Volunteers Rock

Yesterday marked the end of our spring tutoring session (the cookies were a hit, once again). And as I thanked all of my volunteer tutors, I realized how much they do and how hard it is to really express a true thanks to them.

They give their time -- two (or more) hours a week, plus their travel time -- to work with a kid they don't know, simply out of the goodness of their heart. I tutored for a few months before taking on my paid position, and while it was fulfilling, it was also a lot of hard work. The kids don't always want to read. They don't always want to cooperate. But my volunteers were patient and worked hard to get the kids to pay attention. Some of them really struggled with kids who were hyper or distracted -- or distracting. But they persevered. And I saw big changes in a lot of the kids. And a bookmark and a thank-you note seem like such a small token for such a big job.

I know none of my volunteers read my blog (well, a former one does, and she definitely rocks!) but I still wanted to honor them here, because they do rock, as does anyone who gives their time to help others -- in whatever capacity.

But they tasted good

The Boot Tracks turned out to be a big hit, and not one person said they looked like poo. And not one person knew they were made with whole-wheat pastry flour, raw sugar, organic cocoa powder and cage-free eggs.

Shhh. Don't tell anyone I've turned into such a hippy.

Baking cookies

Tonight and tomorrow night we celebrate the end of our spring tutoring session. I got it in my head to bake cookies for the little nippers because I hate all the processed crap out there and plan to force my healthier ways on the kids, whether they know it or not.

So, I headed over to EatingWell.com and found this recipe: Boot Tracks. Cute, right? Plus, they actually kind of fit, because the theme of our curriculum is Pikes Peak and hiking and climbing the mountain, etc. (This replaces my original idea of making sugar cookies shaped like the Cat in the Hat's hat. I couldn't find a hat cookie cutter and I know my limitations.)

However, being the bad planner that I am, I barely had enough sugar to make one batch, even though I'd planned to make at least two. And they are not dusted with confectioners' sugar, because the bag I had in the pantry had a "best by" date from more than a year ago. And I only have a Belgian waffle iron. Which the recipe specifically says not to use.

So, although my Boot Tracks cookies taste yummy. They look more like something you might scrape off your boot at the end of a hike than a boot track.

Bet you wish you could have one now, don't you?