Rethinking the Donation Goodies

On Friday, 8am, I was out the door heading for the grocery store to get fresh supplies for baking. I had signed on to make Chocolate Chip cookies, and Puppy Chow. I’m told these are great for sales, folks have even done a request for the Puppy Chow.
I know how much was spent on high quality ingredients.
Meanwhile, Husband cleared the kitchen table so I would have plenty room to work, and have space for cookie racks for cooling.

Home again at 9:45, I pulled out equipment, turned on the oven to pre-heat.

Measuring, stirring, Timer. You know kitchen routine.

Turned off the oven at 1:40pm. While the cookies were cooling, I set up the double boiler and got going on the Puppy Chow.

While it was cooling on paper lined trays, I plated, wrapped, and labeled the cookies.

After they were set in the box, I dipped the Puppy Chow into 9oz paper cups, covered with plastic wrap, and taped labels.

Setting the boxes out of the way on the coffee table in the living room, I filled the sink with water to wash equipment. Laid a towel on the cleared off table, and stacked dishes to dry over there.

My mother-in-law came in and viewed the heap. My goodness, that means so much work!

at 4pm, Delivered 3 boxes of goodies to the gal who had promised to chauffeur them to the retirement center.

So that means I had been fretting my task for 8 hours.

This morning, a friend picked me up so we could go be Volunteers at Fall Fest.
She was in Baked Goods, and I was in the Boutique/ Crafts.

Before I was due to report, I perused the vast array of donations for yumminess on several long tables. When I got to the spot where my cups of Puppy Chow were set out, I gulped so loud that a couple gals came hurrying over to see if I was going to be sick.

Guess the price on the label for a cup of Puppy Chow?
Here’s the list of ingredients as copied from my little label– PUPPY CHOW ingredients: CRISPIX cereal, Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted), creamy natural peanut butter, dairy butter, powdered cane sugar.

Looking at my grocery receipt, the total for that list is almost $10 per batch. Understood is only one cup peanut butter, and only one stick butter used in each. I got 16 servings from a batch.

Quickly in my head, I figured just the supplies would be close to 60¢ per cup. + standing & stirring. Golly, the stirring.
So when I saw a price of 25¢ on each cup, well, I did that big intake of breath.

I told the leader that price just would not do. I said $1 per cup, but she said she wants to make sure they walk out the door, not sitting around for being over-priced.
She said she would split the difference– 50¢ per cup, told her assistant to place new labels over the lower one.
It was all I could to to not sweep my arm across to let them land back in my box to bring home again!!

I had to get to my station, so I did not get back to the Baked Goods room for a couple hours. That’s when I spied a couple plates of my Oatmeal Choco chip cookies.

Three on a plate, in a zipper-grip bag were priced at 50¢ — yep 1/2 dollar. At a coffee shop, I know ONE cookie that size is 49¢ and here were 3 of mine which tastes even better, at 16½¢ apiece. Daa-yum– I am in the wrong mindset.

Now, I’m willing to let go a bit of price on yarn projects. Much of the time, yarn is from a donation bag, plus, I like to be working with my hands while I’m watching tv or something. A hat can sit in the Done Basket for weeks, yet still be fine when sold.

But baked goods mean that I want to use recently purchased, fine ingredients. I do the work at the last possible minute so treats will be fresh and tasty for whoever is doing the buying. Baked goods costs more, both in supplies and energy.

So I am feeling discouraged. In the first place, any amount of money will help a worthy cause. I know I am donating whatever I do, therefore my output is all profit for the Charity. Also know that folks want a good bargain when they buy something.

Ah well. All done. Of course my sweet treats all sold out.
Actually, All the tables in Baked Goods section were empty.

I left several of my yarn leftovers for the Activity Director to use for whatever seems good.
I did bring home again the bookmarks. Will donate them to an elementary school librarian who is a stickler about using something to mark the reading place in a book. “Never ever fold down the corner of the page”

Gotta go. Mailman down the Court.

~~love and Huggs, Diane