Operation Baking Gals in the paper!

Hey everyone Steph Chows here and I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it into my local paper in Rochester NY!! Here is the link!!
CLICK HERE

So exciting!

:)

Another New Team...Yes, Another!!

Hello everyone! Thanks for dropping by to catch up or find out what all the fuss is about!
Today there are hundred of bakers firing up their ovens, getting ready to bake and ship thousands of cookies to some very deserving troops...and as of last night, we have enough bakers to justify adding yet Another soldier to the mix!!

The soldier for this new team is stationed in Iraq and is over a group of Junior Soldiers, meaning - we have some youngins' needing cookies! Who wants to help?

Because we are adding this troop in just a little late, we are exteding shipping for him from the 23rd (today) all the way through the 4th of September. I have also decided that although it's a lot of work - I will go ahead and Host him myself - so maybe this will be Team DoughMessTic Squared?

If you are just now finding out about Baking GALS and want to join us - PLEASE give us a shout - and we will get you asigned to one of our teams - we'd LOVE to have you!

A HUGE Thank You to everyone one of you who are baking as well as spreading the word...articles being written about us, radio programs, gossip, culinary schools, square dancers, church groups, BUNCO groups!! You all know who you are! Thank YOU!!!
Here are some links to some of our very supportive promoters:
Just Baking - a very nice write up by Sandy
Great Cooks Radio - Jill did a fun interview about Baking GALS - check it out!

Coming Soon - our write up in the Roanoke Times and the article about Steph of Steph Chows!!
Hey Oprah?! We're waiting on you!

Team Maybe For Real

Hi Team Maybe for Real- I'm Anna of Maybe Just a Little Bite and we're the new team on the block! Our Soldiers are a group of guys who are
permanently stationed in Mosul. Yep, I said permanently stationed! There are about 8 troops and they have been there for a long haul and they have another long haul ahead of them. What better way is there to show our appreciation than to lavish them with some good old fashioned, cookie love, or brownie love, or whatever your specialty might be.

I'm so excited to do this! Let's do what we do best! Are you as ready as I am? Let's get cooking! Let's get these guys some sweet stuff, both literally and figuratively!

We're getting a bit of a late start so if you would like to join us, please send me an e-mail at biscottidiverona (at) hotmail (dot) com by Friday, August 29th. Please include your name if it isn't evident from your e-mail address and if you have a blog, include both the blog name and the URL. (We're extending our shipping dates from the 23rd-30th to the 23rd -4th to accommodate being late bloomers. Anyone who is ready can certainly go ahead and start shipping on the 23rd but newcomers can have until the 4th to ship.)

Our gang, so far!
Rigby of Butterbur's Bistro
Melissa of It's Melissas Kitchen
Sarah Hurley
Barbara Cohen
Erin Garrard
Tami Von Rotz
Dina Fitzpatrick
Jennifer McElhaney
Janet of All I Want Is Chocolate
Suzanne Vierno
Ashley Bates
Lisa of Lunch Bucket Bento
Maria Romano
Amanda from The Waterside Novice Baker
Stacy
Cindy Olinger
Jill O'Callaghan
Lauren of I'll Eat You
Emily @ I Found A Fish
Elizabeth from Providence

A New Team and some updates!!

Yep - A NEW TEAM!! A little late in the game, I know, I know. But we have had so many people sign up, we needed to add another group! Anna of Maybe Just A Little Bite has just started blogging (welcome her, foodies!) and has taken over the hosting position of TEAM MAYBE For REAL! She will be posting info about her soldiers a bit later, but I wanted everyone to be on the lookout! An YAY to all of you for participating and getting in on this project!!
Can you believe that between the last Round and this Round we have enlisted over 250 bakers!! And nearly ALL are bloggers!! (and those who aren't wish they were, right?!) It's the Power of the Foodies taking over the internet! Be PROUD to be in on the ground floor of such a great project...I know I am. And I am proud of all of you. It is because of all of you that this took off like it did.

Okay, the updates. Thanks to a baker putting her non-baking buddy on task, we have a great Press Release that is flooding the circuits...and while Oprah still hasn't called (hahaha), my regional newspaper did! They are doing a piece on Baking GALS in the Communities section this Sunday. The Paper is the Roanoke Times, and the New River Current is where the piece will appear...please don't make fun of the pictures of your hostess in her kitchen. Yes, I know how I look. Don't rub it in. So check that out this Sunday if you are bored.

On a similar note, Steph of Team Steph Chows is going to be in HER paper this coming Tuesday! Check out her site for the links! Way to go Steph!!

Now, if ANYONE, host, baker or lurker would like a copy of the Press Release or would like it to be modified to suit YOU, please let me know. Getting our word spread on the net is great, but getting it out in the other world is a little tougher! We'd love to help you!!
Oh, before I forget - Please, by ALL MEANS, steal the Baking GALS picture of Rosie. Repost it wherever you want! You are welcome to her!

Any suggestions and/or comments on how to do things better, how to improve our visibility, how to make this more fun - please let me know...my brain is pretty fried!

Again, stay tuned and look for Team Maybe For Real in the next little bit...and give her some support!

Round Two Starts Here!!!

Thanks everyone for your HUGE interest and support. If not for you, this organization wouldn't be what it is today! As some of you may already know, we made the local CBS news here last night (http://www.wdbj7.com/ in case you are interested in seeing the video yourself - I look, um, well, let's just not go there.)

But we do hope to see even more interest based on that, as well as the other things we currently have up our sleeves to let the world outside of the internet in on our group. But you are here NOW, and you want to know how it's going to work this time, right? Well, wait no more.

Six Hosts are heading up Round TWO of Operation Baking GALS! What does that mean to a baker?? Well, that means you choose!
The hosts will be posting Bios of their soldiers here on the site as well as their own sites and they are recruiting YOU to do some heartfelt baking!

Here is the INFO you came for!!

August Shipping Dates: August 23-30

When do you ship? Anytime that week. We want to bombard these troops with baked goods!!
Where do you ship? Your Host will send you an email letting you know the address.
What can you bake? That's up to you! See Cat's Post on how to ship for better packing instructions.
Who's YOUR Host? That's up to you! PLEASE send a host an email with the Subject Line - "I want on your team" and she will get back to you. So that others may see that you have enlisted to that team, your Host will be posting your name on the BIO of the soldier...that way we can keep track of who's shipping where! We want all of the soldiers to get lots of packages! If you haven't already emailed bakinggals@gmail.com to join the Official Roster, please do so in addition to emailing your host...we want to know just how many bakers we really have!!
What if you can't choose a soldier? NO PROBLEM!! Just send an email to bakinggals@gmail.com with the Subject Line - ANY SOLDIER and we will assign you to a host to round out the group. Again, we want to be as equal as we can be!
How will you get thanked? That's an important question..and it's one that makes Operation Baking GALS so unique! Not only does everyone know WHO they are baking for...Everyone gets THANKED! Your Host will be posting a thanks to each of her bakers on her own site after the ship dates have passed, sometime around September 1st.

Questions? That's what we are here for!! Just ask 'em!!

Team Meet Me in the Kitchen...

Russ, his little girl Adrienne, and his wife, Tiffany

Hello! I am Mary Anne or Meet me in the Kitchen, and I am one of the 6 hosts for this month. My Team and I are going to be sending homemade goodies to my brother-in law, Russ. He is up there in the picture, on the left.
Russ is a fun-loving father and a good old country boy, who grew up in a small town in Georgia. I was lucky enough to be roommates with his future wife, before I married his brother, so it was great to see them get married and have an adorable daughter, who Russ spoils with all his love and attention. They got engaged when I was in the hospital with my first child and I remember how they glowed with happiness. Russ is a great uncle to my 3 kids. He is one who can make anyone laugh and feel at home. His daughter misses him dearly, as does his wife.

She said "Looking back, it was obvious that Russ would choose to be a soldier." He was always playing army games and wanted to attend military schools. He is a very high speed, dare devil type of guy. All those things plus a love of this country helped him in his decision to join the army. He is a dedicated, conscientious soldier. Aside from being a soldier in the army, he is also a devoted husband and father. Russ has one daughter, a four year old, that is his world. Other than that, he is a normal guy, who likes hunting, fishing, basketball, and Georgia Football (GO DAWGS!)

If you are interested in joining me in sending some goodies to Russ and his troop, send me an email- mattymare33 (at) yahoo (dot) com. Please include your
Name:
Email:
Blog Name:
URL:
I will in turn send you an email with all the details. Thanks so much!

Official Team Members

Adrienne Van Houten-Adrienne's House

Audrey Murray- Bella & Piekna

Jan Connell-Did you know... chin hairs are nothing but stray eyelashes?

Sabrina Robideau-Superfluous

Anna- Lifes Too Short For Mediocre Chocolate

Funky Frum- The Meatless Chulent

Laura Dawn Beckstrand

Brenda Watwood- webbie's world

Dolores- Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity

Sheri White- cookingmom- My Life in Food and Pictures

Leigh Licata- No Sleep 'till Hanoi

Megan Malone

Madame Chow- Madame Chow's Kitchen

Greg- Oatmeal CookieBlog

Bridget- The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Fran Smith

Viveka Jagadeesan

Team DoughMessTic

Here I am again, looking for bakers to join me as I host for a Second Time! After all of the wonderful response from Round One, I couldn't bear to sit out Round Two...even though I swore I would turn it over to other Hosts!

So, who do I want you to bake for this time?

There is a group of 6 Army Soldiers stationed permanantly in Fallujah, and let me tell you, these poor guys aren't feeling the love. I have been told these hereos could really use a morale boost - and an unexpected shipment of goodies could really be the ticket. Will it bring them home? No it won't. But it will remind them of it...and that's a really positive thing in such a negative place.
Capt. Ballard (our Round One soldier) told me in an email that "I just hope these ladies know that they are doing a good thing. Even if it is 'just' baking cookies..."

These guys are protecting our rights, our liberty, our freedom. The least we can do in return is share a few homemade cookies with them, don't you think?

If you are up for helping me support this group of soldiers stationed in Fallujah, please send an email to troops@doughmesstic.com and I will get you the info you need. As I get more info from them, I will post it here, but for now, that's what I have.

Thanks for your time!! Let's BAKE!!

THIS IS TEAM DOUGHMESSTIC...We're FULL!! YAY!!!
Kita Roberts
Lisa Bostic
Mustang Sally
Donna Stafford
Sylvia Canterbury
Lisa Canterbury
Julia Schaeffer
Dona England
Kristen Huffman
Jennifer Lauer
Jennifer Amore
Lillian of Confectiona's Realm
Tara of Tara's Tempting Treats
Laura of Laura's Home Cookin'
Kate of Books & Bakes
Michelle of Culinography
Winnie Carr
Brooke of Dessert First
Holly of PheMOMenon
Jules Someone of Someone's In the Kitchen
Jane of Private Stock Menswear
Katia of Tiny Truffles
Emily Meeker, of Seattle, Washington
Kristen the Lil Aggie Cook
Patricia Dreiling of Austin, Texas

Team Barefoot...

This is my nephew, Joe. He's over in Afghanistan, with the Air Guard.


I show you this photo, rather than something more military, because HE caught that huge salmon in his left hand this past April, and I think he'd rather have everyone looking at THAT triumph, rather than the traditional shot of him in his Air Guard uniform.


Joe was one of the first members of my husband's family that I met, nearly eleven years ago. My memory of this? Joe was tormenting a neighbor's dog with a remote-controlled car. He's grown up a bit since then, and recently he and his girlfriend bought their first house. It's a duplex, and they worked long and hard to fix up the top apartment to rent out. Their first tenant moved in not too long before Joe was shipped out this time. He's already been in and out of Iraq, and this current assignment should be a lot shorter than those previous couple of years.


He was over in Iraq when both my kids were born, in 2002 and 2004. My son has always adored him, but my daughter, Julia, the younger child, was rather leery of Joe when he would visit, in uniform, after she was born. She has warmed up to him a lot since then, in part because he's really, really great with his young cousins.

Not that he'd want anyone to be aware of this kinder, gentler side. So forget I said anything.

If you'd like to bake for Joe and his buddies, please send me an email at jayne@barefootkitchenwitch.com and please include your name, email address, name of your website, and URL, along with any questions you might have, and I'll get back to you ASAP!

Thanks so much for participating!!

Jayne

~~ And here are the members (so far) of Team Barefoot! ~~

Heather of Sherry Trifle
Gina of gamecockdoc
Dianne of Dianne's Dishes
Lisa from White Plains, NY
Lauren from Alexandria, VA
Ingrid of 3B's...Baseball, Baking and Books
Margaret of Tea and Scones
Erin of Reading in Rheems
Gabi of The Feast Within
Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases
Francine from Harvey, IL
Debbie of The Friday Friends
Krista from Los Angeles, CA
Tammi of Tammi's World
Heather of Hanson Girl
Mike from Roseau, MN
Kelly of Baking With The Boys
Megan of Megans Cookin
Marisa from Brooklyn, NY
and LeighAnne, Victoria and Margaret!

Thanks to all of you for enlisting!! :)

Team Hungry Fox...

Hello to all you Baking Gals!

I am delighted to join our baking gals troops and am honored to be a first-time host for our effort to show home-made support to our troops.

My soldier is my daughter's husband, Daryl. He was shipped out a month before their second child (first boy) was born, so this has been doubly hard for the whole family. Daryl and Lyndsey also have a 2 1/2 year old daughter, and she is the apple of his eye. I know he misses her running to him every day when he gets home from work!

Daryl is a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force and is a team leader at their post in Iraq. He has 22 airmen working with him from his base at Shaw AFB in South Carolina. He and some of the others are concentrating on physical fitness, so things like high protein gorp and bars would be really great, but the good old comfort sweets will be welcome too!

Let me know if you can help us send Daryl and his troops our good will in the form of goodies fresh from our ovens! You can reach me for this project by emailing THEHUNGRYFOX at yahoo dot com.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Here's our team so far!

Heather Peskin of Brooklyn, NY

Carmella Lanni-Giardina of the Bronx, NY & The Food Duo

Amy Gurnsey from Detroit, MI & Wake Me When It's Over

Tanya Schroeder of Hoffman Estates, IL & Take the Cannoli

Beth Morey of Missoula, MT & Muffin Love Chick

Kim Onstott of Estrella Mountain Ranch, AZ & Your Place Gourmet

Kelsey Morris of NY, NY & Kelsey Kakes

Linda Harper of Los Angeles, CA & Tender Crumb

Brent Evans of Charlotte, NC & Personal Chefs Network

Gwen Byrd of Lancaster, SC

Dolores Ferrero of San Ramon, CA & Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity

Marianne Qoyawayma of Scottsdale, AZ

Penny Harper of Tualatin, OR

Pamela of Cookies With Boys

Katy Swanson of Overland Park, KS

Lorna Cohen of Northbrook, IL

Marilyn Nowalk of Washington, DC

Team Kara's Kitchen...

Hi Baking GALS! First and foremost, a huge huge thank you to anyone who's participating in this effort and even to those who've just stopped by to read about and/or promote Operation Baking GALS. I think it goes without saying that we are all very excited about this amazing project!

So, without further ado... it turns out I wasn't kidding when I said I was super excited about having joined Operation Baking GALS... as I'm now so honored to be one of our "hosts" for Round Two!

Colin getting ready to take-off

A brief introduction to our soldier... ah-hem, aviator... Colin is a long-time friend of my family's and is currently stationed overseas in Afghanistan. He's a graduate of the Naval Academy who went on to fly the F/A-18E but before that, from Atlanta, Georgia, which is where our parents met almost 10 years ago and as such, our families have been friends ever since. While he is overseas right now as part of a joint service program, this is not the first time that he's been deployed - he joined his squadron aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thanksgiving Day 2004, was in Hong Kong when the Tsunami hit,and subsequently spent a month off Banda Achea performing relief efforts; Colin also deployed again in 2006 to South Pacific/Asia. Aside from my brother and my dad (Naval Reservist and former Navy, respectively), I am absolutely most proud of Colin, for his commitment to serving his country and willingly going above and beyond to step up to the call of duty every single time.

Us at Army-Navy 2007; Colin flew the "slot position" as part of the fly-over during the pre-game festivities

In my opinion, sending a 'bit of home' is without a doubt one of the easiest ways to make a HUGE impact on our troops and to remind them that we're thinking about and praying for them, and most of all, wishing their safe return home! So let me know (email kara [dot] w [dot] stevenson [at] gmail [dot] com) if you're interested in making this aviator's day with some delicious treats and baked goods!

Colin, his sister Kelli, and their cousins

Need ideas for what to bake? Just make some of your favorites... or try these:
Celebration Cookies
Big, Soft Ginger Cookies
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Double Chocolate Chip Brownies
Brown & White Walnut Bars

Official Team Members
Allie, San Francisco, CA
Andrea, Falls Church, VA
Cappie, Forney, TX
Chris, Sandy Springs, GA (my oft-referred to mom!)
Christie, Orlando, FL
Christy, Copenhagen, Denmark
Dolores, East Bay Area, CA
Elizabeth, Providence, RI
Falon, Prosper, TX
Heather, New York
Hollie, Forney, TX
Jen, Pittsburgh, PA
Karen and Kayla, Broadview Heights, OH
Kristy, Herndon, VA
Laura
Lesley, Alpharetta, GA
Lila, San Angelo, TX
Linda, Sherman Oaks, CA
Liz, Bremerton, WA
Marisa, Brooklyn, NY
Megan, Alexandria, VA
Missy, Radford, VA
Monica, Atlanta, GA
Sandra, Atlanta, GA
Tamera, Atlanta, GA
Tara, Connecticut
Tia, Atlanta, GA
Viki

Team StephChows...

Hey everyone! I'm steph from steph chows! It was so wonderful being part of round one and I can't wait for round two. I've known a lot of men and women who have gone over to fight for our country, and sadly not all of them have come home. This is the number one reason I'm so happy to participate in this. If we can bring a smile to someone's face and let them feel our love and warmth... then I think our job is well done.

This month we will be baking and sending cookies to my friend Amie's wonderful husband Lt. Eric Olson!

Eric looking all snazzy on his wedding day

Eric grew up in Syracuse NY and moved to Rochester NY to attend RIT where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and where he met his wife Amie! Eric and Amie now live in Florida where he is stationed. Currently he is working as a Reactor Controls Division Officer on the USS Abraham Lincoln. He is lucky to have family to send letters and packages but has a lot of men and women on his ship who are not as lucky and he would love to be able to share all that we send with his shipmates, especially the ones who never receive any packages. So if you would like to sign up to send Eric (and all his crewmates) some goodies email me at stephaniesnow (at) gmail (dot) com. Lets send some love!

You can check out what I made for round one here.

Chow!

Sorry for not updating this post! I was updating the one on my site and wasn't even thinking I should be updating this one too!! So with no further ado!

A special thanks to:
Clara otherwise known as CB of I heart food for thought and
April of Abby Sweets
who are the first two to join my team!!

I've got a third! woohoo!

Fran Z from Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie.

New additions! (all of which are fantastic!)
Karin Joensen
Marie from http://marieinmaine.com/whoopiepiesandlobster/
Kassie Green
Melissa White from http://dirt2dish.blogspot.com
Jennifer Moore, Austin, TX http://www.jamsquared.net/blog/Jennifer_blog.htm
Anna Scheminger
Michele Collins, Harvard MA
Liz C, Bremerton WA, Just Me Eating (http://justmeeating.blogspot.com)
Tracey from http://chocolatechipotle.typepad.com/
Joanna Furtado
Dolores from http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com
Jillian http://www.butterandsugar.org/blog/
Teanna http://sporkandfoon.typepad.com
Niki Landreville, Rochester NY
Paige Welch, Rock Hill, NY
Erica DiRenzo, Rochester NY
Rachel Bond, Rochester, NY
Gretchen Roman, Rochester, NY

PS My local paper the D&C is going to be doing an article on us next week in the food section!!! I'll let you know when it's up! :)

A Thank You from Our Soldier...

Operation Baking GALS

Ladies: Please allow me to extend a warm and heartfelt 'thank you' on behalf of the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate and the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). We are sincerely touched by your generosity and kindness. I truly cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for you lifting our spirits and boosting our morale. In a combat environment, it is easy to forget about all of the good things back home that we are fighting for over here. However, because of your homemade treats, we are reminded of the good things in life.
Without a doubt, we Americans live in the greatest nation on earth. We are blessed with all the good things life has to offer. And thankfully, Operation Baking GALS has reminded us why we are here...you ladies, with your treats made with love, have truly reminded us of the good things back home. You have reminded us of the love and support of the American People.
You have shared with us wonderful treats made in your very homes -- sometimes made with the help of your children. In short, you have opened your hearts and shared your love. And for that, we Soldiers are truly grateful.
Please do not think that your baked goods are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Having personally experienced war in two theaters of operation (Iraq and Afghanistan), I know firsthand that your kindness and generosity will stay with those Soldiers who have enjoyed your goodies for a very long time. Some of these Soldiers do not have families...the Army is the only family they know. Some of these Soldiers do not receive packages from home. The only things from home they've received are the baked goods you sent them. And I assure you this means the world to them. So, from the very bottom of my heart, I want to say 'THANK YOU' for your
kindness.

I promise you that you are doing a wonderful thing.


With all my thanks and appreciation, I am
Sincerely,
Captain Jason S. Ballard
U.S. Army

Gearing Up For ROUND TWO!!

Even in the midst of Round One Packages arriving in Iraq, we are trying to get everything together for ROUND TWO! Thanks to everyone who has sent goodies, and to everyone emailing for info and resposting our mission on their own sites!
As many of you know, Dorie Greenspan wrote a great post about us on her site, and Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen wrote a great piece on the Blogher Network as well! Both of those posts have generated a lot of interest...and next up is the nightly news! That's right, the local CBS station here in my neck of the woods is coming to do a feel-good story about Operation Baking GALS!!

Before more info can be posted about Round Two - we need a couple more Hosts...
What is a host, you ask?
Well, a Host is someone who baked in Round One who has a soldier serving in a warzone. The Host will have a few duties, namely supplying approximately 25 Bakers with the address of their soldier, answering their emails, and THANKING the Bakers on their own site when everything is packaged up and sent. The Host will need to provide a short Bio of their soldier, and a picture, if possible, so that we can introduce them on this site.
Anyone interested? Please email me with the subject line - "Want To Host" at bakinggals@gmail.com. Right now, we have room for at least 3 more Hosts...

The First Package Has Arrived!

Wow, that was FAST!

Looks like Dianne of Dianne's Dishes was the speediest cookie out of the gate!

Jason sent these pictures of he and a couple of pals digging into Dianne's Peanut Butter cookies...I don't think they lasted long! Luckily, many, many more packages are on the way!!

Stay tuned for more updates, including a Thank You from Jason himself, and info on Round TWO will be posted sometime later next week.

Thank you everyone for your support...it's a great thing you have done!