Wednesday, July 4, 2012

BakingGALS Round 43 - Happy 4th of July!

Hello to BakingGALS round 43! (and to everyone else...if you love to bake it is a fun organization to join).


My name is Sam and I live in the Snoqualmie Valley area of WA state. These photos about sum up our weather yesterday. It was either sunny (and muggy) or threatening clouds followed by rain.

Baking is a huge outlet for me and I love the process of trying new recipes and seeing how they do. BakingGALS was one of two baking events for me this month so I have kept busy! I also work part-time, I am in school part-time and keep my life busy with hiking, quilting, and dog training. 



This round I was all about trying new recipes. Some I had tried literally the night before for a Relay for Life bake sale and had already received feedback on several new options.


I did a total of 4 medium flat-rate shipping boxes which was more than planned...I got a little carried away this time

One was absolutely packed with baby wipes as that seems to be a popular need.


This is my 3rd military shipment experience and I am getting much better at noticing relevant sales when I am out shopping. 2 months ago Target was clearing out a ton of those Crystal Light style water additives. They served me well for securing the more flat cookies containers and anything that didn't fit in the cookie containers was stuffed in the shipping boxes.


It is hard for me to avoid chocolate chips because of my love of everything chocolate, but I was trying to branch out because of the melting problem. I did do sugar cookies (as well as Snickerdoodles which I forgot to photograph - and mom, I agree with you, the recipe was fine and they tasted great but it turns out I am not much of a Snickerdoodle fan).


Chocolate chips and salted peanuts did find their way into these peanut butter cookies. This was also a new peanut butter cookie recipe and I enjoyed it far more than my previous one.


I figured gingerbread would also hold out well against melting and these are a nicely spiced, not too sweet cookie.


The chocolate-chip mint and chocolate raspberry were also new recipes from Relay for Life and I got some good feedback on them. Again I didn't entirely avoid the chocolate chips, but the mint is a very pleasant change.

In retrospect I could have probably dropping the chips for this shipment and it still would have been a very nice chocolate-mint cookie. I may have to try that next time. I was actually looking for baking M & Ms. I have no idea if they still even make them or if they would be less likely to melt.

Other cookies not pictured was Oatmeal-walnut-raisin which is my new favorite oatmeal cookie and I have got some good feedback on them as well.

I wrote little notes for each box. This was a great round. I got to read little one sentence bios on all the members of this particular unit. It is fun to get a sense of where they are originally from or what is a passion for them.

Everyone have a safe and relaxing 4th of July!

4 comments:

  1. That sounds like a lot of cookies and other stuff you are sending. Hooray for you and all the other baking gals out there.

    Cindy

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    1. Hi Cindy! The group has been fun to work with so far. If you are remotely interested you can always apply to sign up and see what it is about. There is no requirement you bake/prepare a care package really until you commit to a team...which you do on a monthly basis. So every month I read the team bios and decide which one I can support. If I am having a month in which I can't then I would just skip.

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  2. sounds like you were baking for a while girl! I'm so glad that you get to be a part of a group like this! I bet it is so rewarding!! I can't wait to have time to do things like this.... Come December Come!

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    1. I think you would love the baking and the groups! It is probably too hot for a lot of baking right now for you. Even for me depending on the day the kitchen gets too stuffy.

      I love groups like this. I am meeting some really nice people.

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