This Memorial Day, Bake For The Troops

If this upcoming weekend's barbecues, parades, and other Memorial Day festivities have got you thinking about the troops, why not bake them some cookies?

1. Search for a soldier. Don't know anyone in the military? No need to fret. Several organizations have been created to connect volunteer bakers with hungry members of the armed forces. Treat the Troops, started by Jeanette Cram during the Gulf War, has a nationwide network of volunteers who have worked together to send around 3 million cookies to the troops. Operation Baking GALS introduces volunteers, who are organized into teams, to selected soldiers.
2. Preheat your oven. One can never go wrong with the classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or cinnamon sugar cookies. However, if you're worried about shipping the cookies such a long distance, Toll House Test Kitchen has modified some of its recipes.
3. Head to your neighborhood post office. Seal your homemade goodies into Ziploc bags and nestle the bags into a Flat-Rate box (a medium size is currently $11.35) using lots of padding. And after that, it is time for dessert!