Week #12- Charles (and the chocolate chip cookies)

As you can see from the title of this post, the Give and Bake Project is up to week twelve so far.  For the most part, the people I've encountered have been very wonderful and pleasant and grateful for something to snack on.  There have been a couple of people who seemed a bit indifferent and not too interested in chatting, but so far no one's actually been rude.  That changed on Friday with a bit of an interesting encounter with someone who actually started off extremely friendly.

I had heard about a very happy and chatty homeless man who spends his days on the lower level of Michigan Avenue bridge and makes small talk with the regular commuters who pass him each day.  So on Friday after work, I headed that way armed with a batch of chocolate chip cookies and lots of questions.  It was about 4:00, so the bridge wasn't very busy yet as it was a bit before rush hour.  As I approached, the man flashed me a big smile and said "Hey there! How ya doing? I'm the bridgekeeper!" I was delighted by his enthusiasm.  I offered up my cookies and his reply was "Can you instead go to McDonald's and get me a fish sandwich?"  I nervously laughed, hoping he was just joking around with me.  I realized he was serious when he figured out I wasn't going to get him a fish sandwich, and his tune quickly changed.

I managed to ask the "bridgekeeper" a couple of questions, although it was clear he was becoming more annoyed with each one.  I learned his name was Charles, and that some nights he stays at a mission and some nights he pays for a hotel.  He used to be a valet parker which he felt was the perfect job for him because he is so "friendly," but now he is 58 and doesn't want to work anymore.  I don't blame Charles for wanting to spend his days on the bridge. It's a very picturesque spot with a sweeping view of the Chicago River flowing out into Lake Michigan, the occasional architecture cruise full of happy tourists, and at the top of each hour, a rainbow fountain framing the entire scene.  And on this gorgeous and sunny Friday afternoon, who wouldn't be in a good mood with such a view?  But when I asked Charles if he has pretty good luck in that spot, he angrily replied "Only if you go away!" And with that, he shoved me a bit and exclaimed "Go on now, GET!"

Charles spends each day on the bridge and it's clear he is well known.  Every person who walked by him waved and smiled; it was clear he is a part of many people's daily routines.  I wonder if any of these people who are so kind to drop Charles a few dollars now and then have ever stopped to actually talk to him; if they had, I don't think Charles would be a part of their daily routine for much longer.

I don't expect to always be warmly received through the Give and Bake Project, but even on the rare occasion when I come across someone who's not very friendly, I still think there is a lesson to be learned.  Many of the people I have met so far have at first seemed a bit sullen and off-putting, and after chatting with them, they turned out to be such warm and kind people with interesting stories.  And then every now and then, I'll meet someone who seems very kind at first, and turns out to be not exactly the nicest person.  So the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" philosophy can definitely hold true in either direction, and it's important to give people your time and conversation before making up your mind about them.  Just maybe from now on, I might give people my time and conversation before deciding if I want to give up my cookies. ;)




Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 1/3 c flour
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 c packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 c butter, room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1 5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding dry mix
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 2-3 c chocolate chips
- 1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.  (A side note on the butter in all of my recipes... I definitely think room temperature works best; better than softening in the microwave.  So if you have the time, let your butter sit out for a few hours before beginning.)  Next beat in the instant pudding mix until blended.  Stir in the eggs and the vanilla.  Next blend in the flour and baking soda.  Lastly, mix in your chocolate chips.  Drop spoonfulls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.  If you want your cookies to come out nicely rounded, then roll the dough into a ball and slightly flatten it on the cookie sheet with the palm of  your hand.  Bake about 9 minutes on 350 degrees, being very careful not to overbake.  Let cool for several minutes on the sheet before removing.  Yields about 60 cookies, depending on size.

I've had several attempts before with chocolate chip cookies, and I don't know if it's this recipe or if I'm just getting a bit better at baking, but these turned out pretty well.  The pudding is supposed to help keep the cookies soft, and it sure worked here!

Week #11- Tracy and Shawn (and the chocolate cookies)

Everyone seems to come out of the woodwork during the summertime, and the city is bustling with all kinds of different people.  This includes the homeless as well; this time of year there seems to be not only more homeless people out on the sidewalks in general, but a more diverse group of people.  I think this summer could lead to some interesting Give and Bake stories, and I wanted to kick that off today by finding someone who really looked like they had a story to tell. I was pretty tempted to stop when I saw a man holding a cardboard sign reading “My girlfriend was kidnapped by ninjas- I need money for ransom.”  I’m sure this guy would have had plenty of stories to tell, but the problem is that I happen to be a fan of ninjas, so I can’t say I’d be on his side.  

I continued on my way, and came across two people who looked to be in their late 20’s asleep underneath the El on Lake Street.  They held a sign with the words “Homeless and Hungry” and had a picture of a small boy labeled as their son, Ryan.  I didn’t want to wake them, but figured they would probably be in need of some cookies, so I approached quietly.  They both quickly snapped out of their slumber and peered up with hopeful eyes.  I learned that their names were Tracy and Shawn.  They are married and came to Chicago recently from Florida.  They had a house and were paying a mortgage, but eventually realized the house was under someone else’s name and had to move out on the streets.  

Shawn suffers from bipolar disease. His doctor suggested that there may be more jobs in the Midwest, and bought the family bus tickets to Chicago.  Upon arrival, they unfortunately realized the job market didn’t seem very different.  Without insurance, Shawn’s medications cost nearly $700 each month, which he cannot afford.  And without medications to help control his disorder, he is unable to find a job.  Although she didn’t mention it specifically, from speaking with her, it seemed Tracy also faces similar challenges.  

At night, Tracy and Shawn ride the bus.  They said the trains are unsafe with a lot of drug and gang activity, and they prefer not to ride at night like other homeless people I have encountered choose to do.  I mentioned the free shelter a previous Give and Bake friend had told me about, but they said they try to stay away from the south side as they feel it is also unsafe.  They’ve been trying to get into the shelters on the North Side, but they are hard to get into.  

Tracy and Shawn have a two year old son named Ryan.  He was recently taken away from them by the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, and they won’t be able to get him back until they can afford housing, which they won’t be able to do until they find jobs.  In the meantime, they are able to visit Ryan twice a week while he stays with a foster family.  They said the foster family seems to be a good family with a son Ryan’s age, so they are grateful for that.  

Shawn said he is willing to take any job he can find, but so far that hasn’t really been anything.  Hopefully something pulls through for him or Tracy soon so that this family can be reunited.  In the meantime, it’s so nice that there are people out there like Ryan’s foster family who step up to take good care of him until his mom and dad can get back on their feet.




Chocolate Cookies
-1 c butter (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 c flour
- 2/3 c baking cocoa
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- powdered sugar

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Beat in vanilla.  In a separate bowl, blend together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat into the creamed mixture.  Refrigerate for an hour or until the dough is easy to handle.  Roll into one-inch balls, and place two inches apart on a baking sheet.  Flatten a bit with the palm of your hand.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7 minutes.  Be sure not to overbake- it's better for this particular cookie to be on the soft/gooey side.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookies immediately.  Let cool for a minute or two and transfer to cooling racks. 

This recipe yields approximately three dozen cookies.  I didn't love them at first, but I brought some to my softball team and they were even better received than the peanut butter cup treats, so I guess that means they must be pretty tasty!

Week #10- Dennis (and the snickerdoodles)

This afternoon I had to run an errand for work, so I thought I would make use of the mile walk back along Lake Street by searching for my new Give and Bake friend.  I knew I would find a lot of people in this area, so I wanted to carefully choose someone who looked like they had an interesting story to tell.  While there ended up being nearly one person for every block I passed (a bit of a sad realization), many of them tended to be asleep or ended up walking away as I neared his spot.  I was getting closer to my destination, and I found a man wearing a dark fleece top on this 95 degree afternoon.  This fella must have been having a rough day, so I wanted to see if I could make it at least a bit brighter.

My new friend's name was Dennis, and unfortunately it seemed homelessness wasn't the only trouble he has been facing.  Dennis wasn't able to chat with me very much or answer many of my questions.  I gathered that he had been homeless for about six months, and before that he had been in the hospital.  I couldn't understand what he said he was in the hospital for- he repeated it over and over and I eventually realized it was either a rash or psychiatric disorder.  Based on our brief interaction, it seemed to be the latter. 

Even though I couldn't get much of a story out of Dennis, I was very glad to see that he enjoyed the cookies.  He tore into them immediately and ate them so fast he ended up accidentally spitting some of the crumbs out onto me.  It was a bit of an interesting moment, but at least he realized and apologized.

I wished Dennis well and continued on my walk.  The next block, I found a very jovial homeless man singing to passerbys and dancing around a bit with a cane.  I was dying to know this man's story, but would have felt bad approaching him without anything to offer.  Hopefully I can find him again another week, but if not, today of all days has proved that there unfortunately is a seemingly endless number of homeless people in this city.  And even though Dennis may have not been the most chatty character, you definitely don't have to be talkative to need some cheer.  As my mom always says, "It takes all kinds!"




Snickerdoodles
- 1/2 c butter, room temperature
- 1/2 c shortening
- 1 1/2 c white sugar
- 2 3/4 c flour
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Next mix (by hand) in the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until a well blended dough forms.  Shape the dough into balls, roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and place 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake on 400 degrees for about 8 minutes and cool for a minute before transferring to cooling racks.  This particular recipe yields approximately four dozen cookies. 

Week #9- Jessie (and the peanut butter cup treats)

Last Friday I set out on my weekly mini-adventure to find a new Give and Bake friend.  When I bake treats, I usually bake extra and bring them into my office.  The peanut butter cup treats were definitely the most popular of everything I've baked so far, so I felt like I had to find an extra special new friend this week. 

Outside Garrett's Popcorn on Randolph, I found a man holding a cup and smiling at passerbys.  This poor fella had been standing there all day, inhaling the delicious scent of rich caramel and cheesy popcorn.  I'd probably only make it 10 minutes before busting through the door and diving headfirst into the giant tubs of popcorn goodness, so I decided he was absolutely deserving of some goodies. 

Jessie has been homeless for about three months.  A year ago, he lost his job as a cashier at a grocery store when the store went out of business (I forget the name of the store- that's what happens when I wait three days to write things down).  He collected unemployment for six months, and then about three months after that ran out of funds and had to move out.  He's been searching for jobs steady for the past year, but hasn't been able to find one yet.  He visits Harold Washington Library every day to search and apply for postings online, and also visits the unemployment office twice each week to see what's new on the job board there.

I asked Jessie where he stays at night, and he said there is a free homeless shelter on California Ave.  I'm going to have to do some research on this one and potentially share it with some of my Give and Bake friends- no one I have come across before seems to have heard of it.  Most people either save up the $20 for the shelter downtown, or they ride the train all night at the risk of being arrested.  Jessie echoed others sentiments in saying that the shelter downtown is not a good place to be.  In addition to the bed bugs, there is also a major theft problem.  I'm so glad he Jessie is savvy enough to have found a safe place to sleep.

Jessie said he doesn't have any family, and also doesn't have any friends.  He said he is a loner and has never been good at making friends, which shocked me a bit as he has terrific people skills.  He was very friendly with everyone who walked by, and even ran out of his way to open the door for someone in a wheelchair.  You'd think that would be common courtesy for anyone, especially those hoping to collect loose change, but you'd be surprised.  Some of the people I have met through this project stand idly by while watching others struggle to open the door with a baby in a stroller, etc.  That's why it seemed strange that this kind gentleman would have any difficulty at all making friends or even finding another job.  But persistence and patience always seem to pay off, so if he keeps at it, I'm sure his personality will keep shining and eventually an employer will recognize what he could offer their organization.


A quick update on Linda from last week- I chatted with her briefly again on Friday.  She remembered me immediately and gave me a big hug.  Linda's been a busy beaver in the week since I last talked to her! She told me that she found an apartment on the south side for $79/month.  She's $20 shy and asked me for it.  I felt terrible saying no, but I think it's probably best not to give my new friends money until I'm 100% sure that it's going towards something legit.  It's not that I don't trust her, but I just know I can be quite a gullible one. So I instead asked her if she has gotten her ID yet.  She did actually get her birth certificate, so now she is ready to get her state ID.  I'm going to meet up with her sometime this week and we'll go together to get her an ID and hopefully on her way to a job. 




Peanut Butter Cup Treats
- 1 3/4 c flour
- 1/2 c white sugar
- 1/2 c brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 c peanut butter
- 1/2 c flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- Approx 40 frozen mini peanut butter cups

Cream together butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until thoroughly mixed.  Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and milk.  Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda- beat until well blended.  Shape into balls and place into mini muffin tins (balls should be a bit smaller than the tin size).  Bake for approximately 7 minutes on 375 degrees.  While they are baking, unwrap the peanut butter cups.  When the treats are done baking, let cool for a minute or two (this will help prevent cracking) and then press one peanut butter cup down into each treat.  Carefully remove from the pan- I've found the best way is to gently pop each one out with a butter knife.

Week #8- Linda (and the cheesecake bites)

With the exception of Willy's wife Shirley, all the people I have met through the Give and Bake Project have been men.  I've been curious to learn the stories of some of Chicago's homeless women, so when I saw a lady collecting change outside of Walgreen's on Michigan and Lake yesterday, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.

I started with my usual opening line of "Hi, do you like cheesecake?" and held out my plate of goodies.  "Oh, I love you" she replied with an exhausted smile. I asked her what brought her out there, and her story is easily the most heartbreaking of all I've heard during these first eight weeks.  Linda has two children, ages 9 and 13.  She ran away from her husband six months ago, after she reached a breaking point.  Her husband used to beat her on a daily basis when she didn't have any money for him to buy drugs.  She knew she had to leave when her 9-year-old said to her "If he touches you one more time, I'm going to kill him."  So Linda took off with her two children and hasn't seen her husband since.  She prays he never finds her.

While the children are at school during the day, Linda tries to collect money for them to have a place to sleep at night.  As I've heard from other friends I've met through this project, the homeless shelters downtown are completely infested with bed bugs, so she tries to raise $27 each day to take them to a hotel on the south side. In the four hours that she had been standing outside of Walgreen's, she had only raised about $2, so her day wasn't looking great.  When she doesn't have the money for the hotel, she takes the children to ride the train up and down all night.  She was especially stressed because the night prior, the police had told her that if they catch her riding the train one more night, they were going to have child services take her children away.  She had been thrown in jail one night before as a result of riding the train, and luckily a kind stranger came to her rescue and took her children in for the night.  But the threat of having her children taken away permanently was an entirely new worry for her.

I asked Linda about any family or friends who might be able to help her.  She is an only child, and her mother passed away several years ago.  Next I asked her if she might be able to get a job.  She explained that recently she did have a job offer, but she couldn't get her Illinois State ID in time.  She left everything behind when she ran away from her husband, so she has to buy a new ID, and for that she also needs to buy a new birth certificate.  It costs $30, which she just hasn't been able to come up with.  She's contemplating selling her body for money- something she's never done before, but with summer coming and the children almost out of school, she is becoming increasingly desperate.

During my conversation with Linda, I really had to resist the urge to empty out my bank account and help this poor woman and her children.  It was really tough, but when I started this project I had to promise myself I wouldn't get into the habit of giving each new friend money.  However, despite Linda being excited about the cheesecakes and telling me her kids would "tear right into them," I walked away feeling like I hadn't done enough.  I decided that if I do see Linda again, I'm going to go with her down to City Hall and help her get her birth certificate and ID.  Giving her $27 would only help her for a night, but hopefully we can get this sweet lady the means to apply for a job and get her on the path to putting a roof over her children's heads. 

Stay tuned on this one...



Cheesecake Bites
- 2 8 oz. package of cream cheese (room temperature- very important)
- 3/4 c white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

This particular recipe yields 55-60 mini cheesecakes- it can easily be halved.  First line a mini muffin tin with mini cupcake liners.  Then the beauty of this recipe is you can customize it however you want and with whatever you have on hand.  Choose your crust- you can use vanilla wafers (crushed or whole), oreo crust, graham cracker crust, etc.  I went with graham cracker crust- finely crush about 5-6 full crackers and mix with 6 tbsp margarine or butter and 6 tbsp sugar.  Scoop about half a tbsp and press into the bottom of each mini muffin liner.  Then in a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric beater until light and fluffy.  Spoon cream cheese mixture into each mini muffin liner until nearly full.  Bake on 350 for about 11-12 minutes.  Don't let your cheesecakes crack- that means they are a bit too done.  I thought I took mine out too early as when they cooled they looked a little wet and sunk in the middle, but they still tasted great.  Put them in the fridge to cool completely, and then add your favorite topping.  I went with raspberry pie filling, but you can use any kind of fruit, jam, nuts, caramel, chocolate... the options are endless!

Week #7- Rodney (and the rhubarb bars)

My go-to area for the Give and Bake Project is usually around State Street in the Loop.  This is good because it's usually easy to find someone around there, and also because it's a very safe and lively area.  It's bad because it's also home to many of my favorite stores, and I am easily distracted.  So I was a bit glad when I saw a man shakin' his money-maker (well, shaking his cup) outside of Walgreen's right across the street from my work, a safe distance away from shiny new shoes and flouncy new sundresses.  Just as I was about to approach him, I saw another man about 10 feet away almost eyeing this first gentleman up.  Curious as I was to learn about the dynamics of change-collecting turf, I would have felt bad for not having two plates and forks, so I thought it best to look for someone else.  And good thing I did.

I walked one more block and saw a man outside of Starbucks- the same man I had seen when I walked by at lunch six hours earlier.  It has been a cold and drizzly day, and I noticed at lunchtime that this fella did not have an umbrella (although he said he found one lying on the sidewalk after the rain stopped), so he had certainly earned some goodies.  Normally I begin my conversations by walking up to the person and saying "Do you like (whatever I have baked)?" but as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew how this conversation was going to go.  And sure enough, his reply was "what is rhubarb?"  Rhubarb is a pretty hard thing to describe, and I knew showing the bars to him wouldn't help.  As anyone who bakes with rhubarb knows, it's a very tasty feature but doesn't exactly look appetizing.  So I handed him the plate and tried to piece together a description, but luckily while I was talking he tore back the tinfoil, grabbed a big fork full, and exclaimed "This is GOOD!"  I knew I was going to like Rodney.

Rodney has been homeless for about seven months.  He was working for a construction company, but the project folded and he hasn't been able to find a new one.  He explained that winter is a very tough time to find jobs, and that he's been applying to anything and everything but an opportunity just hasn't lined up for him quite yet.  He is very hopeful that things will pick up in the summertime, because of both the weather and the tourism.  Luckily, Rodney has some great friends who let him crash on their couches.  He lives very far on the south side, but he likes to hang outside of Starbucks on Michigan and Lake most days as he has had pretty good luck there with collecting change and sometimes a little something to eat.

While I was chatting with Rodney, an onlooker came up and wondered what I was doing.  I explained that I was just bringing Rodney some bars I had baked.  This man said to Rodney "when a woman bakes for you, you need to buy her a cup of coffee!" and proceeded to give Rodney $5 to go inside of Starbucks and buy me something.  I politely but adamantly declined- although a sweet gesture, I'm sure Rodney can use $5 much more than me and my already-too-high energy level need a cup of caffeine.  But when I started chatting with this onlooker and explaining a bit about my blog, Rodney seemed glad for the distraction.  He flew back to the rhubarb and said "I can't stop eating this!"  Then he ran past us with the plate saying "I need to have my friend try some of this."  When he came back out I asked him who his friend was.  He pointed to a man sitting inside drinking coffee and reading a book- apparently he frequents the Starbucks (and Rodney) quite often.  Rodney says that he sees many of the same people each day and makes a lot of friends that way.

Rodney's friendliness and energy sure made my day, and I hope that my treats really did make his day a little bit brighter too.  I love his optimism and confidence that he will find a job soon, and his willingness to get into the trenches with any opportunity he is able to find.  Hopefully one day soon I'll walk downtown to find Rodney hanging out inside one of these little shops with the friends he's made, and not just having to hope for loose change outside of one.




Rhubarb Bars
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 2/3 c powdered sugar
- 1 c butter, softened
- 1 3/4 c sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 5 c chopped rhubarb

Mix together butter, powdered sugar, and 2 cups of the flour until it becomes dough-like.  Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan (you don't have to spray the bottom of the pan, but do spray the sides).  Bake for 10 minutes on 350 degrees.  In the meantime, whisk together sugar, salt, remaining flour, and eggs until very well blended.  Stir in rhubarb. When the crust is done baking, spread this mixture over it, and bake another 40 minutes or until edges look a bit brown.  Cool completely before cutting- these end up being a bit runny so it helps to refrigerate them.  They aren't the prettiest dessert, so if presentation is your game, you may want to add a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Week #6- Lawrence (and the applesauce spice bars)

So far I've been pretty lucky with the Give and Bake Project in that I've met some neat people with quite interesting stories.  But I suppose it's bound to happen that I'll have a week when the person just doesn't feeling like talking very much.  Getting my new friend Lawrence to have a conversation was just a tad like pulling teeth (appropriate because I found him outside my dentist's office).  Oh well, we can't all be chatterboxes!

Lawrence was pretty excited to have my applesauce spice bars, so he scored points in my book just for that.  I couldn't take another s'mores kind of day!  He did tell me that he is homeless and stays at the shelter in the Loop.  He is homeless because he doesn't have income- he said he can't work because of a hand injury. He's from Chicago and his family is still here but they can't help him because they are struggling to support themselves.  He uses the money he collects on Washington Street for food and to wash his clothes.  He is trying to tuck a little away to eventually save for an apartment. 

Lawrence may not have the gift of gab, but doggoneit, he did have the good sense to wear snowpants in May (which he got a great chuckle out of), so that makes him a-o-k in my eyes!




Applesauce Spice Bars
- 1/4 c butter, softened
- 2/3 c brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 c applesauce
- 1 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

Mix together butter, brown sugar, and egg. Stir in applesauce. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Blend until smooth. Bake in 9x13 greased pan on 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. 

Despite the name of the recipe, this didn't end up tasting like applesauce to me.  The taste and texture was much more like spice cake, but they were very thin like bars. You could use a smaller pan and adjust the bake time if you wanted it to come out thicker like cake. Be careful not to overdo the nutmeg- a little goes a long way here.  You can top with frosting, powdered sugar, or leave plain.  I whipped up some frosting with a couple cups of powdered sugar, a few splashes of milk, and a drop of vanilla.