Toy and Food Drive and More Food

On December 21st the local FFA Chapter delivered over 5 ton of food to the needy Vernon Township residents wtih their annual Toy and Food Drive. Their advisor, Linda Maxie, asked me to cook for the workers who were there to help with the delivery.

Starting off the day, it was pouring down the rain. Good thing it wasn't cold, but it sure was wet! I had made biscuits and gravy to start off the morning and we had extra fruit to slice for everyone.

Ninety-six biscuits later, I was out of gravy! The workers stomachs were full and ready to start their day! I got the dirty dishes all cleaned and the room straightened up to begin the lunch process. It was still a little early to begin, so I made my way to the small gymnasium where everything was happening.

The local volunteer fire department men and women were there to drive the kids to their destinations. This year the fire department had called people who had covered trailers and horse trailers to haul the food, and kids, since it was raining so hard. Thankfully, it was warm, mid 50's, and not freezing. However, a little snow would have made it feel a little more like Christmas!

I believe there were over 90 families helped along with the elderly at the apartment complex in the Town of Crothersville. This is something you have to see to believe. Each year there is a glitch or two, but each year is more rewarding than the previous, and we are constantly looking at ways to improve on the process.

After I took a break for a few minutes, I headed back to Ms. Maxie's room to begin making lunch. I had a roster full of chili, along with an electric skillet full of sloppy joe's for everyone who braved the weather and stayed till all the deliveries were made.

Around noon. most of the cold, wet workers made their way to Ms. Maxie's room. Warm food on a cold day ... it don't get much better

It didn't take long till we were out of the sloppy joe's and another roster full of food was history!

The 2013 FFA Toy and Food Drive was another success and plans are being made to make the 2014 delivery even better. If you're not part of the day, the weekend before Christmas, make plans now to be. You will be blessed!

'Tis The Season

I've been pretty busy for the last few months but I did find time this past weekend to make some Christmas goodies.

Chocolate is a good thing and anything covered in chocolate is even better!

These are chocolate covered cherries, with a chocolate kiss and sliced almonds. I use melted almond bark for the eyes with a green sprinkle for the eyeball. Some of the little mice I placed on half of an oreo cookie. The others I just dipped the cherry, with the stem, into the melted chocolate and placed on the wax paper to dry.






Next, I rolled several hundred peanut butter balls. The recipe I used called for smooth peanut butter. Why? I love nuts, so I used the extra crunchy peanut butter and had no problem.

Placing the balls in the freezer for a few minutes to make the balls firm is the trick. I then dipped them in chocolate, but left the top un-dipped to create a buckeye.

Some of the peanut butter balls I placed on a pretzel, topped it with a pretzel, and gently squeezed them together. I then placed the pretzel in the freezer for a few minutes before dipping them, half way, in the melted chocolate.

It seemed I was unwrapping kisses for days. Regular kisses. Mint kisses. Caramel filled kisses. Hug kisses. If I wasn't unwrapping the kiss, I was lining up pretzels on a baking sheet.

Place the pretzel and kiss in a 225 degree oven for 2-3 minutes. Just long enough to soften the chocolate kiss.

After I remove the baking sheet from the oven, I begin placing M&M's on the kiss and mashing it down slightly into the pretzel. There are several different kinds of M&M's. I use the peanut ones, because I love nuts! I also used the peanut butter filled ones this time too and they were delicious!

The hug kisses make an attractive desgn.

I also found some peppermint kisses and made some on a pretzel, but also made some on a cookie that was rolled in Christmas sprinkles.
























I'm not a big fan of marshmallows, but they are easy to work with when baking and using for recipes. But as I said, anything dipped or covered in chocolate can't have a bad flavor.

The bottom are round crackers with extra crunchy peanut butter spread between them then covered with chocolate. I then dip half of the marshmallow in the melted chocolate and place on top of the cracker. After they are set, I decorate the marshmallow with sprinkles to create the holly. Actually, it is pretty simple!

I try to do things with the white almond bark and the dark chocolate.

Peppermint candy canes with melted chocolate and sprinkles added. The recipe said to place the candy canes in the oven for a few minutes to soften them so they could be formed into a heart. I did not do this, I just used the candy cane as it was in the package, place it around a kabob stick and filled the cane with the melted almond bark.



Most of my designs used pretzels, M&M's, chocolate, Oreos, and sprinkles. Why not add all that together and call it Christmas Bark?

I mixed all the ingredients together, poured the melted almond bark over it, sprinkled with Christmas M&M's and sprinkles. After the bark dries, I broke it into bite size pieces. Place the broken pieces in a candy dish to snack on.

Don't be surprised if you are filling up the candy dish all the time!

Just Like A Pencil

Remember I said I was going shopping?

Remember I said I had my Christmas shopping done?

Remember I said I was looking for a pencil tree?

Well, yesterday was a success!

A picture of a tree. This one is actually in my house!

Exactly what I have been looking for this year!

Found it at Sears. On sale! And I even managed talking them into giving me an additional 18% off the sale price! How cool is that?

'Tis the season!

It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas (A Little)

All my shopping is complete, however, will be going shopping today, on the weekends, and Christmas Eve. Not looking for anything particular, just enjoy having time to do it, plus people watching. Sometimes people watching can last for hours. I often wonder if some people watchers are looking at me thinking 'what is that crazy lady doing?'

Anyhow, I love the winter. Not necessarily the holiday since The reason for the season has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years. Seems too many people have forgotten it's Jesus' birthday, not seeing who can out-do each other. (That's a whole other story)

Time with family and friends, parties, reflections of those no longer with us, and just spending good quality time together makes me really love this time of year.

A tree is up!

It's not mine, but it's a picture of a tree that is up!

Wintery Blast

For over a week the meteorologists talked about the end of the week's wintery storms. From the beginning of the week they were saying we could expect 3-5 inches of snow. By the end of the week, the totals were as high as 9-12 inches of the white stuff! When the first storm was done Friday evening we ended up with around 7 inches in Crothersville.

All Jackson County schools were closed Friday, along with all Friday and weekend basketball games being canceled. Just got an update about an hour ago the school will be closed Monday as well. With the low temperatue in the single digits till mid-week, it looks like the kiddos will have some days to make up during the school year!

The following picture is from Saturday morning.

I do love the snow and the cold weather that goes along with it...however, experiencing my toes in the water and ass in the sand sounds good about now :D

Six Less Days

What am I missing? All the radio stations and commercials have everyone in a panic because they are saying there are six less shopping days for the Christmas holiday season this year. Really?

That would mean in 2013 there were only 359 days! It wasn't a Leap Year, so February had the usual 28 days, instead of 29. I don't remember a month with only 24 or 25 days this year. Where did the six days we are missing go to?

I use to decorate for the Christmas season and have my decorations up right after the Thanksgiving holiday and not take them down till after the first of the year.

Recently I have begun to resent seeing the end of the year get here, because of all the hoopla. Christmas isn't about the biggest sales and racing to see who can open first on Black Friday, or now, it's Thanksgiving Day!

What has happened to spending time with friends and family, traditions, and just good ole rest and relaxation?

Today, depending on who you listen to, we are preparing for 3-7 or 9-12 inches of snow in our region. People are out grocery shopping and running the food stores out of bread, milk, and eggs. Panic mode has set in once again.

Thank goodness there are six less days in 2013! Some people couldn't handle all three hundred and sixty five of 'em! :D