Comments for a Cause - Iowa Cookie Crumbs

It's November 1st and time to talk Comments for a Cause!  In the month of October I had 28 comments, equaling a $14 donation to My Stuff Bags Foundation!  This money will go to helping children in crisis centers and foster care have their own personal items.

In the month of November I'm looking forward to helping some Iowa bakers and their efforts to send cookies to troops overseas by donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to Iowa Cookie Crumbs.

Last December I read an article about a group of Iowa bakers that sent more than 30,000 cookies to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas during the holidays and I knew I needed to highlight them as a future Comments for a Cause recipient.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know that I have a sister in the Army National Guard and a brother-in-law who was in the Marines and Marine Reserves.  Needless to say, anything to support the troops means a lot to me, because I know how much it means to our soldiers, especially when they are deployed.  And since Veterans Day is celebrated during November, and I knew there would be a lot of cookie baking in preparation for Iowa Cookie Crumbs's holiday shipment, I thought this month would be the perfect time to showcase their compassion and appreciation for our military.

The Iowa Cookie Crumbs was formed by Abbie Crawford, of Southwest Iowa, nearly ten years ago and they not only send cookies to our troops during the holidays, but each month all year long.  In fact, last month the group hit the milestone of baking and sending over a million cookies!

All of the boxes of cookies are shipped to individual service men and women.  Names are collected through Treat the Troops, a larger network that the Iowa Cookie Crumbs works through.  The Iowa bakers do send boxes to local soldiers, based off of requests, but a majority of their cookies are sent to soldiers not directly from the area.

So help me, help this group of dedicated bakers by commenting all month long so we can help cover some of the shipping costs of all of these cookies!  ***If you live in the Council Bluffs area, you can personally help by attending their holiday cookie packing day on November 15th at Emanuel Lutheran Church.***  What is your favorite cookie?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Christmas Cookie Exchange - 16 Iowa Cookie Recipes

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is baking and indulging in Christmas Cookies!  I love making Christmas cookie plates as gifts and to bring to Christmas parties, so I start making, freezing and storing Christmas goodies now!  The key to a good Christmas cookie plate in my opinion is to have a diversity of goodies, so I like to make a couple different varieties weekly.  I asked some of my fellow Iowa bloggers what some of their favorite Christmas cookies are and am happy to share them as part of this Christmas Cookie Exchange!

Cookies from Left to Right, Top Row to Bottom Row:

• Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies from DonnaHup.com - Bacon!  Do I really need to say anymore?  Plus, these cookies are gluten-free, as Donna is gluten intolerant.
• Sugared Chocolate Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - What a great spin on a sugar cookie for chocolate lovers!  Plus, these are blue-ribbon cookies.
• Cream Cheese Cookie Cups from Been There Baked That - These are another set of prize winning cookies and will be sure to impress at your next holiday party!
• Cinnamon Sugar Candied Almonds from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - These would make a perfect Christmas gift and will spice up your Christmas cookie plate!
• Flour Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies from Blissfully Delicious - You can't go wrong with a delicious chocolate chip cookie for your Christmas cookie plate (or to have stocked in your freezer all year long!).  This recipe shared from Yudith includes both all purpose and bread flour, as well as both semi-sweet and milk chocolate.
• Holiday M&M Macaroons from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - These just look festive and I'm sure would pleasing to the eye on any Christmas cookie plate.
• Lemon-Glazed Meltaway Cookies from Jeni Eats - Jeni and I both have a love for church cookbooks so I know this will be a hit since she adapted this recipe from her church cookbook collection.
• Chocolate Star Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - I feel like these cookies are a staple for every Christmas cookie plate.  Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate?
• Mexican Wedding Cakes from In the Kitchen with Jenny - I've seen these cookies on Christmas cookie plates but never knew exactly what they were.  Now I do and can't wait to make these light and nutty cookies!
• Peanut Butter Delights from Been There Baked That - This recipe is an old favorite of Steph's that includes a creamy peanut butter filling.  Another chocolate peanut butter combination to fill your Christmas cookie plate!
• Peanut Butter Cookie from Veggies by Candlelight - This vegan cookie recipe uses maple syrup to sweeten the cookie and just might be the healthiest cookie on your Christmas cookie plate.
• Raspberry Thumbprint Drops from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats - If you're looking for something sweet and fruity for your Christmas cookie plate these will hit the spot.  Plus you can't go wrong with a drizzle of chocolate on top!
• The Most Perfect Sugar Cookie Cutout from Sawdust & Embryos - I personally usually make cutout cookies only a couple times of year and Christmas is one of those times.  I'm sure Nick & Beth love making these with their little girls and I can't wait to try their recipe with my kids!
• Sweet Potato Flourless Chocolate and Almond Cookies from Make the Best of Everything - These would be perfect to make with any left over sweet potatoes you might still have in your refrigerator from Thanksgiving.  Another great thing is that these are flourless if you have anyone that needs a gluten-free cookie.
• Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies from In the Kitchen with Jenny - Pecan pie is my favorite pie and I've made pecan pie bars before but never pecan pie cookies!  I can't wait to try these out this Christmas season.
• Peanut Butter Balls from Me - This is my family's favorite Christmas cookie!  I usually have to make a batch of these weekly throughout the month of December to keep up with demand...

Got your oven on preheat now?  Which one of these recipes are you excited to make?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!  Also, a special thanks to all of my fellow Iowa bloggers that helped contribute to my Iowa Christmas Cookie Exchange!