now(dt.timezone.utc).isoformat()}
+
+
+@main_blueprint.route("/cookies")
+def get_cookies():
+    cookies = Cookie.query.all()
+    return jsonify([cookie.to_dict() for cookie in cookies])
diff --git a/api/api/models.py b/api/api/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..533ae05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+from sqlalchemy import (
+    Column,
+    Identity,  # Identity replaced Serial
+    Integer,
+    BigInteger,
+    Numeric,
+    String,
+    ForeignKey,
+    DateTime,
+    Boolean,
+    Enum,
+)
+from sqlalchemy.orm import relationship
+from sqlalchemy.sql import expression
+from sqlalchemy.ext.compiler import compiles
+from sqlalchemy.types import DateTime as DatetimeType
+
+from . import db
+
+
+class utcnow(expression.FunctionElement):
+    type = DatetimeType()
+
+
+@compiles(utcnow, "postgresql")
+def pg_utcnow(element, compiler, **kw):
+    return "TIMEZONE('utc', CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"
+
+
+def ReferenceCol(tablename, nullable=False, **kw):
+    """A utility function for declaring foreign key relationships."""
+    return Column(ForeignKey("{}.id".format(tablename)), nullable=nullable, **kw)
+
+
+class DBMixin:
+    id = Column(BigInteger, Identity(start=100000), primary_key=True)
+    created_date = Column(DateTime(timezone=True), server_default=utcnow())
+    modified_date = Column(
+        DateTime(timezone=True), server_default=utcnow(), onupdate=utcnow()
+    )
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        d = self.__dict__.copy()
+        if "_sa_instance_state" in d:
+            d.pop("_sa_instance_state")
+        return d
+
+
+class Cookie(DBMixin, db.Model):
+    """A Cookie Class"""
+
+    __tablename__ = "cookies"
+
+    name = Column(String(50), index=True)
+    recipe_url = Column(String(255))
+    sku = Column(String(55))
+    qoh = Column(Integer)
+    unit_cost = Column(Numeric(12, 2))
diff --git a/api/api/settings.py b/api/api/settings.py
index 4794b06..4530b3c 100644
--- a/api/api/settings.py
+++ b/api/api/settings.py
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 import os
 
+# TODO Find an alternative to injection envvars into config.
+if os.getenv("FLASK_ENV") == "development":
+    try:
+        import dotenv
+
+        dotenv.load_dotenv()
+    except Exception:
+        print("Didn't load a .env file")
+        pass
+
 
 # TODO Add  postgres params option
 def build_postgres_uri(host, user, dbname, passwd=None, port="5432", sslmode=None):
@@ -44,6 +54,7 @@ class BaseConfigEngine:
 
 class DevConfigEngine(BaseConfigEngine):
     DEBUG = True
+    SQLALCHEMY_ECHO = True
 
 
 class TestingConfigEngine(BaseConfigEngine):
diff --git a/api/api/util.py b/api/api/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7483eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import datetime as dt
+from decimal import Decimal
+
+from flask.json import JSONEncoder
+
+
+class CustomJSONEncoder(JSONEncoder):
+    def default(self, obj):
+        try:
+            if isinstance(obj, dt.datetime):
+                return obj.isoformat()
+            if isinstance(obj, Decimal):
+                return float(obj)
+            iterable = iter(obj)
+        except TypeError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            return list(iterable)
+        return JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)