Operation Baking Gals Goodies---Team Baking for Our Troops

I recently discovered a wonderful site called Operation Baking Gals. http://operationbakinggals.blogspot.com/ I absolutely LOVE to bake but I can only send so many care packages to my siblings in college. So, I was thrill to find that I could send cookies and other baked goods to soliders fighting overseas. I have many relatives either are or were in the military, so this especially hits home for me. (I have a cousin going to Iraq soon---Yikes!!)

Here is how the site works. The owner of the blog gets names, bios, and addresses of soliders fighting overseas. She then has bloggers volunteer to be host for a solider and create a team. Then, then she posts the names of the teams each with a solider and his/her bio on the Operation Baking Gals blog. Anyone can sign up to send a package(s) to a solider of your choosing. You sign up by e-mailing the host of that solider. The host then sends you an e-mail with the address and the date that the packages should be mailed out.

After scrolling the soliders, I chose team Baking For Our Troops (Baking4Troops.blogspot.com) who was hosting Zachary Thomas Sain who is currently stationed in Iraq.

Here is his bio:

This round of home-baked goodies could not come at a better time for him because homesickness is getting pretty rough. It has been tough to hang on to a little piece of home, and his contact with loved ones last month cost him a 4-figure phone bill to prove it!!! Now, let me tell you a little bit about him. He is 19 years old and graduated from high school in Champion, Ohio in 2006. He has three siblings back home (Amanda 17, Jeremy 14, and Bailey 12) and his mother, Jacquetta. He is an animal lover and has a golden retriever named Sampson. Zach loves listening to the "oldies" as well as new music. He is into cars and rebuilt a 1977 Jeep with his dad, Joe, before he passed away. Zach loves to go muddin' in his Jeep and also enjoys target shooting. He is even a member of the American Motorcycle Association. As for the future, he hopes to return home from service and continue serving his community as a police officer.

Now before I was a stay at home mom, I was an English/Public Speaking Teacher at huge high school that had "little bit of everything." My favorite type of students were the "redneck kids." They delighted me with stories of huntin', trappin', and muddin'! What is muddin' you ask? Well, it is where you take your jeep and drive around in big mud puddles. Why? I have no idea! I don't get it, but the kids seem to love it...even the girls! So, as soon as I read that he liked to go muddin' I knew that he was the solider for me! That poor kid was older to have been a student of mine!! 19! I can't image. At 19, I was goofing off at college...thinking about boys and well food---I definitely gained the freshment 15....and then some! ;-) This poor kid is dealing with some awful stuff.

I wanted to make him stuff to remind him of October/Fall/Halloween. So, I made a few goodies and then bought some halloween type candy. It only cost me $8.00 to send the package too! You can get a flat rate box, but it is really really small and was $9.00. Luckily, the post office guy weight my stuff and gave me a bigger box and a cheaper price! Wahoo---I saved a dollar!!! ;-) But I really needed the bigger box too. I had a TON of cookies and candies.

Here is the the list of stuff I made. Some of the recipes can be found on my blog. I hope to add the other recipes as I find more time!

Carmel Popcorn Balls

http://adventuresingluttony.blogspot.com/search/label/Quick%20Carmel%20Popcorn%20Balls

Super Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle http://adventuresingluttony.blogspot.com/search/label/Super%20Easy%20Microwave%20Peanut%20Brittle

Dark Chocolate Dream Cookies

http://adventuresingluttony.blogspot.com/search/label/Dark%20Chocolate%20Dream%20Cookies

Dark Chocolate Mexican Biscotti (Day of the Dead was my thinking on that one)

Buttery Orange Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies: http://adventuresingluttony.blogspot.com/search/label/Chocolate%20Chip%20Pumpkin%20Cookies

Super Moist Chocolate Chip Blondies http://adventuresingluttony.blogspot.com/search/label/Super%20Soft%20Chocolate%20Chip%20Blondies

The candy included: Candy Corn, Smarties, Sour Gum, and Cheesy Chex Mix. Plus, I send a Thank You card with a nice message.

I can't wait to see who this month's soliders are. This definitley something I am going to do for now one. I also plan on added my cousin to the list when he goes. So, if you like to bake check out the site!