11/15/04 THANKSGIVING WREATH, MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES, TIPS, PSALM 119
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman
A THANKSGIVING WREATH TO WELCOME YOUR FAMILY HOME
MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES TO FREEZE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
MAKE-AHEAD MASHED SWEET POTATOES
MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE
FROZEN CRANBERRY SALAD
FROZEN INDIVIDUAL CRANBERRY MOLDS
PILGRIM HAT COOKIES FOR THANKSGIVING
THE BEST GINGERBREAD COOKIES EVER!
DRESSING or STUFFING
PUMPKIN CAKE
CONFETTI CORN
LET'S TALK TURKEY!
GETTING A "JUMP" ON THE HOLIDAYS
MONEY-SAVING TIPS AND TIDBITS
A THANKSGIVING WREATH TO WELCOME YOUR FAMILY HOME
By Lois Breneman, © 2004, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Using a wreath of greenery, simply decorate it with small pictures of each family member and a colorful bow! Find rather small pictures of each family member, make color copies of them, and cut out only the faces. Cut each one into the shape of a heart, oval, circle or square, using a craft puncher or by making a template, tracing around each picture and cutting them out. Glue each picture onto a firmer backing (old cards will do). Trace around each picture with puff paints and let dry before hot gluing them onto the greenery. Small ribbons tied into bows could be added to fill in your wreath, if necessary. Using puff paint, write "Thanking God for Family" or something similar on a card, outlined with more puff paint. If you have family members coming to your home for Thanksgiving, imagine how special they would feel to have your wreath welcome them!
Tips on How Not to Spend Your Entire Day in the Kitchen - Start Cooking Now!
By Lois Breneman, © 2003, Revised 2004, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Since we all could use extra hours around the holidays, any shortcuts we can apply in our kitchen will give us more time and energy to be used elsewhere - preferably with our families! Here are a few ways of trimming down our kitchen time and energy over Thanksgiving and Christmas.
MAKE-AHEAD MASHED SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes can be cooked and mashed ahead of time, then frozen. We used to grow sweet potatoes in our garden and harvest several bushels at one time. That's when I learned to freeze them! Now when sweet potatoes are on sale, I like to stock up, because the prices fluctuate greatly. Autumn is when we find the best prices in the US. Bake the washed sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven or roaster pan with a small amount of water added for moisture. Bake at 350 F. for about an hour (check for tenderness). When cool enough to handle, peel, mash and freeze in freezer bags. It's as simple as that! I like to freeze sweet potatoes without salt or seasoning, so they can be used for sweet potato casseroles, muffins and pies. Of course, freezing a casserole flavored with ingredients such as butter, brown sugar, cinnamon or cranberries also works very well. It's wonderful to go to the freezer and take out a dish already prepared, except for thawing and heating! If you are able to freeze your casserole in the dish you plan to set on the table, that saves even more time.
A last minute tip: Brown sugar placed around the outside edge of the casserole not only looks and tastes good, but it allows those who prefer not to have sugar to reach into the center for a scoop. Color and texture give the dish more appeal, so why not add chopped walnuts and/or dried cranberries, sprinkled around the edge or only in the center?
MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE
Five or ten pound bags of white potatoes are often "Buy One -- Get One Free," so in order to take advantage of these special prices, without them spoiling, you can cook, mash and freeze them into multiple casseroles for later. Sometimes I cook the potatoes and mash them, adding some of the cooking liquid, butter and salt - and freeze them in a casserole dish until needed. Before serving them, I thaw the potatoes, I heat them in the microwave, add a little milk as I mix them up with a potato masher and they are ready to eat! They can also be held over in the oven, covered, until the rest of the meal is ready.
Or here is a delicious and convenient recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. If your family does not like spinach, try substituting grated carrots or other vegetables, although it is very good plain, with vegetables served on the side. If potatoes are the only vegetable your children will eat, try mashing a few cooked carrots or some sweet potato in with the white potatoes. When I've done this, my family thought I had added cheese. For extra nutrition and a yellow tint, an egg can also be added as the potatoes are whipped. A sprinkle of dried dill weed over the cheese before baking adds extra flavor and color.
Cook and mash: 3-4 large potatoes.
Add: 1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar (given in recipe, but not necessary)
1/4 cup butter
Add just enough milk to bring to proper consistency and beat until fluffy.
Add: 1/8 tsp. dill seed
2 tsp. chives, chopped
1 cup cooked spinach, well drained, chopped
Place in greased casserole and top with 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese. May be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, or make a double recipe and freeze half to add to a future oven meal. Or freeze now to use for the holidays!
FROZEN CRANBERRY SALAD
(How easy can it get?)
1 #2 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup sour cream (Whipped topping could be substituted for all or half of sour cream.)
Mix together and put in ice cube trays or in a 9x9 glass dish. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Freeze overnight. Cut into squares and serve as a salad with green lettuce beneath or serve as a dessert - maybe with a cookie on the side.
1 can whole cranberry sauce 1/2 cup sugar (or less)
8 oz. crushed pineapple with juice 1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. sour cream (Whipped topping could be substituted for all or half of sour cream.)
Mix together all ingredients and freeze in muffin cups.
*Note: Small pieces of banana mixed in is delicious too! Either cranberry recipe is a great make-ahead salad or dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Of course, either recipe can be frozen in a large mold, glass dish, muffin cups, custard cups or individual molds.
PILGRIM HAT COOKIES FOR THANKSGIVING
Using the best rolled gingerbread cookie recipe I've ever found, cut with round cookie cutters and bake, following the directions below. A time-saving tip would be to make enough gingerbread cookies in all kinds of shapes right now and freeze them. Then have the children help to decorate them with frosting closer to Christmas. After the round circles have cooled (for the Pilgrim hats), unwrap small peanut butter cups and place one inverted in the center of each round cookie. Using store-bought frosting in a tube or your own frosting, pipe a ring around the base of the peanut butter cup, "gluing" it onto the cookie. This can be a thick or a thin line, and it will automatically form the band of the hat! Lastly, pipe a square buckle from that line, upward onto the peanut butter cup to form the buckle. These can be made ahead, as well! You may want to bake the round cut-out cookies and freeze way ahead of time to simplify things even more, then have family members join in this fun decorating project. That's what I did this year, thinking my daughter would enjoy this! When our children were young, my sister and two brothers got together for Thanksgiving and we moms organized fun art projects for the children. Those are priceless photographs, now that they are all grown! Well, enough reminiscing!
The Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever!
1 cup butter or shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp. orange juice
4 tsp. grated orange rind Beat butter and sugar together.
3 cups flour Mix all ingredients well and chill dough for 3 hours.
2 tsp. baking soda Roll 1/4" thick. Cut cookies in various shapes.
2 tsp. cinnamon Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake.
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
a dash of salt
DRESSING or STUFFING
I like to make a large dishpan full of stuffing at Thanksgiving, so I can freeze the extra and completely skip the process for Christmas -- it's already done! I don't really use a recipe for this, but make it as my mother always did. Cube bread (whole wheat and white mixture) and let it dry out on a large tray for a day or so. Sometimes I dry it in a dishpan, stirring occasionally over a 2-3 day period. Melt butter, add chicken broth, beaten eggs, lots of cooked celery and onions (sometimes a small amount of grated carrots for color), salt, onion salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and other dried herbs (parsley, Greek oregano, thyme, rosemary or tarragon, etc.). Stir well. Add enough bread crumbs for a slightly moist mixture. I bake it in a greased dish, (rather than in the bird) at 350 F. until golden brown on top. Don't overbake. The unbaked stuffing mixture will freeze great in containers or freezer bags to serve later.
Note: Anytime before Thanksgiving is the time to make this recipe and freeze for both Thanksgiving and Christmas or any other time you want to enjoy stuffing throughout the year.
PUMPKIN CAKE
2 cups sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs 2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup oil 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour 2 cups pumpkin --1 lb. can
Cream sugar, eggs, and oil until all traces of oil are gone. Add dry ingredients. Mix. Add pumpkin and mix. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 F. for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This cake tastes even better when made ahead. It's delicious and so moist - even without frosting!
Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. butter 2 cups confectioners sugar
CONFETTI CORN
If you want to save last minute meal preparation, cut a couple pats of butter into a microwavable casserole dish. Add finely chopped fresh or frozen green pepper, a jar of chopped pimientos (drained), dill weed and a bag of frozen corn. Cover and put the dish in the freezer. To make things even easier for us, some supermarkets sell bags of frozen chopped onion, red, green and yellow bell peppers. On the day you are ready to serve the corn, take the dish from the freezer, thaw and microwave as you normally microwave corn. Add salt to taste just before serving. To cook on top of the stove, add a small amount of water first. This is a quick, tasty and colorful dish -- yellow with red and green!
LET'S TALK TURKEY!
If using a frozen turkey or turkey breast, be sure to give it a couple days in the refrigerator for safe thawing. For a juicy turkey or turkey breast, place a grapefruit, orange or lemon inside the cavity prior to roasting. Pierce the fruit to prevent it from bursting, and simply cook it as usual. You are "guaranteed" a juicy bird each time and there will be no citrus or orange flavor in the turkey. I don't know how this works, but it does. You simply take the fruit and dispose of it after roasting. Obviously, you don't stuff this bird, but it works great to have a separate casserole dish of stuffing as a side dish. Several "Heart to Heart" ladies and I have tried this and we all agree that it works great!
GETTING A "JUMP" ON THE HOLIDAYS
By Lois Breneman, © 2003, Revised 2004, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Most of us are not finished with our Christmas shopping, and don't get stressed about that! I'm not finished either, but that's okay! There are lots of other things we can do ahead of time to help get a "Jump" on the holidays.
Discuss with the family what they'd especially like to do for the holidays. Be sure to delegate some of the work to each family member, putting them in charge of specific projects. Plan your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals early. Look through recipes, write out your holiday menus now, make a grocery list and shop early for all except the perishable items. Buy a couple turkey breasts now while on sale for 88 cents a pound! Purchase basic ingredients such as unbleached flour, shortening, cooking oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips when on sale, but don't wait until the last minute. I remember one year how I needed unbleached flour for baking cookies and the shelf was bare! Buy it now! This will cut way down on your time, saving trips to the grocery store during your busiest time of the year. Spices such as ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg that are necessary for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking can be purchased in bulk at a health foods store to save as much as ten times the price in grocery stores. Use your savings to buy gifts.
Find a few holly or bayberry candles to get your family in the holiday spirit. Play your Christmas music while you bake cookies, cakes and pies now and freeze them for the holidays. All this will help get you and your family into the spirit and spur you on to finish the shopping and pull out the decorations too. I usually enjoy decorating the day after Thanksgiving, if at all possible, so we can enjoy everything longer. Don't overdo the baking, though baking now for parties will save you time in the long run. A birthday cake for Jesus will freeze well, if baked ahead, but frost it after it is thawed. Let's not forget that it is Jesus' birthday that we are celebrating!
Choose Christmas cards now – or use what you had already bought on sale last year. Type out all the names and addresses of those to whom you plan to send a Christmas card. Keep this list in a file to copy, paste and print. These names and addresses can be printed on mailing labels. Or they can simply be printed on white paper, cut out and glued onto envelopes with a glue stick. This can be done now. Sign the cards now, as well. Stickers, stamps and return address labels can be added now. Let the children help. There are so many rubber stamps available to dress up an envelope and that can also be done ahead of time!
If you plan to send a newsy Christmas letter to friends and family whom you don't see very often, work on a rough draft now. Get in-put from each family member on what to include. Then fine tune it and print it out! Make copies on colored paper. Use a rubber stamp with a Christmas theme. Fold the letter and tuck into the cards. Done! Now your cards will be ready to mail when the time comes. If you are waiting for a picture to include, fine, but the rest will be done, and your planning ahead will relieve a lot of pressure.
You may want to find a new Christmas ornament to make together as a family project. Search for ideas now. Holiday magazines, the library, craft books and Michael's are good places to find ideas. I've been giving each of my children a special Christmas ornament each year. They took their ornaments when they left home, but we still enjoy giving them a new one each year.
Find an Angel Tree in the mall and shop early for the child you choose to bring some Christmas joy. Find out if there is also a needy family who needs a meal or other help. Remember the single moms.
As far as your gift list, write down all the names of those to whom you plan to give a gift. Check to see what gifts you already have on hand and continue from there. If you have time to make a gift that isn't too complicated, make it in multiples – assembly line style. Handmade gifts that are done well are always welcome, and you can save so much. Christian books, CD's and tapes are a great gift idea too. Some cities have a temporary Christian bookstore in their area, with merchandise discounted as much as 80%. I know one had returned to our area two consecutive years. The prices are amazing! You can buy good Christian CD's for just $2 and audios for $1!
A few other small ways to plan ahead (every little bit helps!):
*Make a list of goals for your family during this holiday season, along with how you can reach those goals. Keep things in perspective.
*If it's cold where you live, you may want to put out your snowmen and sled decorations early, even before Thanksgiving!
*Plan which dishes to use for the special meals.
*Cream cheese balls freeze well. That's something you can do now for later, even as gifts!
*If you don't have an Advent Calendar to use with your children, make plans now.
*Be sure your bathrooms have extra toilet paper and hand towels available.
*Decide now which dishes you'd like to use for the special meals and make a note of it.
*I like to use an 8 1/2 x 11" piece of colored paper, folded in half, to write down my specific plans. Being a special color, I'm not as likely to loose it! 😉
These are just a few tips to help in planning ahead. I'm sure you can think of lots more! You can make this Thanksgiving and Christmas season a time of real thanksgiving and peaceful joy, rather than hurried, frazzled, stressful drudgery! Simplify by cutting out some things you think you just have to do! Remember -- "Jesus is the Reason for the Season!"
MONEY-SAVING TIPS AND TIDBITS
Longer Lasting Soap ~ If your bars of soap come in boxes, such as Dove Soap does, remove the bars from the boxes as soon as you buy them and store unwrapped in a large open box. They will harden a little more this way and last longer.
Pretty Gift Boxes ~ Save the soap boxes that bars of soap, such as Dove, come in, and make lovely little gift boxes! Fold the top ends inside the box and tape down. Using colorful fabric scraps or wrapping paper, cover the box and glue the ends, with the seams on the sides of the box. Avoid having the seam on bottom of the box, because it won't stand up very well. Trims of lace, ribbons and beads add a special creative touch too. If you want, you can even add a ribbon or raffia handle. Even brown paper from a grocery bag that is sponge painted would make a nice gift box with a raffia handle. Tuck a small gift into the box with colorful tissue paper. This is perfect for earrings, a bracelet or a small Christmas ornament!
"I don't have any." She replied, smiling sweetly.
"Ninety-three." She replied.
The diligent young pastor went to the open grave and found the vault lid already in place.
Taking out his book, he read the service. Feeling guilty because of his tardiness, he preached an impassioned, lengthy service, sending the deceased to the great beyond in style.
As he was returning to his car, he overheard one of the workmen say: "I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years and I ain't never seen anything like that."
MORAL VALUES REALLY DO MATTER TO AMERICANS!
For those who voted their values in the last election, there is an opportunity to join others as a strong and powerful voice for traditional values. http://www.valuesvoters.com
I encourage you to sign up for the free CitizenLink e-mails, that inform Christians on vital issues of concern - issues that you won't necessarily hear in the mainstream media. (Excellent!)http://www.family.org/cforum/clinksignup.cfm
Point of View also educates, equips and motivates people all across America to get involved and make a difference for our country. A 2 hour broadcast Mon. - Fri. http://www.pointofview.net
ACHIEVING TRUE SUCCESS - HOW TO BUILD CHARACTER AS A FAMILY is an excellent book that teaches 49 character traits. It is used in the public schools, so there is no scripture, but it does a wonderful job. Our pastor's wife, Ruth Huffman of Virginia, highly recommends this book for parents and to grandparents to give their grown children to use in teaching biblical character to the next generation. You may want to write scriptures for each character trait on an index card to insert into the book, but it is also an appropriate gift to give nonbelievers without coming across in a "preachy" fashion. To order: (405) 815-0001 or go to http://www.charactercities.org .
THANKFUL FOR HIDDEN BLESSINGS
Copyright © 2004 by Linda J. Stevenson
Thank you, Lord, for your gift of grace
Through storms of tribulation,
For even our adversities
Give cause for celebration.
When my life's canvas is spattered
With dark shades of black and gray,
You take your brush and blend them in
To make a graceful display.
You know just where our canvas needs
To have added shades of gray
Applied with loving strokes of grace
By Your master hands today.
And, Lord, if I could only keep
Just the colors I would choose,
I'd have to leave the shades of gray
Or life's beauty I would lose.
You've said "all things work for our good,"
Whatever you send our way,
So even for the shades of gray
I will thank you for today.
I will express my gratitude
For the colors each day brings
Knowing that adversity's gray
Will bring us hidden blessings.
We have so much for which to be thankful, don't we?
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving with your families!
Love from your Heart to Heart friend,
Lois
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more. You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].