A former Flatwoods woman has found a recipe for success, mixing her military career with her love for baking.

Melissa Metz, 33, has published “Desserts from the Desert, Simple and Delicious Microwave and No-Bake Recipes Created and Tested in a Combat Zone.”

The 44-page, paperback book, published by Metz through Sugar Shock Publishing, contains 22 recipes that make use of ingredients available to her “from the chow hall” and “from the post exchange,” as well as items “mailed from home.” There is a section that shows how many pats of butter make a tablespoon and how many individual packets of oatmeal make a cup. It also recommends ways to get by if you don’t have all the kitchen tools a baker might need.

The 1995 Raceland-Worthington High School graduate was looking for adventure when she joined the Marines in 1999. She was in the reserves when she was studying at the University of Kentucky law school and went on active duty after she took the bar exam in August 2002.

It was while she was deployed to Iraq as a defense attorney with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in September 2005 that she began devising ways to bake in an unorthodox setting.

“I thought my baking might be put on hold,” she said. “While deployed, I frequently traveled by helicopter to other bases in Iraq providing legal services to Marines. However, when I was at my home base in Al Asad I quickly learned that we had a good deal of down time in the late evenings. What better way to pass the time than to bake! I had to get creative, but I quickly surmised that the Marines would eat just about anything I made, and they did.

“After making about five or six different microwave or no-bake desserts, one of my fellow Marines, Geoff Hengerer, told me that I should put together a deployment cook book,” she said with a laugh.

But then, she began keeping notes on her recipes, looking online for ideas to adapt to her environment, where she could not shop at a grocery store and could not get eggs.

“There was a chow hall where I could take some small items — like butter, oats or apples — after eating dinner,” Metz said. “The Post Exchange at Al Asad carried some food, like peanut butter, honey, and graham crackers. For the staples, I had to write home. My mother sent so many boxes of my ingredients. She was my lifeline for these recipes —and for lots of encouragement and support!”

Metz is not longer in service; she is assistant chief counsel for immigration and customs enforcement in Charlotte, N.C., but her experiences resonate with her.

“My experience in Iraq was actually one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There were so many emotions that I experienced there, but mostly I felt proud to serve my country,” she said. “I experienced a profound camaraderie with the other Marines who were stationed with me in Iraq. It’s something that can’t really be described unless you experience it firsthand.”

She said she had not fear during her time in Irag.

“I have a strong faith in God and I trusted that he had a plan for me and would protect me while I was deployed,” she said. “I am thankful for my experience in Iraq and how it matured me and gave me a different perspective on how precious life is.

“And of course I am now forever grateful for indoor plumbing! Oh, how nice it is to just walk five steps from my bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night, rather than trekking outside to the port a john or the toilet trailer!”

BLACK AND BLUE CRUMB COBBLER

3 tablesoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup milk

1 14-oz. can blueberries

1 14-oz. can blackberries

1/2 cup sugar, divided use

1/4 cup liquid reserved from berries

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter



Soften butter by microwaving on High for 15 seconds. Add 1/3 cup sugar and mix well. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with milk; set aside.

Drain berries, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid, and put in a 2 quart microwavable container. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar. Add 1/4 cup sugar to the reserved liquid and pour over berries. Drop dough by small spoonfuls on top of berries. For crumb topping, mix together oats, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in 3 tbsp. of butter and mix with fork (or your hands) until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb topping over the dough-covered berries.

For a 700- to 800-watt microwave, cook at 80 percent power for 18 to 20 minutes, or until cobber dough is fully cooked. For 900 watt or higher microwave, cook at 50 percent power for 12 minutes. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.



CARAMEL CRISPIES

30 individually wrapped caramels

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons butter

1-10.5 oz. bag mini marshmallows (about 5 cups)

8 cups crispy rice cereal



Melt caramels and water in a large microwave safe bowl on High for 1 minute; stir well. Add butter and marshmallows and cook on High for 11/2 to 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and smooth.

Add crispy rice cereal and mix well. Spread into a 9 or 10 inch greased storage container. Yield: 15 to 20 squares.

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While I don’t claim to be an expert cook, I do like to cook and love to eat. Readers are encouraged to send questions about food and cooking; I’ll try to find the answers. Also, if you’re looking for a specific recipe, send your request, or if you can offer a recipe to someone looking for something specific, please send e-mail to lward@dailyindependent.com.