This week before the rush of the holidays begins, I am purposing to focusing on serving others with my children. It's important that our children see us serving, that they know how to find ways to serve and that they participate with us as often as possible.
We will start out with some simple letter writing and cards. I want my children to carry on the act of a written letter or a card to send wishes to a friend or loved one. In today's culture of email and text messages, a written note is a lost and dying art. Tomorrow's schoolwork will consist primarily of writing notes and cards to cousins and other family members who are far away. I have photos set aside to include with these letters as well. We also have a card signed for George, the retired Marine we heard about last week who is in need of some encouragement, and another for Tabetha, a friend at Morning Grace who is recovering from major surgery. Of course I set the example for them today, writing thank you notes that were overdue and a long letter to Amber's birth mom. Lastly we will begin to work on cards and pictures to put in Grandaddy's care package going to Cuba later this month.
I try to encourage my children to use their talents to serve the Lord and others whenever possible. Serving others should be a joy, not an obligation, and what better way to serve with joy than by doing something you love and have a talent for! This Tuesday, I will use my talent and their eagerness to learn about baking to benefit the Charlotte Rescue Mission. All day Tuesday we plan to make baked goods for CRM to serve during their Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. Wednesday we will deliver the baked goods and then head home to cook up our own contributions to the Thanksgiving meal we will be attending at Aunt Jen and Uncle Mike's house.
What can you do to serve someone this Thanksgiving holiday? What talents and interests do you have that can be used in an act of service to others? Leave a comment and let me know what you are doing to serve someone this Thanksgiving.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Holiday Countdown - In the Kitchen
Now that Halloween has come and gone, thoughts are turning to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call your relatives and finalize your Thanksgiving dinner plans now if you haven't already. Our family will be spending Thanksgiving with my brother's family and my mom - Daddy will already be in Cuba by then.
Once you know where you're eating, you need to decide what you're eating. Are you hosting the family at your house? Do you need to bring something to dinner at someone else's house? Decide now what you will make and start watching the sales ads for the ingredients you need.
You can also begin to think ahead to Christmas gifts from the kitchen. I love to bake so I do a lot of baked goods gifts for neighbors, the kids' teachers in their different homeschool activities and some of Michael's coworkers. I also like to doing some holiday baking now to help prepare me for all the parties and dinner and just special time with family and friends. If I do some baking now, I have more time to relax and enjoy the season! I set aside Wednesdays for cooking/baking and cleaning my kitchen.
My first plan of action is to buy bags of ripe bananas marked down at the grocery store. Then I use them to make as many batches of banana bread as possible - 6 bananas will make 2 or 3 batches depending on your recipe. Last year I bought some individual mini foil baking pans with holiday lids at the end of the season. So far I have about a dozen mini loaves of banana bread in the freezer waiting to be gifted to a friend or neighbor or teacher. I bake the loaves then let them cool. After I put the lids on the pans, I wrap them first in plastic wrap and then in foil. Then I put the loaves in freezer bags and stack them in my freezer. Make sure you label them so you know what you have!
This past weekend I bought half a bushel of honey crisp apples at a produce stand near my mom's house. On Wednesday I'll be making apple butter, apple jelly and baked apples to can. These will also make great gifts!!
Not all my baking is for giving away! If I gave it all away, there would be mutiny in the house. I also plan to start preparing cookie dough to freeze and pull out in December for those days the kids want to decorate cookies. I also try to make a double meal when possible, serving one for dinner and freezing the other for another busy night during the holidays.
Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite gift from the kitchen to give or one you've received!
Once you know where you're eating, you need to decide what you're eating. Are you hosting the family at your house? Do you need to bring something to dinner at someone else's house? Decide now what you will make and start watching the sales ads for the ingredients you need.
You can also begin to think ahead to Christmas gifts from the kitchen. I love to bake so I do a lot of baked goods gifts for neighbors, the kids' teachers in their different homeschool activities and some of Michael's coworkers. I also like to doing some holiday baking now to help prepare me for all the parties and dinner and just special time with family and friends. If I do some baking now, I have more time to relax and enjoy the season! I set aside Wednesdays for cooking/baking and cleaning my kitchen.
My first plan of action is to buy bags of ripe bananas marked down at the grocery store. Then I use them to make as many batches of banana bread as possible - 6 bananas will make 2 or 3 batches depending on your recipe. Last year I bought some individual mini foil baking pans with holiday lids at the end of the season. So far I have about a dozen mini loaves of banana bread in the freezer waiting to be gifted to a friend or neighbor or teacher. I bake the loaves then let them cool. After I put the lids on the pans, I wrap them first in plastic wrap and then in foil. Then I put the loaves in freezer bags and stack them in my freezer. Make sure you label them so you know what you have!
This past weekend I bought half a bushel of honey crisp apples at a produce stand near my mom's house. On Wednesday I'll be making apple butter, apple jelly and baked apples to can. These will also make great gifts!!
Not all my baking is for giving away! If I gave it all away, there would be mutiny in the house. I also plan to start preparing cookie dough to freeze and pull out in December for those days the kids want to decorate cookies. I also try to make a double meal when possible, serving one for dinner and freezing the other for another busy night during the holidays.
Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite gift from the kitchen to give or one you've received!
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