Baking With A Purpose

I recently had 30 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time...gasp! Little Man and Super Hunk had set off on an adventure and I opted to hold down the fort. With a pile of laundry and a counter full of dishes, I decided to throw chores to the wind and comb through the giant stack of magazines that had accumulated. Woo hoo!

While perusing (with a toddler, reading every page is a thing of the past) the July issue of Family Circle, I stumbled upon the most captivating and refreshing story.

Bake Me Home is a non-profit organization started in 2008 by 7-year-old twin sisters, Amy and Emma. Nurtured by their mother, Alison, the entrepreneurial and serving hearts of two little girls came alive.

They combined their love of others and their love of baking to create an organization completely focused on serving the homeless and providing a family experience we often take for granted.


Amy, Alison, and Emma Bushman)

Alison and the twins have perfected the Bake Me Home Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Each ingredient is placed in a mason jar, combined with all necessary baking items (bowl, spatula, pan, etc.), and a Kroger gift card for butter and eggs. On that very special day, when a family is able to leave the homeless shelter, the items are given to them (with love) as a "welcome to your new home" gesture.

There's something about baking cookies with family that makes life seem so sweet (pun intended).

After reading the article, I promptly contacted Alison hoping to gain her permission to share their story here at S&S. She was happy to participate...AND...provide their recipe!

I baked a batch just for you...

Bake Me Home Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal (quick oats)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Drop spoonfuls of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes (I prefer mine chewy so removed them at 8 minutes).

I was feeling so inspired by their story of family togetherness in the kitchen, I recruited Little Man to help. Note to self, two-year-old plus flour equals giant mess! I spent my 8 minutes between batches, sweeping.

A few minutes later, the house was filled with a lovely cookie aroma, my floors were clean, and yummy bits of selfless goodness were cooling on the rack.

To say I'm honored to share this story with you is an understatement. I love the hearts of these caring girls and their amazing Mama! 

We can all do our part to make the world a better place, no matter how big or small!

To read the complete story or see how you can support Bake Me Home, visit their website.

Happy baking with a purpose!