may not have a lot of money, but I know one thing for sure – I know how to bake. So when the earthquake hit Haiti and left thousands homeless, I knew I had to put my skills to work. The idea hit me last Friday morning, and half an hour later, I had a 5-day menu planned out and an email sent out to my entire office about the upcoming event next week. It was simple. New day, new baked good for $5 a pop.

Mother Teresa said, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Anything counts, and a bake sale is a sure way to put love into giving.

I haven’t done a bake sale since middle school but getting back into it felt good. Really good. Yes, I could go home after work and feel helpless while I observe the misery in Haiti on TV. Or, I can take the time to do something about it. It was exhausting at times, but it’s the kind of hard work that you don’t mind doing because the process itself is so gratifying. Bringing in two dozen freshly baked cinnamon buns on that dreary, rainy Monday morning at work (when other companies were off work for MLK holiday) really brought in that little bit of needed sunshine into the workplace.

For those of you who think silly bake sales are only for student councils, think again. It was a complete success. I intentionally asked for a bit much for each baked good, but I was clear that I would volunteer my own time and money, so that 100% of the profits would go towards the cause. Not only was I selling out of $5 baked goods, but I was getting $10, even $20 for a cupcake. To let others know how the progress was going, I posted how much was earned each day. Writing a check for $50 may not be much, but using that to get ingredients for a bake sale and generating $571.04 for

UNICEF to help children in Haiti is better.

Thanks for the support, and happy baking.

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Day 1: Cinnamon Buns

Amount made: $178
Recipe: Cinnamon Buns

I’ve made cinnamon buns for work before, but this time, I made them bigger. I made about 40 of them…what a night.

Day 2: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Amount made: $194.35
Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

One of my co-workers has been requesting Red Velvet Cupcakes for months. So I finally made them, and they were really good!

I also made a batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes but without the red food coloring for Mike’s work, since they’re a little more health conscious.

Naked red cupcakes!

This whole box is filled with cupcakes.

One of my coworkers joined the bake sale with her delicious oatmeal-chocolate-cranberry-apricot cookies.

Day 3: Kasutera

Amount made: $55.69
Recipe: Kasutera-Japanese Sponge Cake

I made one of my favorite things, Kasutera Cake. It’s a popular Japanese cake that’s usually served plain. I love how light it is, and how it uses all natural ingredients. It’s kind of like…angel food cake, but with lots of honey flavor.

I packed them all into bags. It unfortunately didn’t sell well. I don’t think people are into plain ‘ol cake. Oh well. I’ll frost it next time.

Day 4: Biscotti & Pistachio Brittle

Amount made:$91
Recipe: Best Ever Biscotti and Salted Pistachio Brittle

This was a huge hit at both offices! I put about five cookies in one bag, which is a steal at $5. Lots of compliments on the biscotti, as usual. I love this recipe (I just posted it on my blog)

This is my first time making brittle. Mike helped make this, since I was chicken when it came to stirring and pouring out scalding hot sugar-butter.

This was also a huge hit at both offices. It was fragrant, crunchy, and the pistachios were a new twist on something so old-fashioned. The coarse sea salt on top made the perfect sweet and savory taste combination.

Day 5: Thin Mints

Amount made: $52
Recipe: Thin Mints (my first food post!)

I ended the week with a bang – thin mints! Everyone seems to go gaga at thin mints. Each cookie was hand dipped. Took a while, but they were extra good.

I stuffed as many cookies as I could into a bag.

Total Donations: $571.04

I made a sign for each day that not only had the description of what I was selling, but how much was made on each day.

I made a donation jar out of an old peanut jar.

A big stack o’ money at the end of the bake sale.

Woo hoo! Done! It may not be a lot, but I’m glad I was able to contribute.

Your donation will support UNICEF’s relief efforts for children affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti. If the total funds raised exceed UNICEF’s funding requirements for the Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal, your donation will be designated for UNICEF’s long-term support for children in Haiti.

To donate to UNICEF’s work helping children affected by the earthquake in Haiti, go here.

Update: Feb 3, 2010

Wow, looks like this entry is getting some press!

Update: Feb 4, 2010 UNICEF sent this photo to me today. Looks like things are going well over there.

Update: Feb 25, 2010: UNICEF sent an email asking me to take a photo for them…

What’s apparent is that it’s not just the medicine and sanitation supplies that are fueling their faith. It’s also the faces of those helping out on the ground, telling them with one look that it’s going to be OK. Take a picture now holding a sign that says “I stand with Haiti” and submit it to our photo petition, and… we’ll compile the images and package them with an upcoming aid shipment.

So here I am, with my sign.

Aaaaand…in Creole!

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