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.

Week #5- Tony and Maurice (and the s'mores bars)

So many stories tonight, where to begin!  I suppose at the beginning, with my choice of baked goods for the week.  I think everyone is becoming restless waiting for summer.  I know I for one am about ready to just ignore the fact that it's 40 degrees out, throw on a sundress, and head to the beach.  So why not imagine I have a campfire going and make some s'mores bars?  Chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers- what's not to love?  Right?  Apparently not so much.

There is a man who lost his legs who always hangs out around Michigan and Wacker, so I thought I'd share the summer spirit (and my s'mores bars) with him.  "Hi! Do you like s'mores?"  "No, I have bad teeth so I don't eat sweets."  Okay... fair enough.  Although I have to say that's never stopped me.  But I won't hold that against my new friend, so I asked him about his story.  His name was Tony, and he lost his legs two years ago.  He was living on lower Wacker and ended up with a terrible combination of frostbite, gangrene, and diabetes.  I asked him how he ended up living on lower Wacker to begin with, and while I never really discovered how he became homeless, I did learn that he originally had a home in Baltimore.  He came to Chicago years ago to try to find a friend he met while in the military.  He did find his friend, although he didn't really tell me what became of that.  My favorite part of Tony's story is what he's up to now.  He currently lives in an apartment funded by and agency, so he's saving the funds he collects on the street to try and obtain a copyright for a book he wrote.  I can't remember the name of this book (maybe this project can also be an exercise for my short-term memory), but he said it's based on the bible and the struggles that he has faced in life.  I so love when I meet people like Tony who have run into such hard times but still try to make the best of it and even try to create a better future for themselves.  Next time I see Tony I'll have to write down the name of that book so I can keep my eye out and see if anything ever becomes of it.

Although it was nice to meet and talk to Tony, I still had a plate of s'mores bars in my hands and therefore felt like I hadn't really accomplished my mission for the night.  A few days ago, my good friend and idea-contributor Cindy suggested that I eventually circle back to some of the people I've met so far and write a little update on them.  Given that it was such a beautiful day, I was certain I'd find Willy from week #1 at his post outside Bockwinkel's and thought this could be the perfect opportunity for that.  But before I headed that way, I had to run and errand on State Street.  Outside the store I was going into, there was a man sitting on the ground holding a cardboard sign saying "I'm homeless, anything helps." I thought okay, this is a sign.  Literally and figuratively.  I can have two stories in one week- why not! 

I started the same way I had with Tony- "Hi! Do you like s'mores?"  His response? "No, I don't like marshmallows."  Well, actually before that it was "What are s'mores?"  I don't know if I was more disappointed that he didn't want my bars, or that he didn't know what s'mores were.  Even so, I stopped to chat with my second new friend.  His name was Maurice.  Maurice is originally from Minnesota.  He moved here for a job managing a fast-food restaurant. That went out of business nine months ago, and he hasn't been able to find work since then.  The only family he has is his mother, but she lives in a nursing home back in Minnesota.  He's actively looking for a new job and is hoping to find one soon.  I went into the store and when I came back out he said "Shelley! Think you can help me out with a couple dollars?" I told him I never carry cash- which is true.  Then he asked me if I could buy him some Garrett's popcorn from across the street.  I apologized and explained that once a week I bake something and give it to a homeless person in the area, and I'm trying not to get into the habit of buying extra things for the people I meet, because then I'd probably end up one of them.  So he asked me if I could instead make him some vanilla cake sometime.  I can't say plain 'ol vanilla cake is my favorite thing to bake, but we'll see, Maurice.  We'll see.

So that was two different rejections for my s'mores bars, and one person who even requested something else entirely.  My baking ego needed a pick-me-up, so I was really hoping to run into one of my friends from weeks past who I knew would gladly take any and all of my sweets.  First I passed underneath the Wabash el stop where I met Ted during week #3.  I got really excited for a moment because I saw someone leaning on a cane and I thought it was him.  As I got closer, I realized it was actually a lady- someone I haven't met yet.  I thought about stopping for a third story, but I honestly didn't think I could remember anything else at the moment- it was only thirty minutes since meeting Tony and I had already forgotten the name of his book!  Also, my bars couldn't take a third heartbreak.  But I've seen her in that area before, so now I know who I'm looking to meet next week.  Yeesh, I probably should have stopped and asked her what treats she likes to be safe!

I continued on toward home, feeling pretty good that I'd come across Willy.  And sure enough, there he was, in his usual spot.  I asked him if he remembered me, and he couldn't place me until I reminded him of the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. "Ohhhh yes!  Those were so, so good!  They were so moist!!"  Whew, there's the ego boost I needed!  Willy told me that later on in the cold and rainy night I last saw him, someone had given him $20 so he and his wife could spend the night at the homeless shelter.  Wait, back up, wife?  He never mentioned a wife!  "Oh sure- there she is over there."  He pointed across the street to a woman limping with a walker.  "She got shot in the projects a while back.  There's a lot of anger over there.  When people get to live in the project housing, they are seen as high-class in the area and the people who don't get to live there get jealous and mad.  Shirley got caught in the crossfire of one of those fights."  We chatted some more and he told me that Shirley loves sweets and will be glad to have my s'mores bars.  I said goodbye to Willy for the night and crossed the street to meet his wife of 15 years.

Shirley was a delightful lady with a bright smile.  After I introduced myself, she grabbed my hand, squeezed it tight, and said "Oh, that's very close to my name! I can remember that!"  She kept laughing at herself for being so out of breath.  She stays across the street from Willy so she can rest on the hotel steps now and then, but she gets kicked off if she stays too long.  Therefore, she has to keep switching steps, and with her injury it's no easy feat.  Behind her smile, you could tell she was in a lot of pain.  I think I'm going to keep a couple advils on hand from now on in case I see her again.  Shirley politely asked me if I might be able to help her get something to eat.  I said well sure, I actually just dropped off some s'mores bars with Willy.  She seemed a bit disappointed, although this time I think it had less to do with what kind of bars they were and more to do with it being a dessert in general.  I think she was hoping for something more substantial.  While I was talking to Willy, a man around my age come out of the store and said "Hey Willy! My man! What's going on!" and gave him a Pepsi and a Milky Way.  I remember during my last visit with Willy, he had similar snacks sitting next to him.  I have a feeling this happens a lot- well meaning people bringing them treats.  I am pretty certain I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know, but even I know there's a limit.  Next time I see them, I might have to see about getting a little PB&J in their tummies. 

That has to be a universally yummy and nutritious meal that no one can turn down.... right?




S'mores Bars
- 3 c crushed graham crackers
- 3/4 c melted butter
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1 bag mini marshmallows
- 1 bag chocolate chips

Mix the crackers, butter, and sugar.  Press half of that into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Spread out marshmallows.  Spread out chocolate chips on top of that.  Next press the remaining graham cracker crumbs on top.  Bake on 350 for about 10 minutes.  Press down firmly with a spatula immediately after taking out of the oven.  These bars are going to be deliciously messy no matter what, but if you want them to be easier to cut, chill them in the fridge for a few hours first.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can really modify the amount of marshmallows and chocolate chips however you want in order to achieve your ideal mallow-chocolate ratio.