Need Recipes That Will Make the Trip to Iraq

you can send brownies and pretty much any other sweet treat if you get one of those vacume sealers, thats what I did when my cousin was over there.

Peanutbrittle?? I sent fudge years ago that did not do well. G. W

My mom and sister made my husband some homemade cookies and then packed them in an empty Pringles can to ship. They also decorated the Pringles can with photos of our kids! He loved it and said the cookies were great!
D.

We just sent items to my dad and his soldiers over there. A friend lent me one of her vaccuum seal that takes the air out of things. They said they still tasted good and the brownies and cakes came back to it original shapes.
Oreos are a big hit over there. They really don't care if it is homemade or not but they enjoy getting something. Sometimes my mom just sends things like Oreos and Little Debbie snacks and they are gone in a week.

J.,

I started "Operation Sweet Tooth" after I learned that the troops wanted home made goodies and not store bought. I have found that pound cakes are little miracles. I bake them, let them cool and then I slice individual servings. I place those in the food saver bags and ship! I have also done brownies this way, just make sure that they are moist when they come out of the oven. Oh and DON'T put them in food saver bags. They will be ruined. Ya, I learned that lesson as well. Pumpkin Bread makes the trip easily and can be placed in a food saver bag!

You are going to make his day!!!!

Dene' H.

I sent cookies to my son in Iraq. I just used the HEB break off kind, I slightly under cooked them like I usually do (don't like them hard and crusty) and then I put them in a cheap plastic container with pieces of wax paper between the layers so they wouldn't turn into one big cookie ball. he said they were still soft and moist when he got them. believe me , anything homemade and sweet from the oven is a welcomed treat over there! some of the other responses said no chocolate, but I sent chocolate chip cookies that i baked and they were fine, it is cooler there right now too! not their hottest time of year. don't send pork! it is against the country's beliefs and could be a problem depending on where they are.

J.,
Homemade Gourmet is proud to support our military by offering products that are pre-approved to ship to an APO/FPO address.
Please send me an email if you are interested in finding out more.
homemadegourmet.com/toni7197
T.

I sent cookies to my husband in Iraq for a year, and the cookies that did the best were chocolate chip, oatmeal, and gingersnaps, basically the sturdy cookies. Light delicate cookies usually end up as just crumbs when they get there. Use crisco, not butter, as the butter can go rancid on a long journey, and avoid milk for the same reason. I put my cookies in a single layer in a gallon zip lock bag, then layered the bags between layers of plastic grocery bags (they work GREAT for packaging, and are still useful when no longer packing material for trash, organizing, etc.) Hope that helps!

Hi, I think that Ziploc or one of the other zipper-type bag companies has recently released a new zipper bag that vacuum seals air out of bags to help foods stay fresher longer. Hope this helps! S.

When my husband was over there we would send Rice Krispie Treats and oatmeal cookies; like another person said DON'T send chocolate. It would always melt & be disgusting. Also, his grandma sent brownies one time but didn't package them right so by the time they got there (2 weeks later) they were mildewed...gross!!!!
Also, even though it's not homemade he also liked to get snack foods like: beef jerky, Pringles (these ship well compared to bagged chips). granola bars, and single serving Mac & Cheese. I would literally just walk down the "snack" aisle at the store & look for things he probably hadn't had in a while. Hope you find some great ideas!

Hi,

I don't have any special recipes to offer but just thought I would share with you what our good friend at church whose son has been there since March said, "Don't send chocolate" She was told that the food could possibly be exposed to pretty high temps so chocolate usually arrives not looking very pretty. Her son really misses Snickers she said but decided he has to wait till he gets home :-)

My dad makes beef jerky for my siblings in the Marines. He seals them with the food saver. My mom makes brownies for my brother in Iraq, but I'm not too sure how she packages them. I layer the cookies with wax paper and paper towels in a ziploc bag, then place them in a cheap plastic container. I even bought some kitchen towels, that I used to protect the cookies, so my brother could get the 'homemade' feeling from our cookies. He really liked that. Pictures and paintings/colorings done by our kids are also his favorite. I let my daughter pick out a toy ball or something to send to him. He in turn shares these items with his buddies or with the kids in Iraq.

J., We sent my brother home baked cookies and brownies while he was in Iraq. we rapped them with a piece of bread(helps to keep them fresh)in seran wrap, and than aluminum foil. We than placed them in a plastic throw away container to keep from getting crushed from the other things that we was shipping in the box with the cookies and brownies. Hope this helps.

Hi J., use a air vac or the knew zip locks that take out the air and then you can pretty much send your baked goods that have ingredients that wont go bad. Also if you really want to be a hero for your hero send flavor packs for the water, they pretty much only get water and my nephew and his guys really appreciate them it was the first thing he told me in his next letter. He especially liked the viva strawberry kiwi and actually thats the one that is a multi vitamin. Send them some you'll really be appreciated. My nephew liked the microwave ravioli and lunch meals like that the guys put them in the sun awhile then open it up and eat away. They also appreciate getting insect repellent towelettes, and baby wipes because they don't get to bathe daily. They also go thru sunscreen really fast. Oh and we sent socks regularly also because its impossible to get all the sand out of them and they have to throw them away. My nephew is going on his second tour in April as a snipper, so we will remember all of our guys in prayer.