My husband has always enjoyed teasing me about making too much food – when given a reason to bake for something, I have a tendency to go slightly overboard. You can never make too much of a good thing, and the last thing a good hostess wants is for someone to leave their place hungry. So, when I bake, I bake!
Last week, my husband made my Christmas. He informed me of a baking contest at his work, and while that didn’t make me do an internal happy dance, what he said next was certainly music to my ears, “… I give you free reign to bake as much as you want.”
So, I went to the drawing board.
Fudge? Check.
Grandma’s Orange Cookies? Check. (For a download of this and fudge recipes, check out this link.)
Sugar cookies? Check.
Since he began to enjoy the story of the little gingerbread boy, my son has been begging for gingerbread men – a dessert both my husband and I could live without. But, baking them for a good cause? Check.
However, the baking, and even subsequent cleanup were for a good cause.
Because, while many families gather together this upcoming weekend, there will be others out there who are unable to spend time with family. Emergency personnel will still have to cover shifts. And, service members will still have to report to work, some of them pulling duty all weekend long.
And, that is ultimately for whom the baking contest is for – the men and women who will spend the weekend at work. As I initially checked to ensure he was truly my husband and not an imposter, my husband explained, “The purpose of this contest is to ensure the soldiers pulling duty have a little bit of cheer and good food while they work away from home. Go to town.”
Talk about humbling…
So, I made sure to bake, and made it a family event. The time we spent together on this project allowed us to do a little bit of service for those who serve us all year long.
This holiday weekend, please take a moment to think of our service men and women, working their duty shifts, and those deployed this holiday season. And, be sure to say a little prayer for their safety, and a prayer of thanksgiving for their service.
Great job, Anni! Looks like a ton of fun 🙂
Thank you! It was a lot of fun!