Fun Food Baskets

This month’s theme is “Pierce my heart to give.” If you’re like most young women, you’re probably thinking, I’d like to give, but what can I do? There are a lot of great ideas for giving back, not only in December, but all year round.

You might know someone who will have a tough time coming up with the food that often represents this season. That’s the first place to start! Make a food basket for that family, or person, in need. If you’re part of a local church, don’t limit yourself to just one family; ask for a list of people who need help. If this project is too expensive for you to do on your own, ask the other girls in your youth group for help. What better way is there to let your light shine and show people how awesome it is to be a Christian, than by giving (Matthew 25:25, 26, 45)?

Tips

Remember that families want to have fun! Consider adding items to your basket or bag that aren’t pre-made, but that will allow the family to have holiday fun cooking and baking together, and are simple enough not to require a lot of additional time and ingredients.

Shop sales. Ask your mom, or another experienced bargain shopper, to help you find good deals and sales on Christmas items. You can also scan your local paper for deals. If you’re pressed for time, Aldi’s is a great place to shop in order to receive items at a discount price without needing to clip coupons.

Make the bags fun. Decorate brown paper grocery bags with festive stamps to make the bags more fun, especially for families with young children, so they will be excited even before they open the bag.

Don’t be a Pharisee! The Pharisees did good because they wanted everyone to see them and think they were great, but Jesus wants us to give to glorify Him. We should give quietly, and while we may ask others for help or want to encourage others to give as well, it is unwise, and unchristian-like, to needlessly tell others what we’re doing (Matthew 6:2-4).

Share His love. If the family you’re giving to doesn’t know God, then giving a holiday basket is a wonderful way to share His love. Place a card, with a nice note, in the basket. Make sure to include your favorite encouraging scripture on the card, and be sure it mentions that you’re trying to spread His love this Christmas season by giving to and encouraging others. You could also place a church bulletin in the basket so they can receive worship information in a non-intrusive manner.

Basket Ideas

Fun Food Ideas:
1. Sugar cookie roll, cookie cutters, icing, food coloring, sprinkles
2. Hot chocolate mix, marshmallows
3. Red and green jello mixes, canned fruit, whipped cream

Breakfast Ideas:
4. Tube of cinnamon rolls
5. Juice
6. Apples, caramel dip
7. Eggnog

Dinner Ideas:
8. Pre-cooked ham
9. Canned vegetables
10. Sparkling cider
11. Tube of dinner rolls

For Holiday meal tips and recipes, visit our November Cooking Corner article.

By Alexia Hammonds

Turkey Time

It’s “Turkey Time” again! Thanksgiving is here, and we all know what that means––turkey, turkey, and more turkey! This year we’re putting a twist on the classic favorites. God has blessed us so much, and we hope this Thanksgiving you will share your thankfulness with everyone. Reach out and help someone this Thanksgiving by baking a pie or delivering food baskets, or by letting your friends know how God has worked in your life this year and could work in theirs!

Cooking Tips

• Don’t try to do everything yourself! If you’re in charge of Thanksgiving dinner this year, enlist help by offering to make the main dish, and ask guests to choose an item to prepare themselves. They can bring a side dish, drink, or dessert. If everybody brings something, there should be plenty to go around.

• Help the host! Whether the meal is being prepared at your own home or someone else’s doesn’t matter. Even if you’re not in charge of the entire meal, offer to prepare a drink, side dish, or dessert to help. There are several easy and festive recipes posted below offering ideas of how you can serve.

• Plan your meal in advance. Look over menu ideas and plan your menu early, so you have ample time to shop for ingredients. When looking over recipes, read the entire recipe before starting it, so you can make sure you have the ingredients and it’s a recipe you’re comfortable making. Take special note of prep time and total time so you know how much time to allow for cooking.

• Cook within your skill level. All of us have different levels of cooking skills. If you’re an inexperienced cook, stick to simple recipes that will taste good, instead of trying an elaborate dish that you are uncomfortable making. Save the big experiments for later.

• Clean the kitchen. Whatever you do, don’t leave your mess in the kitchen for your mom (or anybody else) to take care of. Take the time to clean up. This task will be much easier if you clean as you go, and as you’re waiting for things to cook or set.

• Remember the reason. Remember that Thanksgiving is to celebrate being thankful for our family and friends. The food is a great bonus, but it shouldn’t be the entire focus of the day. Help cook and clean up so everyone can enjoy their day, and remember 2 Corinthians 9:11: “Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”

  Holiday Menu Suggestions

  Appetizers
  Veggies and Dip
  Cheese Balls
  Winter Salad

  Drinks
  Mocha Punch
  Ruby Punch
  OREO Mint Cocoa

  Main Dish
  Ham
  Turkey
  Gravy

  Side Dishes
  Stuffing
  Sweet Potatoes
  Corn Souffle
  Cranberry Fruit Basket

  Desserts
  Pumpkin Bars
  Pumpkin Pie
  Apple Pie
  Chocolate Dipped Delights

  By Alexia Hammonds and Davonne Parks

Movie Night!

Is it the buttery smell of popcorn, the fizz of soda, or the girly conversations? I am pretty sure it is all of them, because it’s a MOVIE NIGHT! My pick for a girly movie night is… drumroll… Nancy Drew, starring Emma Roberts. It doubles as both a clean mystery and the best movie for a Christian movie night this month. Now what’s holding you back? Grab your popcorn, soda, and best friends and settle in for a night of fun! When planning for your awesome movie night, invite a new girl to share a fun, clean evening with! You never know how much influence you have until you use it! Remember, God wants us to be pure in everything we do, so keep your movies and conversations fun and clean! 1 John 3:19-20 “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”

Tasty Treats
Chocolate-Caramel Popcorn
S’more Turtles
OREO® Caramel-Dipped Apples

Finger Foods
BOCA® Nachos
Kabobers & Shake-a-Pudding Dip
Pinwheel Mini Sandwiches

Beautiful Beverages
Strawberry Lemonade Sparkle
Super-Sour Cherry KOOL-AID®
Warm Spiced Apple-Lemonade
Rich ‘N Thick Hot Chocolate

By Alexia Hammonds

Chocoholic Month!

Cakes and Pies

PHILADELPHIA Chocolate Cheesecakes for Two
Wellesley Fudge Cake
Simple Chocolate Mousse Pie
Chocolate-Covered OREO Cookie Cake

Other Chocolaty Favorites

Frozen OREO Rocky Road Bars
Molten-Middle Truffle Cookies
Marbled Chocolate Treats

By Alexia Hammonds

Photos and recipes provided courtesy of Kraft Food & Family magazine, http://www.kraftfoods.com. For more information or to sign up for a free subscription, please visit http://www.kraftfoods.com/magazine.

Food Statement

It’s August. We’re back in school and summer’s over, but what can we do to make a statement at school? There are plenty of ways to reach out to our friends through food. We could take the Chips Ahoy ice cream sandwiches to lunch and invite new people to sit with us. If we reach out to different people, we might make new friends, and that would give us new people to tell about Christ. The food can help to break the ice so we can befriend them, and work up to conversations that could lead to inviting them to church or to a drop-in on a Friday.

Try something different this month and bake some cookies or a cake and take it to a teacher who may be unpopular among the students. You can make a difference just by cooking, and using that food to reach out to the kid who sits by herself at lunch, or the teacher everyone thinks is uncool. There are opportunities everywhere to teach people, and food can be your tool. Remember Deuteronomy 10:18, “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.” This school year, make a statement by letting God use you for His glory in all that you do, including cooking!

Better than a Sandwich:
Cheese Quesadillas
Bacon Bagel Club
Cool Crunchy Ham and Cheese Pita
Biscuit Buddies
Turkey and Tomato Tortilla Stacker

Lunch Box Sides:
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
VELVEETA Cheesy Tortilla Corn

Desserts to Share:
CHIPS AHOY! Cheesecake Sandwiches
Frosted Peanut Butter Marshmallow Crispy Squares

Before school family pleasers:
PEBBLES Confetti Pancakes
Hot Dog Morning Burrito

By Alexia Hammonds

Photos and recipes provided courtesy of Kraft Food & Family magazine, http://www.kraftfoods.com. For more information or to sign up for a free subscription, please visit http://www.kraftfoods.com/magazine.

Fire Up the Grill!

This month we’re talking grilling, and I mean the real deal. Here are some tips that will help you throw the best backyard barbecue bash of the season.

Tips For Grilling Chicken:
1. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS marinate!!
* When marinating, pick your favorite marinade. Classic favorites are barbecue and Italian (dressing).
* Marinate for at least 30-45 minutes; this will make your chicken very tender.
2. DON’T FORGET YOUR TIMING!!
* Be sure when grilling to keep the grilling time equal on each side of the meat.

Tips For Grilling Steak:
1. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS marinate!!
* When marinating steak, you’ll have to leave the marinade on longer than you would for chicken.
* Marinate for at least 1-2 hours.

MIX IT UP!!
* Try something new when grilling, like making shrimp and pineapple skewers or steak and pepper kabobs.
* Baste your chicken with a honey ginger sauce before grilling; serve over rice for an Asian dish that’s a crowd pleaser.

Now it’s time to put these tips to good use–invite the new people at church to your barbecue, or take some to a shut-in or someone who’s sick. There are so many ways to share your freedom in Christ, and what better way to spread the word than through food and fellowship? Remember Matthew 25:25, 40 “[Jesus said] ‘For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in . . . inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

For more information about grilling, check out a few great tips from The Weather Channel.  Have fun with these new recipes, and put them to good use! I know I will!

My Favorite Grilled Recipes

BBQ Shrimp & Pineapple Kabobs

Grilled Chicken with Savory Summer Vegetables

Simple Italian Fish & Vegetables

All-American DELI DELUXE Cheeseburgers

Pizza on the Grill

Texas Ribeye

My Favorite Patriotic Desserts

Firecracker Cupcakes

Patriotic Quilt “Cake”

Patriotic Poke Cake

By Alexia Hammonds

Photos and recipes provided courtesy of Kraft Food & Family magazine, http://www.kraftfoods.com. For more information or to sign up for a free subscription, please visit http://www.kraftfoods.com/magazine.

Cook Outside the Pan

From Molten Chocolate Cakes to Sweet and Sour Chik’n, these recipes are a cook’s heaven on earth. Cooking can be very enjoyable if you’re willing to take a risk. There are so many ways you can make these recipes your own by simply substituting ingredients with your favorites. Think outside the box and give new foods a try! If you have fun cooking your food, it is generally going to taste a lot better, and even if you’re not a culinary connoisseur, you can give any style of cooking a try. You can also make extra and take some to someone in need of a meal, such as a neighbor who’s just moved in, a mother who’s had a new baby, or an elderly person in your area. While cooking, remember that “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32b). Look over these fabulous recipes, have fun, be adventurous, and try something new!

Our Favorite Recipes for June

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

Better-than-Ever Beef Enchiladas

Fruity Pudding Pops

Sweet & Sour Chik’n

Kraft Parmesan Breadsticks

Dark Molten Chocolate Cakes

Deli Pasta Salad

Angel Lush with Pineapple

Suisse Mocha Tiramisu

By Alexia Hammonds