Oh my Lord, ... 2 weeks ago I made me and the wife some 'no-bake' chocolate cookies (w/rolled oats) ... she and I went through them so fast, she said I ought to make another 'double' batch ... didn't take much convincing, LOL ... so we just polished off the last cookie yesterday ... ... ... thought we had our 'fix' on chocolate and sugar, now I want to go try making these ...

the wife is 'out-of-town' ... PERFECT!!!

thanks BTY ...  ;)

-- Edited by Pythonpappy on Monday 31st of March 2014 12:40:10 PM

Great story ... still showing growth ... I shall not expand on your taking your 'balls' to the meeting, LOL ...

Yep, I used real butter in my recipe ... I never use margarine, not since I found out the chemical compound in margarine is just one item short of that in 'plastic' ... My dad had to have 'the REAL thing' ever since I can remember ... so I'm following in his footsteps ... I also used 'whole milk' ... (I drink 2 gallons of that stuff a week ...) ... and of course 'smooth & creamy' peanut butter ... ... ... and yes, a pinch of salt is something I do as well ... well, 2 for a double batch, LOL ...

LMFAO Phil ... ... ... you're a pearl ... ... ...

I forgot to list that I use peanut butter as well..... and the margarine containing anything like plastic is downright scarey and I'll be going to the store tomorrow and will stocking up on butter. I have never heard that and shame on those margarine makers for putting that in there! I'm going to have to add that to my resentment list.

as for the "growth"....
Yep....after eating some of these things (well, more than "some...) myself, I have definately "grown" and if I have grown in the sense I think you are talking about, that is a great thing and I will try to keep that in mind as I continue to have to go through skirts and pants which I have outgrown. :(

Phil...Cookie Monster!!!! Ha...even that brings back memories as I remember my daughter watching Cookie and Grover (the monster in the trash can) and Grover ate all of Cookie's cookies, and my daughter saw that and just busted out crying. So I had to ban Sesame Street from her t.v. watching until she was old enough to understand it was all okay.

Supposed to be 60F here tomorrow Pappy...Bout G..D..time..

And

YOU might be too old :)

Im still in my prime!!

And can still get my ass in trouble :)

 

I took treats to my home group for a good long while. I liked the attention, and recognition and the validation that I was welcome. Eventually I had to let it go. Who I was, just as me, I had to discover was good enough - still liked even when people didn't drool over me walking in - and I had to find out I could show up and be okay with NO ONE noticing me at all. Who I am IS good enough.

I have enough, I am enough, there is enough (debtors anonymous). This all ties in with my needing so much STUFF too. I counted how many bottles of hand lotion I have today. 14. I need ONE. Well, maybe 2, one for each floor of the house. But I have 14 bottles currently open and 1/3 gone scattered all over this house.


I need STUFF with me to feel okay I found out. Baby steps in letting go - being okay as JUST ME!

I still take cookies for the monthly board meeting. I am a work in progress. I am not perfect. I might always seek a little attention. I'm getting better. I went through all the disappointed 'awee's' when I stopped showing up with treats at my home group - I can do it again. I went through no one noticing me, and finding the validation and love from God to replace what I was getting from bringing stuff with me... gifting things to people - trying to BUY love - trying to HIDE behind my stuff - Trying to hoard things around me like a shield of protection because - just I - ME - wasn't okay. Today - the all loving God I do not understand fills this void and if I let it in - the love for me is there. It is enough.


And, just in case you don't have the issues I did/do - here is the recipe for the most yummy people pleasing bars EVER: If you're really starved for attention - this is a sure ticket:


Melt a stick of butter in a 9x13 pan
Smoosh a package of graham crackers and sprinkle over the melted butter evenly to make a 'crust'
Sprinkle 1/3 bag of each chips: chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch
Sprinkle a thin layer of crushed walnuts
Sprinkle one packet of maple instant oatmel
Pour a can of sweet condensed milk over that whole thing evenly
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes til everything is melty
Cool - cut into small bars and serve - or serve warm with ice cream



Some people put a layer of coconut instead of oatmeal ;)


LOve you grace - ((((Sister sweetly))))

Now that I think about it - I did this as a kid too. I would bring treats to school so kids would play with me. They always went away the second I didn't have the treats. Then it proved what my parents told me all along - that I sucked. It was a dead end.

I didn't know how to handle the recognition because I was never shown how to handle my feelings or emotions, and I didn't know how to handle it when they didn't give the recognition. Same reason. Never taught how to be a human.


Glad to find the direction manuals in AA & ACA

Yummmmmm, ...

Y'all would have to mention 'ICE CREAM' ... ... ... AND it's getting warm enough now to make it taste even better ... ... ... yep, must get some more tomorrow when it's 'seniors discount' day at the store, LOL ... ... ... And some Rice Crispies for cookies, LOL ... ... ...

Personally, I love those that bring snacks to meetings ... I don't feel I love them more or less for doing so ... I just sit back and enjoy and say a little prayer of gratitude for the pleasure received ... ... ... others contribute to the group in other ways, and if you have the talent to bake and want to share that with others, I see no problem with that what-so-ever ... not sure if I'd care to try to 'over-analyze' the 'motive' for doing such things ... just an opinion ...

((((((Pythonpappy))))))
I lost some sleep worrying about if people in my groups thought I had an ulterior motive for bringing them and even went so far as to second guess why I feel the need to make treats and for so many meetings. I prayed to my Higher Power, who is God, that if I do have any reason other than to do if for others and am trying to draw attention to myself in any way, to please make it clear to me. The whole time I was praying, I was thinking to myself....please don't give me a sign not to do it, because I truly love it.
Let me share a little more and if this sounds sappy, anyone can click the back button....
When I was little I don't remember getting many birthday cakes. My mom and dad were both alcoholic and it is possible that my mom did do this for us when we were very little. I do remember feeling it was a burden to her and maybe that was just me and mom was ok with it. I do know that my mom would ask me when I was in school if I wanted a birthday cake instead of just making it and this was for years when I was at home. I could have been a teenager by that time. Since I felt like it would be an imposition on her part, I would say "no you don't have to." or something like that. I don't remember having a birthday cake at all growing up--with the candles, blowing out, etc. Again, I probably am forgetting when I was really little.
Well....years later when I had my own child, we would order her a special cake with all of the cute little baby related decorations. This started before she was old enough to even eat any or much cake. When she was around 3 she didn't like the regular birthday cakes. She wanted an ice cream cake and we always got her a Friendly's cake. So I never made a birthday cake for her. I was drinking then and I may have made one or two cakes for my husband, but because my daughter didn't eat the homemade kind and I didn't feel or want to go to the trouble of learning how to make an ice cream cake, we always bought one from Friendly's for his and my birthday as well so my daughter could enjoy it too. So I had these silly memories of "I never remember my mom making me a birthday cake" --a long-term resentment--which ran through my head for so many years, as well as the guilt of not baking them for my own family when I was married. In fact, I didn't feel like baking much at all--not many cookies or any special treats. I did get those slice and bake cookies sometimes. As far as making many goodies from scratch, I just didn't all that much and felt and still do feel badly for it.
In AA I get to do that now and feel really good about myself. I certainly hope that there is no attention-seeking motive on my part and will continue to pray to my Higher Power that not only in this case, but also in other activities that I do on a daily basis to help others. It is so refreshing to me to actually want to do anything for anyone else because for years and years I lived only for myself and only cared for myself when I was drinking. Now I feel like I am baking goodies for my family members and it gives me such warm and loving feelings. I will be heartbroken if there comes a time when I am unable to continue to do this due to some physical or financial reason. It is keeping me sober and I feel I am doing service work for others.
Thanks for posting, Pappy, because I was really feeling very depressed last night and was so worried that there may be members in my groups who think I am bringing things just for attention and in my heart and mind that couldn't be further from the truth. I usually wake up on Tuesday mornings (which is my home group meeting and one of the meetings I bake things for) and I feel excited about what I am going to make for the meeting. Instead, I was depressed and not looking forward to it as much. I also was worried that there may be some on here who thought I was bragging when I posted this. I don't think it was that at all. I was just wanting to share something which brings me so much joy and also I thought there may be newcomers on here who like to bake and it may help them stay sober too by doing service work in their own meetings.

BTY

Just a few thoughts here after having a few minutes to pray and to ask for guidance so my tongue doesn't control my mind again like it just did....

It is my understanding that "service work" is many things....making coffee, reading literature in meetings, chairing meetings, setting up for meetings, even sharing can be service work since it is about helping others. To remain completely anonymous while we are performing these actions is impossible unless the chair, the readers and even sharers stand behind a screen when they talk. Should we then refuse to give even our first name to other alcoholics when we call them because we want to remain "anonymous"? I depend on someone else to give me rides, should that person sit in a special "enclosed" area while picking me up and driving me to the meetings so as not to be seen by me and others? Perhaps AA meetings should be held in cubicle-styled offices so no one sees one another.  And since I do depend on someone else for rides, should I ask that person to be sure to pick me up even earlier to take me to meetings just so I won't be "seen" by others taking treats to a meeting? (Of course, when I do get my license back, I can leave earlier, but that is not my point.) I think of coming to this MIP board for alcoholics as a form of service work. Should I not post a picture of myself because I want to remain "anonymous"????

I think the real "motive" here which we are "discussing" is not about my motives for baking treats and the desire to get attention. Tasha, if you don't want to bake anything for meetings for fear of appearing to be attention seeking or any other reason than you truly love doing it for other people and by doing that, it is helping you stay sober, I would say, just don't bake anything. That's your choice. To try and find any negatives out of someone else trying to do any kind of service work in AA makes me question what your motives are for doing so and there are newcomers who come to this board and like it or not, they can be influenced by postings such as this. I have been baking things on a regular basis for several meetings since the fall and I think if it were for attention, I would have had my fill of it by now. Also, there are certainly so many other ways I could get attention which wouldn't be nearly as time consuming and cost money (which anyone who has read my postings, knows that I have had a hard time financially; however, I always had money to buy alcohol and I tell myself I do have it for treats versus say......body lotions and other things I don't have to have.

I do have enough time in AA to recognize that it is my reaction(s) to your posting which are my concern at this point and I admit I still have a long way to go until I can let things like this go without having the need to even respond and to just pray for myself for strength to overcome pettiness on my part as well as pray for others who don't understand me the way my Higher Power does and the way I do.

Since baking things for meetings also is helping my depression and since I am feeling more depressed than usual (my own fault I know and not blaming anyone), I think I may need to bake a couple of things, and not just one, for tonight's meeting.

Tasha, I love you and love your postings. There are so many qualities you have which I would love to eventually have by the time I have two years of sobriety under my belt. I only hope I don't have the need to analyze or correct other alcoholics in any way for doing whatever service work that they want and are able to do to help other alcoholics.

BTY

-- Edited by betterthanyesterday52 on Tuesday 1st of April 2014 09:16:58 AM

In our area, we have two groups that have weekly "treats". Both are done by women with 25+ years of solid sobriety. One is a pot luck, where the woman who started it & has kept it going for 3 years now is lunch. She makes soups & stews, casseroles in her crock pots & bakes cookies. She get donations from some group members to help her, and every Thursday @ noon, there's a meal with the meeting. The other is "pancake Monday", where the woman brings her griddle and all the fixings and makes pancakes for the group, also a noon meeting. These things show newcomers there's people who care about them, about the group enough to take the time and expense t o do this. For some who bring treats & such to meetings, it may be about getting the reward of attention, for others, it's simply about love and service to the group. It may even be about making a commitment to oneself to follow through on something. I remember sitting in a meeting once watching someone grab one of the treats I had brought, take a bite, make a "yuck" face and throw it in the trash. Looking back, I can laugh at that, but not so much at the time. I have a friend who always reminds me "To thine own self be true" . If making and bringing treats to meetings is helping you stay sober, BTY, then remain true yourself & keep on keeping on.

Nezyb....I think that is great about the pot luck and wondered about asking my home group if they would like to do that. I remember after our AA meeting ended one night people from an Al-Anon group were bringing in all kinds of food for a pot luck which was going to be in the same church basement. The aromas from the food they were carrying in and all the cakes and desserts made my mouth water and I wanted to stick around and eat dinner (now that would have been self-serving of me). I did mention to another meeting I go to if I could bring ham biscuits or some other kind of meal-type thing and I was told that most people just want something sweet, so I didn't. I love fixing homemade chili beans and stews and often think I would like to take a big crock pot full of one or the other and either biscuits or cornbread. The only thing is, alot of times we have 75-100 people and I would worry not having enough for those that want it. Probably silly of me to worry about that.

Now the face thing and throwing one of the treats in the trash would bother me. I used to get hurt if there was very much left of the things I take. Then I realized that was about my ego getting the better of me and not to worry about that. (Now I do worry that there is more to take home and I will keep gaining weight from eating it ) It is helping me stay sober and thank you for kind posting.

stepchild....that is so sweet about the man continuing to make cookies his wife had made. Both of the cookies you mentioned sound really good. I made a chocolate cake made with M&M's and those people do love M&M's (as I do). Your words made me feel so much better and it makes me that much more enthusiastic to do it since you said it was God's work. I feel grateful and blessed to be able to do God's work and also anything that puts a smile on someone's face. Thank you for your kind words.


BTY (Grace)

You're doing all the right things BTY....The house will get clean...The licence will be there.....The fears will fall. Just keep moving forward....And take care of today. Those committments are awesome.....You'll be a natural at speaking. Just ask God for the words and tell your story....That's what I did. It worked. And don't worry about the rides so much...I can see you giving others rides in the future...And you can tell them it's not really a bother at all. You're doing great!

Thanks again, stepchild. I think the housecleaning thing was what I used as an excuse to put off doing my stepwork...it came about the same time as my 4th step did. Imagine that! It was your posting which made me realize that, because I don't remember consciously thinking I was doing that. And I know for a fact that I wouldn't be as far as I am and would still be putting off that step had you not shared that with me so I am extremely grateful to you for helping me. And unless something changes which I am unaware of, I doubt seriously I am going to lose my enthusiasm to help others. If by some chance that happens, I know who to come to for a swift "kick in the pants" to help get me on track again.

Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.

BB pg 24

Not even the original 100 members that helped put the book together enjoyed doing that step BTY...I've watched too many people postpone it right back into drinking. If we want to be successful with this process....It is required. Kudos to you for moving on!!

betterthanyesterday52 wrote:

---

Things I am confused about, I can file away in my "gonna think about this one for awhile" mental box or disregard.

---

One thing I learned about going through those steps....There were things I wasn't sure why I was doing them...Things I wasn't sure would work...Or if they were necessary....I went ahead on faith alone. If you do it...Like it's laid out in the book...The best you honestly can.....It works.

That's where you take what you want and leave the rest...Believe me...I left a lot of it. Still do.