Today we shipped our latest care package of home to 1st Lieutenant Donahue in Baghdad, Iraq.  Melody was very excited to work on this Round as she’s a little more in tune with the whole “putting these little balls of dough in the oven results in tasty cookies” routine.  We made a double batch of Munchie Dudes Snack Crackers (crackers with a dill ranch flavor), and 6 dozen sugar cookies – half rolled in nonperiels and/or sprinkles and half rolled in cinnamon sugar – and finally included a selection of gum and mints, and a box of good old Girl Scout Cookies courtesy of Auntie Kathy.

Click the picture to see some more of Melody baking

Please visit team leader Lindsay’s blog Baking For Our Troops  to learn all about Lt Donahue.  She did such a great write up with pictures that I just can’t duplicate it.  He is really an amazing individual – military brat with a Colonel for a father and a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for a wife.  He was barely married before shipping out for a year’s deployment.

If you are interested in baking for someone deployed overseas in the future, please visit the Operation Baking Gals website for more information.  It’s a rewarding and fulfilling activity that takes so little of your time compared to the sacrifices our military make.  And if you don’t want to bake, please try to find some other way to help.  My mom knits watch caps so the guys don’t get cold at night.  Lots of bases have an organization that accepts donations of gently used items such as children’s clothes for the families who stay at home.  Whatever your strength is, please find a way to give a little bit back to these men and women, and their families, who give so much.