Join Team FRIDAY FRIENDS for Operation Baking Gals

I WILL be posting What's outside my kitchen window, along with a great little sandwich, later on this evening.
I just have to..."have to" because it's my deadline, post this "article" on Operation Baking Gals. I have to turn it in today.... and being that I'm a procrastinator, I'm still trying to find out some info about my soldier. (I know when his birthday is, when his wedding anniversary is, that he likes to tease his sisters... but all the "military" info... not so much. Because. ..I procrastinated!! )
I will post this now, and then again when time is drawing nearer to the sign ups... cuz I know you'll be wanting to sign up and send goodies...

Join Team "Friday Friends" for Baking Gals: Round 9

Round 9 is here for the Baking Gals (Give a little support).
This is the first time that I have hosted a "baking" round, so maybe I'm the one who needs a little support...Won't you join me in baking for our troops?


I think we've chosen a fine young soldier to bake for this time.
Specialist Luke Haaglund of the Nevada Army National Guard.

Luke is a shirt-tail relative of mine, he is my daughter-in-law, Sadie's brother.
We've spent a few holidays together--the dinner part of the holidays anyway. The part where you eat, you sit together and visit and tell stories and have great food.
And that's what I want to send to Luke and his troops as they arrive in Afghanistan-- great baked goods from a group of great bakers/bloggers.
Luke and his wife Danielle have been married for almost 6 years and make their home in Reno, Nevada.
All of Luke's troops are from the great state of Nevada and have just arrived in Afghanistan as we speak (or write...or blog...)

here is a photo of the guys who will be on the receiving end of our boxes of baked goodies... (Luke is the one in the sun glasses)



This is Luke's first tour overseas and I know that homesickness must have settled upon them all just about now.
Please help me in letting them know that we think about them and wish them safety and a quick return home to their loved ones.

Here is what you do if you want to join me:

1) e-mail me and let me know you want to join TEAM FRIDAY FRIENDS.

2) go to BakingGals site and join team Friday Friends from the round 9 teams. Sign ups begin on May 23rd.

3) Shipping Dates for Round 9 are June 1st thru the 10th.

4) e-mail me a picture of your goodies and package contents and a link to your blog post. (if you have a blog...YOU don't have to have a blog to participate, just e-mail me the info)

5) BE SURE and do both #1 and #2 so that I know who is on my team. Thanks.


I will post the round-up on my blog once the shipping period is over and I have received all the pictures.
Any treats will be appreciated but try to stay away from too much chocolate (ch chip cookies are okay, Hershey bars are not), as it gets very hot in route.

You may include (but it is optional):
a post card or brochure of your town
a short letter/note telling about yourself
beef jerky
pepperoni
hard candy...star bursts, jolly ranchers, jelly beans, blow pops, hot tamales, life savers, etc
gum

I will post Luke's mailing address through the BakingGals site bulletin once you have joined, as well as send it out to you in an e-mail.

Thanks!!! You can do it!!! We can do it!!
Enlist now.

Operation Baking Gals--round 8

Operation Baking Gals!
It's a good thing. You should think about doing it for the next go 'round.
What is it? What do we do?
We bake! And then we package and send to a solider stationed overseas.
We do it to show our support and give a solider a smile.

There's a really good article here
to show how it all got started...
and also a little excerpt from the article....
A soldier sits for a moment in his tent after spending all day in a dry, scorching hot desert where the sand seems to get into everything. The sun is relentless, and he has not had a full night's rest in weeks. The soldier has received a package, and when he opens it, the aroma of an encouraging, familiar smell wafts up to his nose -- homemade cookies.


After reading that, doesn't it make you want to join up? With Operation Baking Gals, I mean.

Since I like to bake...once I found out about Operation Baking Gals, how could I not join in the fun?
I joined up with "Team Ugly Angel" My team leader for this round--round 8, is Kimberly of

3rd Generation Cake Lady

This round Team Ugly Angel is hosting Sergeant Mark Svatek from Wharton, TX. Mike joined the Marine Corps in January 2003 and is stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He is in Supply with 3rd Battalion/3rd Marines H&S Co. This is his second tour to Iraq. He and his wife Tina have 2 daughters. Chloe (3) and Emily (18 months).

I am a Marine baby.... even tho I'll be 50 this year, I call myself a Marine baby because I was born in Camp Pendleton, CA while my dad was stationed there.
My Great-Uncle was a Marine and he fought in the South Pacific during WWII. I have a scrapbook of his. It's priceless to me.
(YIKES...it's really my dad's scrap book --I was supposed to just be looking at it, but I've kept it for 8 years!! What if he reads this?)
My brother was a Marine, my dad's cousin was a Marine.
Semper Fi.
I hope Sergeant Mark Svatek and his buddies like all the goodies they'll be getting!

I made two different cookies to send, as well as purchased some jolly ranchers and beef jerky to stick in the box. And.. a Postcard telling about Winnemucca.

The first cookie I made was an old favorite from a Favorite Friend... A Friday Friend... Debbie. We used to live next door to each other and she would make this and we would meet at one another's house for tea and cookies.
YUM!

Chocolate Crunchies.

These have cornflakes in them. Seriously...see... (kind of looks like Frito's, but it's not)

Chocolate Crunchies

3 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

sift together
***
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

blend together
*****
1 cup oil

add this alternately with the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, mixing well.
*****

1 cup corn flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup oatmeal

Stir this into the mixture

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drop dough onto sheets by spoonful. Bake for about 10 minutes.
_______________
(I know that oatmeal isn't there fav, but you can hardly tell it's in there )

The second treat I made was from a recipe I got this past Christmas from

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary Blogsite. It looks good and easy and I think it will keep well for shipping.

Ghetto Toffee/Rumstick Crunch

1 sleeve of saltines
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 sticks butter
12 oz chocolate chips
chopped walnuts or pecans--optional

Cover a large sheet pan with foil. Place crackers in single layer in pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add sugar and cook until thick and bubbly. Pour mixture over crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. When chips are slightly melted, smooth with spatula to cover crackers.
Sprinkle with nuts. When cool, left foil and break into pieces.

Next month, I'm going to be a team leader for Operation Baking Gals. You should think of "enlisting".

Enlisted

Mmmm......good. I just hope the boys across the sea like them too. Today is the day I send them to Iraq. I joined Susan over at Operation Baking Gals...she has the greatest idea.. check it out at:

http://doughmesstic.blogspot.com/

or

http://operationbakinggals.blogspot.com/

So, I ENLISTED! I made "peanut butter and jelly bars" and some 'rice krispie treats".

Off they go...into the wild blue yonder.....