Feast on This – Page 6 – mrshlovesjesus

Come for Supper, Entertaining, Feast on This, Fun with Friends

Theme Luncheons for Every Month of the Year

June 6, 2016August 23, 2022 mrshlovesjesus

Planning a luncheon? Here are twelve personally tested plans, complete with posters, menus, decorating and music suggestions, and recipes for a complete meal, along with desserts and beverages, paired with matching activities, for small, medium, or large groups.

The posters featured for each party can be printed and posted in a break-room or mailroom of your workplace, or if your gathering is non-work related, they can be printed and used as paper invitations and individually mailed out. Or they can be posted in a closed-group on Facebook, texted to your guests, or emailed.

SEPTEMBER

Theme 1: Back to School Picnic

If the weather still permits in your neck of the woods, consider making this an outdoor event. Either dress up some picnic tables outside, or lay down large blankets on an area of lawn, under a big shade tree. If the weather does not permit, dress up the indoors to look like a picnic. Place a few fans for cool breezes, and set up a CD player with a sounds of nature CD – I personally love anything featuring the Rocky Mountains.

Sounds of the Rocky Mountains

Dan Gibson’s Solitudes, Rocky Mountains Suite

Rocky Mountain Rain

Sounds of Yellowstone (and check out all the “National Park Series” Nature Sounds CDs)

Decorations: Red checkered tablecloths, with centerpieces of baskets of apples, hand bells, cups full of sharpened pencils, and slates with sticks of chalk laid across each.

Table Games and Diversions: Pose trivia questions from the game, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, available as an APP (google play or apple store) for your phone.

Luncheon:

OCTOBER

Theme 1: Peanuts, It’s the Great Pumpkin

Decorations: Cover the tables with earthtone tableclothes (plain brown, plain orange, plain hunter green, plain yellow, etc.). Create centerpieces with Hobby Lobby scarecrows, small pumpkins, Indian corn, corn stalk bundles, small decorative garden rakes, and colorful fall leaves (paper).

Go with the Peanuts Great Pumpkin Theme for the paper plates, napkins, etc., and for background music play a nice piano music CD. OR, Amazon even sells the Peanuts Movie Sountrack, and Peanuts music CD’s featured in the cartoons.

Table Games and Diversions: Get a fall scene puzzle started for people to work on as they eat, and drink, and chit-chat. OR, print several puzzles (secret codes, sudukus, riddles, Hangman, mazes, etc.) and place on the tables for guests to solve.

Luncheon:

NOVEMBER

Theme 1: Pilgrims and Thanksgiving harvest theme

Decorations: Pilgrims, Indians, and Mayflower ships, Cornucopias filled with corn, gourds, pumpkins, etc. and turkeys.

Music: We Gather Together by Craig Duncan is a wonderful choice, or Thanksgiving – Windham Hill collection, or try several others that will pop up when you do an Amazon search.

Table Games and Diversions: Cover the tables in light colored paper and leave colored Crayola markers around for people to randomly jot down things they are thankful for. Or, look for disposable Thanksgiving tablecloths at the party stores with puzzles and coloring images all over them.

Luncheon:

Theme 2: Elections

Decorations: Patriotic with Democrat and Republican symbols

Table Games and Diversions: Election trivia and candidate profiles, absentee & voter regristration cards.

Music: God Bless America: The Ultimate Patriotic Album, American Patriot Lee Greenwood, Why I Love Her John Wayne, God Bless The USA – 17 Inspirational Songs Of Faith & Freedom From Today’s Top Country Artists .

Luncheon: Lasagnas (meat, chicken, veggie), garlic toast, green salads, Italian Sodas, red and white grape juices served in wine glasses, Italian Cream Cake

DECEMBER

Theme 1: Christmas Tea

Decorations: Find or make little stockings for each guest and fill with a candy cane or other small gift and use to decorate the tree. Bring in a CD player and a variety of Christmas music that will appeal to everyone’s taste and play it continuously. Stew some good smelling potpourri in a crock-pot.

Table Games and Diversions: Scatter Christmas Trivia cards around on the tables.

Luncheon:

Zuppa Toscana Soup

*Assortment of Christmas Cookies & various flavors of teas

JANUARY

Theme 1: Football Tailgate Party

Decorations: Cover the tables with green yardage line tablecloths. Pile footballs, pennants, and pompoms in the center for decoration.

Add some excitement with an NFL Power and Glory CD, or the more recent NFL Films Original Music by David Robidoux Promotional Release (2007), Fox Sports Presents: Game Time! ~ Various Artists, Stadium Anthems: Music for the Fans ~ Various Artists, and ABC Monday Night Football Jamz ~ Various Artists.

Table Games and Diversions: Fold little paper “footballs” for each table and show your guests how to play table football, using their fingers for goal posts. See how to play at wiki-how or better still…watch this You Tube video.

Luncheon: Three varieties of Chili (red, green, and white chicken), plus a buffet of toppings (green onions, cheese, sour cream, chopped jalapenos, etc.). Serve non-alcoholic beers, sodas, and Mug Cakes for dessert. (click here for chili recipes) or (click here for mug cake recipe)

Flier shown below was from a luncheon where the Super Bowl was being played in San Francisco so I went with the foods from that area. It was Peyton Manning’s last game, and Michael Ohr (whose story is told in the movie Blind Side) played for the Carolina Panthers in this match-up.

*Ask everyone to wear his or her sports team shirts or colors.

FEBRUARY

Theme 1: Academy Awards & Hollywood Walk of Fame

This is a great theme to do to honor your guests. Make them the stars of the party!

Music: Beautiful Hollywood was my choice!

Games and Diversions: Lay out several packets of sticky notes and pens. Ask guests to write compliments for the other guests on the sticky notes and place them on each person’s star. Let each guest take their Walk-of-Fame stars home.

Luncheon: Decorate the buffet with a sign that says, “Studio Commissary.” Recipes for this luncheon can be found here.

Theme 2: Valentine’s Day

Decorations: Cover the tables in pink paper with sheer lace over the top. Toss around rich red paper hearts, heart shaped boxes of chocolate, rose peddles, and cupid and heart shaped balloons. Set up the boom box with CD’s of romantic love songs.

Games and Diversions: Set out the makings for valentines, red construction paper, white lace, little stickers and stick-on jewels, Cupids, small dowel rods and arrow heads and fletching that can be attached to the ends after it is woven through the heart, black sharpie markers. Ask everyone to participate in a Valentine exchange, just like the kids do at school. Everybody makes a special box for their place at the table, and everyone deposits special “Valentine” notes into each person’s box (compliments, jokes, poems, thank-you notes, etc.). Also, put everyone’s name in a hat and have each person draw out one name to be a secret pal to for the next six months.

Luncheon: Gazpacho soup or Borscht (hot or cold), heart-shaped shrimp sandwiches, Strawberry smoothies or white sparkling cider, Red Velvet Cake for dessert.

BORSCHT

8 cups beef broth

1 pound cooked tender beef stew meat or sliced Kielbasa

1 large onion, peeled, quartered

4 large beets, peeled, chopped

1 leek chopped

3 stalks celery sliced

4 carrots, peeled, chopped

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or parsley)

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Bring 4 cups of the beef broth, the beef stew meat, and onion to boil in large pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes.

2 Add remaining 4 cups broth, beets, leek, celery, carrots, and potato; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Stir in meat, cabbage and 1/2 cup dill; cook until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in vinegar.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup dill.

Serves 6

GAZPACHO

3 cups tomatoes, red ripe, seeded and diced
2 cups red bell pepper, diced medium
2 cups red onions, diced medium
1/2 cup celery, diced medium
2 cups cucumber, diced medium
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups organic vegetable juice
pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin

1 Mix diced tomato, peppers, red onions, celery and cucumber together in a medium bowl.

2 Divide the mixture in half and separate in two bowls.
3 Add garlic to one of the bowls and empty into blender. Add vinegar to the blender and puree until smooth.
4 Add the vegetable juice, cayenne and cumin to the blender. Blend.
5 Add the puree to the bowl of diced vegetables.
6 Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with lemon and cilantro.

Serves 8

SHRIMP LUNCHEON SANDWICHES

1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

dash garlic powder

1 cup chopped cooked cleaned shrimp

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon grated onion

20 to 40 slices white sandwich bread, lightly buttered

Blend cream cheese with mayonnaise; blend in the ketchup, mustard, and garlic powder. Stir in shrimp, celery, and grated onion. Use as a filling spread only in the center of two slices of sandwich bread. Or if you can squeeze two cookie cutter cuttings out of a slice of bread, spread the filling in each of the opposing corners of the bread. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the sandwiches out. Toss the scraps. Makes about 1 cup of shrimp sandwich filling, for about 20 sandwiches.

MARCH

Theme 1: Saint Patrick’s Day (Lucky Leprechaun Theme)

Table Games and Diversions: Ask your guests to choose one Irish Blessing from the table. Have each guest stand and recite their blessing to the other luncheon guests in their best Irish accents.

Luncheon: (Reuben Sandwich recipe) (Strawberry Scones recipe)

Theme 2: Easter (If it falls in March)

Decorations: nests with colored eggs in them, and pans of real green grass with eggs nestled in them.

Table Games and Diversions: Print out several famous lines from various Bible movies and let guest guess the movie and actor who said it.

Host an Easter Egg Hunt. Pick the day, maybe the Thursday before Good Friday. The night before, go and hide plastic eggs all over the building. Hide some in each person’s desk and more in the break room. Tuck little jellybeans, Hershey kisses, and/or cute notes (fortunes or blessings) inside the eggs. Place a small paper basket on each person’s desk with a note inviting him or her to the Easter egg hunt at a specific time. The instructions should tell them that eggs have been hidden in their personal space and in the break room and that all they find are theirs. Also inform them that the person who finds the most eggs will win a special prize so that they need to put their number found next to their name on the poster in the break room. This is a lot less work if you can find an accomplice to share the labor and expense with you. The prize can be anything you want: car wash tokens, movie passes, pizza gift certificate, post-it notes and colored pens, a pedicure/manicure, etc.

Luncheon:

APRIL

Theme 1: April Showers Garden Party

Decorations: Cover the tables with light blue paper and set rubber duckies and rubber boots as centerpieces, filled with Tulips, Daffodils, and Hyacinth. Play a CD of The Sound of Summer Rain, and Thundering Rainstorm.

Table Games and Diversions: Purchase a small clay pot for each employee and let each guest fill a pot with small fish aquarium pebbles. Let them then attach an imitation flower to a pen with floral tape, and then poke the pens down into the pebbles. Each guest now has their own little pen pot.

Luncheon:

Theme 2: April Fools

Decorations: Cover the tables with Newspaper. Toss several gag type props around on the tables (silly eye goggles, mustaches, big wax lips, silly hats, etc.)

Music: Try a parody music CD like Forbidden Broadway 2001 a Spoof Odyssey, Best of Allan Sherman, or The Smothers Brothers.

Table Games and Diversions: Monkey See, Monkey Do! Discretely tape a monkey to the bottom of one person’s chair. The person who finds the monkey under their chair during the luncheon must do something nice for someone AND and then cleverly hide the monkey in someone else’s desk or chair somewhere else in the building. Keep the game going all month. The person who receives the monkey pays the nice deed forward and discretely passes the monkey on.

Luncheon: (See recipes here) and (here) (pictured below in clockwise order: Bundt Pan Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza with Mozzerella “Icing,” Shepherd’s Pie Meatloaf cupcakes with beet juice colored mashed potatoes for frosting, Yellow cake with “speghetti” piped frosting/Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut chocolate meatballs/Red Berry Jam drizzled as “speghetti” sauce, Chex Puppy Chow in a pet bowl, Fish crackers in a fish bowl.

MAY

Theme 1: Cinco de Mayo – Fiesta

Decorations: Cover the tables with Mexican blankets, Use sombreros, piñatas, maracas, ponchos, and pottery for centerpieces. Also have a nice mariachi band playing on the CD player for ambience.

Table Games and Diversions: Learn Spanish words by scattering Lotería cards around on the tables. Play Lotería after or during luncheon.

Luncheon:

Theme 2: Mother’s Day

Decorations: cover the tables in pretty floral tablecloths with lace tablecloths layered over. Use teapots and teacups and little wrapped tea bags for centerpieces.

Table Games and Diversions: Honor the MOMS. Ask each of the staff to bring a picture of their mom that we can post on the Guess Who? Board. Each photo will have a number on the front of it so staff members can guess what mother goes with which staff member.

Luncheon: Make your own sandwich bar with assorted breads, cold cuts, cheeses, condiments, lettuce, sprouts, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., a large veggie tray, potato chips, assorted beverages, and Indoor Smores for dessert.

Indoor smores — Make Smores INDOORS… Place sterno cans into metal candle holders, set on coasters, remove lids and light with a BBQ lighter. Place graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars in serving dishes set between the sterno cans. Let your guests skewer a marshmallow with a kabob skewer and then roast over sterno flame until toasted. Use a canning jar magnet to replace lids on sterno cans to extinguish the fire. Let sterno cans sit until completely cooled before packing up.

JUNE

Theme 1: Beach Party

Decorations: Cover the tables with large colorful beach towels. Use beach balls, flip flops, Frisbees, sand box toys as centerpieces. Play a CD of Beach Boys music on continuous play, or a Sounds of Nature Ocean Waves CD.

Table Games and Diversions: Guessing Jars. Set a large jar filled with items (jelly beans, peanut M&Ms, paperclips, teabags, etc.) on each table and let guests turn in one guess each for the jar on their table. The one closest to the right number wins the jar.

Luncheon:

Theme 2: Father’s Day

Decorations: Cover the tables in brown paper. Use tackle boxes, fishing lures, and nets for centerpieces. Hang a sign on the door that says, “Gone Fishing.”

Have several tall-tale fishing stories printed out on paper that you can lay around. Have the guys bring pictures of their big catches that you can post on a board.

Table Games and Diversions: Set out a half dozen of those electronic fishing games, that look like the handle of a fishing pole with a rod and reel, that you cast and then watch the video screen to see if you caught anything. Ask around… you probably have a few people on staff that have one and will donate it to the lounge for a month.

Luncheon: Fish and Chips. Bake up several batches of battered fish and fat French fries. Offer lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar as condiments. Brew up some fresh sun tea and lemonade. And indoor smores for dessert.

JULY

Theme 1: Red/White/Blue

Decorations: Anything flag-like or military, or founding fathers. Play a patriotic music CD.

Table Games and Diversions: Have a frog-jumping contest using plastic frogs. Have a picnic with various yard games set up (sack races, three-legged races, hula hoop contest, croquet, Frisbee, volleyball).

Luncheon: Do a Salad Bar, canned soda pop (in coolers), and serve popsicles for dessert.

AUGUST

Theme 1: Dog days of Summer

Decorations: anything dog related, stuffed animal dogs, collars, dog food bowls, leashes, obedience school ads, rolled up newspapers, fire hydrants, etc.

Table Games and Diversions: Dog trivia : funny dog names, famous dogs and dogs of movies stars, dog tricks. How many words can you make from the word Dashhund, or German Shepherd, or Wiemeriner, or Catahoula, etc.

Luncheon: Hot Dog Bar (with all the trimmings/toppings)

Entertaining, Feast on This, Fun with Friends, School Events

High School Musical Cast Party

May 19, 2016May 21, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

So I know you’re asking – how did a reluctant hostess get herself into this one? It’s pretty simple, really. I’m a mom! One who enjoyed soooo much being part of my daughters’ lives. It was my super social and outgoing oldest one who actually had faith in me, included me in the activities of her high school life, and allowed me to live vicariously through her that helped to bring me out of my shell. She wasn’t embarrassed of me and because of her trust it was such an honor to support her activities. So when she said the drama teacher was having a meeting for any parents that wanted to help with the upcoming play and backstage stuff, I jumped on the bandwagon with Tigger (that’s T … I … double guh … er) SpRiNgS. If she thought I could do it, well, I’d suck up my insecurities and give it a whirl, because I sure didn’t want to let her down.

It was the worst winter night outside, blustery cold with arctic winds, roads covered in ice, and the sky aglow with snow-filled clouds. I think all us parents had places we’d rather been that night, then the parent meeting. Instead, we left behind crock pot dinners, sinks full of dirty dinner dishes, our favorite TV programs, and our cozy, toasty homes, and drove, cautiously, on ice-covered roads to the school for that can’t-miss meeting.

The very punctual drama teacher started right on the dot at 7PM. He passed out papers and then took his place front and center. Clearing his throat and grasping the mic, he began. <screech…tap, tap, tap> “Hello! I’m Mr. Stedillie. Thank you for coming out tonight. I’ll get right to it. I need… (he went down the list, but I’ll skip to) …someone who would like to be in charge of the cast party following the final performance? Anyone? Anyone? And dast it happened that I raised my hand. Oh thank you Mrs. Hoffman, I’ll write you down.”

Like a natural idiot my hand went up and up and up. I volunteered for everything that came down the pike — backstage parent –check; costumes –check; props –check; cast party –check. I don’t know, as I said before, I guess I just wanted to impress my daughter, but there must have also been something in the quaint mustiness of that room. Perhaps the props, or the scripts piled willy-nilly on the book shelf, or possibly something in the eclectic assortment of costumes hanging on racks emitted an intoxicating stimulant? Perchance it was the nostalgic posters hanging on the walls, or the personalized wall bricks autographed by student actors from all the plays gone by that wooed me?

Maybe it was the theatrical passion with which Mr. Stedillie’s delivered his speech that moved me? Awe shucks, I’m really not sure; all I know is I got all caught up in the song and dance of the situation. One thing is for sure, that guy is persuasive. He really knows how to get parents involved. He probably has some swamp land in Arizona I’d be interested in too.

I went home, got a good night’s sleep, woke the next morning, and was nibbling my corn flakes when it hit me…a full-fledged PANIC ATTACK!!! What the <colorful expliative> have I done? I swallowed hard, took a few deep breaths and began hyperventilating. I think my legs gave out first. My head started spinning. My fingers tingled. “OMGosh,” I muttered, in a fading and puny voice, as everything went black and my body smashed to the floor with a THUD!

An imaginary Police-Line-Do-Not-Cross ribbon fluttered in the breeze as my fainting corpse whizzed past it. The dust from the chalk outline around my lifeless carcass flew up and settled back down by the concussion.

Okay, arrest the silliness. Suffice it to say, I was outside of my comfort zone on this one for sure, but that’s par for the course for me. I’m pretty much always outside my comfort zone. It was time to pull on my big girl panties and git’r done. Stop with this mamby-pamby cry baby stuff and get busy.

Cast Party #1

Bye Bye Birdie

Food:

Hollywood Cake (a sheet cake with the Hollywood Hills letters on it)

Sparkling Cider (or 7-Up or Ginger Ale) in champagne flutes

Forks, napkins, and plates (star plates would be extra neat)

Decorations:

Walk of Fame stars for each of the cast members, placed in a large square around the perimeter of the room, & later used as the spaces for the trivia game

Red carpet (for entrance) (use red paper that is used for bulletin boards)

Silver, Gold, and Black Balloon Bouquets

White balloons (with slips of paper with” forfeits” written on them hidden inside)

Black construction paper Oscar, Tony, and Emmy cut-outs

Movie posters (check with video rental stores and the movie theaters for freebies)

Disposable flash cameras (for a Paparazzi feel as the cast arrives)

CD of Hollywood Blockbuster theme music (for atmosphere)

Celebrity Magazines (Us, People, etc.) to put on each table

Games:

Elvis game is done Gong Show style: Contestants with the best “routines” get to pick from the prize box, and those with the worst win a balloon with a forfeit inside that the loser must perform)

Slips of paper inside a balloon will tell them what they win (prize), or what they have to do next as a loser (forfeit). Winning & loosing cast members must help each other break a balloon by pressing the balloon between their bodies until it breaks – no hands allowed).

Prizes:

Plastic metallic star sunglasses

Autograph book

Tickets to a movie

Coupons for local fast food selections

Forfeits:

Finish your drink in five seconds

Kiss someone on the cheek

Do an impersonation

Make an Academy Award’s speech

Tell 5 best features about yourself, or a friend

Tell 5 worst features about yourself, or a friend

Run the next game

Dance a ballet

Act out a charade until someone guesses it

Hum a tune until someone guesses it

Help clean-up after the party

Elvis Impersonation Contest

The impersonator has to put on the outfit and step up to the karaoke microphone. They can pick whatever “Elvis routine” they want. They need to do their best to sound like him, move like him, and say something Elvis would say (Thank you, thankyouverymuch), move like Elvis would move, or sing an Elvis song. Audience votes on the best and worst routines with clapping and shouting or boo’s. A majority of boo’s gets a GONG!

Can-I-Have-Your-Autograph Game

Each kid is fitted with a large, rectangular piece of stiff cardboard, attached to his or her writing hand with duct tape, like a shield. They each get a sharpie marker to be used with their other (non-writing hand). When the leader says, “go,” they scurry around collecting autographs from as many people as they can, also giving their autographs, before time is up. Everyone has to try to write his or her name legibly. These cards are souvenirs of the party. Whoever collected the most legible signatures wins.

Name That Musical and Trivia Game

This game is done exactly like Trivial Pursuit, except in giant size. The Cafeteria floor becomes the game board, the Walk of Fame Stars will be the spaces on the game board, and the kids themselves are the pawns that move on the game board.

Make a large die out of a square box. (Fill the box completely full with wadded newspaper to give it strength. Tape it securely shut all the way around. Paint it white, and when that has dried, paint on the black spots.) Put a pylon every 10 stars or so all around the Walk of Fame, nine pylons all together. Mark each pylon with the name of a musical; there’ll be three of each. Group the pylons with the same musical together, in other words, three pylons in a row will be for one musical, then the next three going around the circle will be another musical, and the next three will be the last musical. This way the kids have to navigate the entire circle to try to earn tokens.

Have everyone take their place on the stars, with socky feet only, so the stars don’t get damaged. The leader of the game rolls the big dice and all the cast members move that many spaces (stars) going clockwise. Whoever is standing next to a pylon is asked a trivia question (a different question for each person with the same musical). If they get the answer right they earn a token. There are three tokens: Blue, Red, and White (poker chips), one for each musical category. The leader rolls the dice again. Players move. Anyone standing next to a pylon gets asked a trivia question. Once again, if they get it right they get a token, BUT, they only earn a token if it is a category they haven’t earned a token for already. Continue until someone has one of each token. Winner gets a prize and the game starts all over again from there.

Use a CD with top musical songs and find lists of trivia questions for Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss Me Kate, and Grease – the last three musicals that the school has done.

Karaoke

(rent a machine and music library)

Telephone

Make a list of “gossip stories” ahead of time. Try to dig up a little bit of “dirt” ahead of time on several of the kids in the play if you can, but nothing venomous. If you have a lot of parents helping they will be able to come up with something on their own kid and his friends. Or leave it impromptu by allowing someone to tell a “yarn” about someone in the group. If you are concerned about appropriateness, have the story teller first tell to one of the adults who will make sure it is suitable, and then the adult will pass it on to the next kid. Have the kids sit in a large circle wherever there is space in the room. They in turn whisper the story into the next person’s ear beside them. This continues around the circle for 60 seconds. When TIME is called, whomever the gossip reached has to say out loud the story that they heard. Then the original story is retold to compare accuracy.

We, the parents, left the evening fairly open to spontaneity as the kids were completely content to snack on the foods, sign each other’s programs from the play for souvenirs, and ham it up behind the Karaoke microphone for most of evening — very much self entertaining. But we were armed to the teeth with activities if at any time it got slow and boring. The party lasted until about 3 o’clock in the morning, at which time the parents and school staff began picking up and clearing the cafeteria.

Cast members got to take home their STARS and an Oscar look-a-like (small inexpensive trophies ordered from Oriental Trading Co.).

This was the cast party that broke me in.

AND THEN CAME…

Cast Party #2

Oklahoma!

I’m telling you….. I had so much fun last year – don’t ya know – that I turned right around and signed up again the next year. This time, my daughter had a lead role so I felt a sort of obligation to step up to a lead role also. If she somehow found the courage, I felt I needed to as well. This time I volunteered to be the head-chick-in charge of the party. Yes, that’s right, the CHAIRPERSON! Aren’t you proud of me?

Well, reserve your applause. If not for some serious transforming work on the part of the Almighty I would not have had the gumption to speak up and volunteer or have the outrageous joy in my heart to motivate me through the long days and nights. It was also the realization that this was the last opportunity I may ever have for such a thing, with my “drama queen” girl graduating and all. Plus, I was a step ahead of the game on this one… I already had some experience under my belt with the last one, and a great awakening that these high school kids aren’t as intimidating as one would first imagine. They’re a hoot, a lot of hoots in fact, and if you don’t show fear they won’t notice any, ’cause they are sort of self-absorbed themselves. 🙂

My plan (Schedule) for Oklahoma Cast Party:

After last curtain: Kids enter Cafeteria on a Paparazzi lined red carpet (Hollywood music playing large on a boom box or sound system), cameras flashing, and a guest book waiting to be signed by each cast member.

Walk of Fame stars leading the way from the Red Carpet to the food tables and around the room.

Food tables (heaped with delivery Pizza and all the backstage leftover’s, along with cake, and champagne flutes filled with sparkling cider)

Mock Academy Awards show – with trophies awarded

Autographs (everybody mingling and signing each other’s programs)

Karaoke

Party games set at various tables

Square Dancing Lesson and Contest (optional)

Trivia Game (just like I created for Bye, Bye, Birdie) (optional)

To do list:

Get a list of the Cast families from the drama teacher (need for party supplies purchases, etc.)

*Call for volunteers for party needs

Order the cake

Get a list of the Cast members from the director (need for the Walk-of-Fame Stars)

Get red paper (for the red carpet) from school office

Get 100 sheets of pink construction paper from school office (for the Walk-of-Fame Stars)

Get 100 sheets of black construction paper from school office (for Stars)

Check at school district office A/V Department to see if they have Oscar cut-outs – black construction paper – need 75, and if they will laminate the stars

Make Stars for the Walk of Fame – need stone spray paint, metallic markers

Get trivia questions for Bye Bye Birdie, Grease, Kiss Me Kate, and Oklahoma! (These are available on the Internet website: Funtrivia.com. Questions are only available online. No printout. So you’ll have to write down the questions as you take the quizzes yourself, and then write down the answers when you click to see how you did.

Follow up with volunteers on their purchases and promises to help

The morning before the final performance, count ballots and stuff Awards envelopes, and get gold, silver & black balloons and movies posters from video stores

The afternoon before the final performance pick up the cake; decorate the cafeteria, set up food tables, set up karaoke, bring a boom box, etc.

The night after the final performance help chaperone the CAST PARTY

*Call for volunteers for the following party needs:

_________ Make/buy the cake (75 servings) “Hollywood” sheet cake

_________ Bring four 2-litre bottles of 7-Up, or 5 bottles sparkling cider

_________ Buy 20 disposable champagne glasses

_________ Buy 20 disposable champagne glasses, plus a pkg. of 100 napkins

_________ Buy 40 disposable dessert plates (star shape preferred), & 75 forks

_________ Buy 40 disposable dessert plates (star shape preferred) & 10 markers

_________ Buy Latex balloons (1 dz. ea gold/silver/& black)

_________ Help set up and decorate the cafeteria Saturday afternoon

_________ Help tape down stars for the Walk of Fame Saturday morning

_________ Find and be in charge of the Karaoke machine

_________ Help manage the party, take pictures, serve cake, etc.

_________ Help manage the party, take pictures, serve champagne

_________ Buy 6 disposable cameras and come take pictures at party

_________ Help clean-up after the party

_________ Check with Wal-Mart, Party America, Dollar store, Party Animals, and other local businesses to see if they would be willing to donate supplies for our party

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GETTING IT DONE

Okay, so in the days and weeks while the kids rehearsed for the performance I tended to all the little jobs that needed to be done.

I picked up the construction paper and got to work on making ninety-five Walk-of-Fame stars. These were going to look just like the real ones which decorate the sidewalks of Hollywood. Black squares, pink stars, flecks of white and gray and black spattered on each. The stars outlined with metallic gold marker and the squares outlined with metallic silver – the names in block letters centered in the stars. A logo below each name so that people could tell by a glance if that person was an actor, an orchestra member, a stage hand, or a teacher. When they were all put together I laminated them, and cut them apart.

I asked at every grocery store if they would be willing to donate sparkling cider. I asked at the party store if they would donate champagne glasses, plates, and forks.

I asked at the bakery if they would donate a cake.

I went online and found some inexpensive star trophies and the drama teacher cut a check for them out of the ticket sales funds.

I contacted the parents that signed up to help me, and delegated jobs to all who were willing. I put an agenda in the mail to each of them.

I sat in on dozens of rehearsals.

I made big dice cubes for one of the games. I made the ballot box. I picked up a Fact or Crap game. I got the red paper for the red carpet.

Little by little I whittled away at the chores until opening night. That was my night to work backstage. And OMGosh, how much fun was that for me? The luckiest ol’ gal on the block I was, for sure!!!

At the final curtain of opening night I passed out ballots to all the performers for the Awards show that would take place at the cast party.

The next night I collected them. My husband and I came to watch the musical on Friday night where we sat beaming, pure enchantment chiseled across our faces. It was the cast’s best performance of the weekend. Encore, encore!

The day of the party I met with my committee to decorate the cafeteria. I met with the kids in the cast to discuss the Mock Award Show and how that would go. I tallied the votes. I made a separate sheet for each category that showed who the presenters would be and attached the winner envelopes to them. I showed up a few hours early to set up my background music in the cafeteria, be on site for the pizza delivery, and set up the food on the tables. I brought out the chilled cider and starting pouring it into glasses. As parents arrived I put cameras in their hands and sent them to play the part of the paparazzi as the kids entered the cafeteria from the auditorium.

The cast and crew entered the cafeteria to a Hollywood Blockbusters soundtrack playing larger than life on the boom box, down a red carpet lined with black, silver, and gold balloons, and signed their names in the guest book.

They wandered around and looked for their Walk of Fame stars, then headed over to the food tables to see what was offered there. Most of them grabbed a glass of champagne and some cake and found somewhere to sit. Once all the cast was crowded in, my “Academy Awards” actors took the stage and began acting out their routine. Mr. Hill acted out his best Billy Crystal impersonation as the host and mostly insulted the audience with his sarcasm. They all enjoyed it. Two by two the stars came to the podium and announced each category and then asked for the envelope, please. And Trophies were handed out.

The rest of the party played out just like it was supposed to, except I never was able to find a dance instructor so we ditched the square dancing idea. We also ran out of time for the trivia game, well at least for it to be played like I had planned. I did sit on the stage with the microphone and cards and posed questions to the last group of stragglers who were in it to the end. And we giggled until the janitor booted us all out.

Those kids were an absolute blast. I had the best time hanging out with them. Mr. Stedillie, Gino – the janitor, and I were there until about 3:00 A.M. cleaning up. Amazingly I wasn’t even tired. All I could think about was how much fun I’d had, and all the compliments that I’d gotten from the kids and parents. It was a very rewarding experience.

NOTE: If you are contemplating volunteering to help with a High School Musical Cast Party and you are thinking my plan is way too much work. Don’t worry. You don’t have to go to a ton of effort making a theme out of it as I have done. The kids are actually happy to just hang out, eat, sing karaoke, and play some party games. Give it a try!

BTW…some fun choices for party games (at that time) were:

Apples to Apples by Out-of-the-Box Publishing, Inc.

Curses by Play All Day Games, designer Brian Tinsman

Smarty Party by R& R Games, Inc.

Settlers of Catan by Mayfair Games, designer Klaus Teuber

Quelf by Wiggity Bang Games

Pit Deluxe by Winning Moves US

Time’s Up by R & R Games, Inc.

Ultimate Outburst Hersch & Company

Snorta! by Out-of-the-Box Publishing, Inc.

“…the morning STARS sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy!” Job 38:7

Entertaining, Family Fun, Feast on This, Fun with Friends, Garden party, Mother's Day, Office Parties, Recipes, Workplace Entertainment

Spring Luncheon, with flower pot cupcakes

May 2, 2016June 14, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

Can you hear the birds chirping? And smell the wildflowers in bloom? The pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof? Ahhhh…SPRING!!!! Everything old is new again.

How about having all your gal-pals over for a quick, impromptu lunch, easily prepared on a Sunday afternoon, and served on a manic Monday!!! Do you work outside the home? Text your closest circle of co-workers on Sunday night and tell them not to bring in lunch for themselves, because you’ve got a little surprise for them. Then carry in this little luncheon for your super spoiled little crowd.

QUICHE

I used Pioneer Woman’s Cowboy Quiche recipe, from her cookbook, Food From My Frontier (one of my absolute FAVS), I cheated though and used a store-bought deep-dish pie crust, two in fact. And, I did it myyyyy waaay, with a couple of special touches (to make it a little more girly without being PW’s “Cowgirl Quiche,” because I didn’t have those ingredients on hand). Here’s how I did mine:

Ingredients

2 whole Unbaked Pie Crusts (from the freezer section, thawed and poked)
1 lb. Bacon, fried until crispy
2 Tablespoons Bacon fat (left over from frying the bacon)
1 whole red Onion, Sliced
8 spears of fresh, raw asparagus (I have it growing in my garden, lucky me)
1 cup of diced smoked sausage (I like the spicy jalapeno variety)
8 whole Large Eggs
1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream Or Half-and-Half
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 cups Grated Colby-Jack Cheese

Let’s Make it…

Fry the bacon until crisp. Chop into little bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool.

Fry the onions in the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes (until translucent), stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fix the edges of your pie crusts, if you want them to look a little less store-bought, and then poke them with a fork around the bottom in a few places. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon, chopped smoked sausage, onion, and raw asparagus around in your pie crusts, of course dividing evenly between the two pies. Cover both with cheese.

Whip the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl, and then pour the mixture into the pie crusts. Use a fork to pull the contents around a little and make sure the egg mixture seeps down into it all really good.

Place the pies on a rimmed baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche doesn’t jiggle easily when moved and the crust is golden brown. (The quiche will still seem slightly loose, but will continue to set once remove from the oven.)

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into slices with a sharp knife, and serve!

You might like to top yours with a little dallop of sour cream, maybe a spoonful of pico de gallo, or torn cilantro leaves. Maybe a drizzle of Shiracha? Or just naked!

FLATBREAD PIZZAS

< < < I got the idea for these when I saw this photo on Pinterest, and then made it a reality when I found these flatbreads at my local HEB > > >

I purchased several packages of the flatbreads (and have them in the freezer, because the lady at the deli counter said our store is discontinuing them. Bummer!!!! Why do they do that just when I find something that I like??? Husband even liked. Ugh!!!)

Anyway, I took the thawed flatbread and drizzled it with olive oil on both sides, then grilled it for a few minutes on each side on a hot, preheated grill, which gave the bread the nice grill marks and made it really soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I cut each flatbread into thirds and placed on a platter for my guests.

I purchased a tub of Veggie Cream Cheese and a tub of Chive Cream cheese to spread on the warm bread.

And then I had several veggies chopped up for toppings:

Sliced Radishes

Sliced Cherry Tomatoes

Sliced Red Bell Pepper

Sliced Cucumber

Sliced Red Onion

Baby Arugula, Kale, and Spinach mix

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Olive Salad

Black Olives

And an eater’s choice of seasonings:

Fresh ground Salt & Pepper

Pizza Seasoning

Pesto

Olive Oil

Basalmic Vinegar

I got’ta tell you, these are just darn good pizzas. Even hubbie liked them, like a LOT!!!! Even said I knocked dinner out’ta the park, and that I was back on my game. Which made me blush a little. And now I really want to impress him more!!! Fresh, crunchy, delish!!!!

FRUITY LEMONADE

2 or 3 cans of frozen concentrate Lemonade (I like the kind with pulp, pink or regular)

Assorted Fruits:

Lemons

Oranges

Cherries

Watermelon

Strawberries

Blackberries

Limes

Pineapple

Melon

Kiwi

Prepare a large pitcher with lemonade, following package instructions. Fill large glasses with ice and set out a platter of cut-up fruits. Let your guests pile whatever fruits they want on top of their ice, and then fill the glasses with lemonade. When they are done sipping, they’ll have a nice fruit salad to eat!

And for dessert…..

FLOWERPOT CUPCAKES

I found these adorable, tough, reusable, silicone flower pots online, and once they arrived (and I washed and dried them), I used a boxed muffin mix to fill them, and then a canned frosting to frost them. Who says cheaters never prosper? Lol!

I should have purchased the chocolate rocks when I saw them at Amazon too, because there were none to be found in my little town (I’d insert a little sad face here except I don’t have the cute little emoticon stickers on my computer. I guess I can always paste something from Google…….like this……which actually, surprisingly gives me a tiny bit of satisfaction).

At least we have a Wal-mart, and at least our Wal-mart has a cake isle in the hobbies section with a few choices.

And I found Chocolate mushrooms at FIVE BELOW:

And I had an abundance of MINT growing in my garden!!!! So, I did the Martha Stewart thing! Which was to poke a sprig of mint into each little cupcake after they were all decorated with the other stuff.

After frosting each cupcake, I sprinkled them with crushed Oreos (I whirled a handful of the cookies in my food processor until they turned into dirt), and tinted coconut flakes. I really could have done a better job with the tinting! Made it more green. I’m a dork!

Just look at these chocolate rocks! Gosh, they would have just been sooooo cute to put on top of the oreo dirt! (I’m still sore about it!)

Oh well, “Be content with such things as you have!” Nobody likes a whiner.

(((UPDATE: I found chocolate rocks at Cracker Barrel!!! $2.99 for a 3 oz. tube!!!! And I also found these cute cute cute Gummy Lightning Bugs!!!! Gosh, now I want to toally remake my cupcakes!!!)))

This is what mine looked like….before I poked in my mint leaves!

After my little luncheon that I hosted I thought of another way to make flowerpot cupcakes that you may like better…

You can use real terra cotta pots for the trifles, which come in larger-than-cupcake sizes. And since the cake is not being baked in the terra cotta you won’t have to worry about dyes or other toxic elements leaching into your batter in the oven. I soaked my pots in the sink to get the price stickers off, then I put my pots in the dishwasher and ran them through a full sterilizing wash cycle. When they were done I put them in the oven on warm (170*F) to dry them out completely before using.

You can also decorate your pots all pretty before filling them with the trifle ingredients – just something simple that wouldn’t compete with the cuteness of the cakes themselves. Something like this, I was thinking..

Aaaaand…. if you’re feeling especially ambitious, as I was, you can make some cute little flower pot pens to give as gifts for your gal-pals desks, or home offices. Or, even better, let your gal-pals make their own… after lunch. OOOO fun…cRaFt PaRtY!!!!!! 🙂

I found all the stuff for mine at Wal-mart (because seriously, that’s all we have), and when I got my little pots home I soaked them in hot sudsy water to help get the price stickers off. I filled them with aquarium rocks. Then I took a spring assortment of flower bouquets that I found in the floral section, cut them apart, and used floral tape to attach them to my pens. I even found colored ink pens (Bic Cristal).

If you’d like, you can even have a nice little devotion while your eating your lunch!!! Check out this one that I thought was really sweet:

(NOTE: Bible Seeds devotional is now out-of-print, but you can find used copies online.)

“Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”

Psalm 34:8

Feast on This, Personal Healing, Testimonies & Personal Stories

How God healed my pinched nerve (neck/shoulder/back)

May 2, 2016November 26, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

Yes, it will heal, but it will possibly take a lot longer time than you’re going to be happy about. It took about four months for my pain and symptoms to completely disappear.

These are some of the things the Lord led me to try before finally breaking down and getting in to see a doctor:

A heating pad, as soon as it cooled I reheated it
Hot showers, as hot as I could stand and for as long as the hot water lasted
A TENS unit (a really good one), used non-stop until the gel pads dissolved and wouldn’t stick to my skin any more. Don’t think it really helped, but was at least a distraction from the pain.
Deep tissue massages, three visits in two weeks; I don’t recommend deep tissue because the sore muscles only add to the pain issues, and it all seemed to aggrivate the nerves, but a nice Swedish massage with some trigger point may be helpful.
A deep thumping electronic massager, like the TENS unit, not sure how helpful it was, but it was a welcome distraction from the intense pain.
Anti-inflammatory medications, very helpful
A cervical collar, helpful, but only for short periods during the day, helpful at night with a neck pillow and other pillows to prop up under my back.
Pain relieving gels/creams (Salonpas), very helpful
Exercise, helpful, but painful

…and total non-activity, helpful

Everything I researched said DO NOT SEEK A CHIROPRACTOR FOR YOUR NECK (cervical spine) unless your chiropractor is highly skilled in neck treatment. If after fully examining you with x-rays he suggests light traction and physical therapy exercises, ice and heat therapy, massage and trigger point therapy, and even laser treatments (like are used for neuropathy), rather than mentioning an “adjustment,” you’ve got a good Chiropractor. My GP said the back is okay to manipulate, but the neck (cervical vertebrae) should never be “adjusted.”

First things first…POSTURE!!!! It is of utmost importance that you correct your posture. I was a sloucher, and when my pain started I kind of babied it by slumping over. Worst thing I could have done. Sitting at the computer for hours and hours with head forward and arms extended is also the WORST thing!!! Texting, driving, reading a book, writing with head forward…WORST things.

The best way to get correct posture is when standing, to grab a piece of the hair on the very top of your head and give it a tug upward. Imagine that tuft of hair is connected to your spine by a string, and pull your spine into alignment. Keep your head tall, not tipped forward, not backward. Keep your back straight. Let your arms fall to the sides. Support your lumbar when sitting, or lying down.

Right and wrong ways to sit at a desk…

Good walking posture…

If you have a job that requires a lot of sitting at a desk or computer, here are some stretches that you should do to help prevent neck and pinched nerve problems …

And believe it or not, your diet is a huge deal too. I ditched all junk food and crammed my body with superfoods, natural probiotics and electrolytes – especially after doing my exercises and getting a massage. I ate a ton of blueberries, cherries, raisins, and apples – because I craved them. I ate dark chocolate, and Greek yogurt with active enzymes. I crunched on carrots and ate lots of salad (with power greens, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and vinaigrette dressings) and mostly alkaline foods. And I drank tons of coconut water (the healthy brands without a ton of sugar and preservatives). Quite honestly though, coconut water doesn’t taste very good unless it has some sweetener in it, and it must be ICE cold, but it is much better for you than Gatorade. Also, Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and you can buy it in capsule form. Fish Oil, with Omega Fatty Acids, is also supposed to be good for inflammation.

I finally sought out a doctor when the pain was unbearable and wasn’t getting any better. As it turns out the doctor that I was able to get in with also knew personally the pain of a pinched nerve and started me down the path to recovery.

I couldn’t sleep in my bed. I couldn’t lie down at all without screaming pain in my neck/back. The only position I seemed to be able to get into that would give me some relief from my pain was to sit in a chair, legs apart, leaned forward as if tying my shoes, resting my head on a pillow on the table in front of me, and letting my arms dangle to my toes between my legs with my palms down and fingers aimed toward me. When husband was home, he would lay my hot pad (microwave flax-seed filled, as hot as possible without burning the seeds) across my shoulders and neck. I would stay in that position until my legs fell asleep. It was truly the most debilitating thing that has ever happened to me. A nightmare!

The pain actually started on Christmas day. I woke up with it that morning. At first it was just a stabbing pain between my left shoulder blade and spine. It felt like someone had stabbed me with a pencil in the Trapezius muscle and wouldn’t take it out. I had range of motion, but was just terribly uncomfortable. In hindsight it might have been from sitting too long in front of the computer working on a project, or it could have been something that I lifted and carried that I shouldn’t have, although neither of those activities alerted me to knowingly injuring myself.

My stabbing pain was accompanied by a little area of numbness just above that felt as if little bugs were crawling under my skin. If I’d have known what to do at this point, boy, I sure would have done it. And now when this kind of pain comes on me I jump on it with the tennis ball treatment. I now use a dog toy size tennis ball, stand with my back up against a wall, and place that ball right in the area of the pain. I lean hard against the ball and use my body to roll it around until I find the offending spasms. Then I do trigger point therapy on that spot, holding the ball hard against that area for several minutes until I feel it kind of relax. Then I use my body to roll the ball around and rub out that area, then go on to feel for more. After 10 or 15 mintues of trigger point therapy I put the ball away, get an ice pack, and lay in a chair against a pillow for support with the ice pack against the place where I rubbed with the tennis ball. I keep the ice on until it isn’t cold any more – about 30 minutes. This has worked well for keeping my back from every progressing to worse pain, as it did that first time.

Not having the tennis ball info for this first spell I thought it would just go away on its own and tried to ignore it. A day or two later the pain began radiating under my shoulder-blade area. It then began to roll down the bones of my left arm like molten lava, first the underside (triceps) part of my arm, to the elbow, and then up and over my forearm (brachioradialis muscle), and down into my wrist. Then it bled into the web between my thumb and pointer finger, and then my pointer finger went numb. That’s when I started thinking it was a pinched (entrapped) nerve.

The bone deep aching nerve pain in my arm was the worst of all. It was the worst at night and nothing I did helped. I wrapped my arm in my hot pad and elevated it. I tried squeezing a ball. I tried ice. I put the TENS unit on it. I wrapped it. I pressed it against the wall at a 90 degree angle with my palm up (my massage therapist suggested this), and that helped a little, and hot hot hot showers seemed to help.

I would have gone to a doctor sooner if I’d have had one, but my primary care physician had just recently closed his practice. I didn’t know any other doctors in my community that were accepting new patients. I live in a community where the doctors require you to fill out an application and after they’ve had a chance to review the application will decide whether they wish to take you as a patient. It is a long, drawn out process.

PLUS, I kept thinking it was getting better.

But every time I thought I was getting better I would do something to set myself back. First set back was a monstrous SNEEZE that undid all the good I felt I had accomplished over the previous two-week period. The second was when I tried to do some yard work and over-did it. The sore muscles irritated the nerve pain. Third was when I grabbed something from a pantry shelf just a little above my head and it caused a jar beside it to tumble off. I flinched and reached to save it from crashing to the floor and once again was on my knees in tears.

I finally found a doctor 40 miles away that could see me. Husband took the day off work and drove me over. It was agony to be in the vehicle for that drive, but finally seeing someone who might be able to help was what got me through it.

He sent me to the hospital for x-rays and prescribed a 6-day steroid. Some muscle relaxers (and even a stronger pain medicine than Ibuprofen) would have been nice, but for whatever reasons he didn’t prescribe them. He did inform me that I could not take both Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium together, even staggered, but could stagger whichever one with Tylenol for a short while.

I took the (nasty) 6-day steroid and waited for the results of the x-rays. The doctor never got back to me on the x-rays, but did have the Physical Therapy people contact me to set up an appointment. It was another miserable, 40-mile-each-way trip to see them, but they did tell me the results of my x-ray (which showed only a minor narrowed area, which they said was normal for my age).

Physical Therapy was the thing that healed me! God bless the physical therapists.

I had a wonderful therapist who assessed my pain issues, and measured me for range of motion and pain triggers. She tried to do some traction (which actually hurt me more than helped unfortunately), but she also did a couple of chiropractic maneuvers in the shoulder-blade area that didn’t hurt at all (or really help either). Finally she set me up with some exercises and made me do them during my visit; and then she iced me with a huge cold pack that covered my whole neck and back for about 20 minutes (which felt wonderful, and was very helpful). She told me to use heat whenever, and before doing my exercises (to loosen things up) but then ice afterward for at least 20 minutes. She also gave me a tennis ball to use to roll on my back against a wall and massage the areas that hurt, and work on the trigger points. It worked wonders!!! And icing afterwards helped tons.

She sent me home with a few sheets of the exercises with instructions. And wanted to see me in a week to assess whether the exercises were helpful or not. I’m sharing them with you because they were extremely effective!!!

I also encourage you to search the Internet for blogs and conversations about whatever issue you are dealing with. I found a blog that led me to The Spine Institute which has wonderful information on the McKenzie neck exercises and other issues of the spine, including the sciatic nerve. (I apologize for this guy’s excessive talking, but hang in there for the info. It’s worth it).

I confess I never made it back for another session of Physical Therapy as I ended up coming down with the flu not long after finishing the steroids, and then another flu bug back to back of the first one, both lasted weeks, but I did faithfully do the exercises she gave to me to do every day, and they fixed me!!!! Thank God. No surgery. By the time I was over the flu I was also doing much better with the pinched nerve. It has been four months since this affliction first hit, but I am finally over all my symptoms, and even have regained feeling in my finger. My arm has completely stopped having numb sensations, and no numb spot in my back with the feeling of bugs crawling under my skin.

I try not to sit at my computer for too long before getting up and doing something physical. I don’t text on my phone with my head down. And I watch my posture like a hawk.

Another very helpful thing, certainly the most spiritually helpful, was to meditate on the scriptures in God’s word that speak of healing. Pastor John Hagee has created a You Tube video that was amazing to listen to when I wanted to sleep but was in so much pain…

I hope something here has helped you with your neck pain today. May God speed healing your way. In His precious name I pray for you. God bless.

Family Fun, Feast on This, Fun with Friends

Fort Inge, through the lense of a tag-along spectator

April 28, 2016August 23, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

My granddaughter’s school was invited to Fort Inge Living History Days just outside of Uvalde, TX for a field trip this spring and I was invited to tag along. We’ve actually gotten to do it for three years in a row now and this is my picture compilation from all of our visits.

FORT INGE. Fort Inge (also known as Camp Leona) is on the east bank of the Leona River a mile south of Uvalde in southern Uvalde County. The site is dominated by Mount Inge, a 140-foot volcanic plug of Uvalde phonolite basalt. Archeological evidence indicates the place has been intermittently occupied since the Pre-Archaic period, about 6,000 B.C. It is possible that ranching occurred there in the Spanish colonial and Mexican periods (see SPANISH TEXAS, MEXICAN TEXAS). On March 13, 1849, frontier artist Capt. Seth Eastman and fifty-six soldiers of companies D and I, First United States Infantry, established camp on the Leona, four miles above Woll’s Crossing. In December 1849 the post was renamed Fort Inge in honor of Lt. Zebulon M. P. Inge, United States Second Dragoons, a West Point officer killed at the Mexican War battle of Resaca de la Palma.

Fort Inge was established as a part of the first federal line of frontier forts in Texas. It was to serve as a base of operations for army troops and Texas militia. The missions of the soldiers included security patrols for the construction of the San Antonio-El Paso military road, escorts for supply trains and mail, protection for frontier settlements from bandits and Indian raiders, and guarding the international boundary with Mexico. The fort was a typical one-company, fifty-man post for most of its history. For a brief period in 1854 it was the regimental headquarters for the United States Mounted Rifle Regiment with a garrison of 200. One staff inspector reported that Fort Inge “is justly regarded as one of the most important and desirable positions in Texas. No station of the line possesses so many advantages as this . . . in point of wood, water, and soil . . . It is pre-eminent as a military site. [It is in] a state of constant warfare and constant service.”

Army units and officers of the post include the First Infantry Regiment (1849); Capt. William J. Hardee and Company C, Second Dragoons (1849–52); William A. A. (Bigfoot) Wallace‘s Texas Ranging Company (1850); the United States Mounted Rifle Regiment, under Col. William Wing Loring and captains Gordon Grangerand John G. Walker (1852–55); and the Second United States Cavalry, with Capt.Edmund Kirby Smith and lieutenants Fitzhugh Lee, Zenas R. Bliss, and William B. (Wild Bill) Hazen (1856–61). During the Civil War the post was occupied by Confederate and state units including Walter P. Lane‘s rangers; Company A, C.S.A. Cavalry; and John J. Dix‘s company, Norris Frontier Regiment. The fort was reoccupied by federal troops in 1866, and its final garrisons included Company K,Fourth United States Cavalry (1866–68); Company L, Ninth United States Cavalry; and Lt. John L. Bullis and Company D, Forty-first Infantry (1868–69). The Ninth Cavalry and Forty-first Infantry were black units.

The dozen buildings of the post were arranged around the rectangular parade ground with an enclosed stable at the south end of the post. The most substantial building was constructed of cut limestone and was used as a hospital and later as a storehouse. Most structures were of jacal construction-upright log pickets plastered with mud and whitewashed. A low, dry-stacked stone wall was built around the fort during or after the Civil War.

The establishment of the post in 1849 immediately attracted a number of farmers to the area. In 1853 Reading Wood Black bought land a mile upstream and began the settlement of Encina in 1855. The community was renamed Uvalde in 1856. Fort Inge was closed for federal service on March 19, 1869, and the garrison transferred to Fort McKavett. In 1871 United States troops returned to tear down some of the buildings and recover the timber and stone to be used in construction at Fort Clark. The site was used as a camp by the Texas Rangers until 1884. It was farmland until 1961, when it became Fort Inge Historical Site County Park. From 1980 to 1982 the Uvalde County Historical Commission and local donors sponsored archival research and an archeological project to establish an accurate and detailed history of Fort Inge.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Arrie Barrett, Federal Military Outposts in Texas, 1846–1861 (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1927). George Collins, “Fort Inge,” Junior Historian, September 1950. George S. Nelson, Preliminary Archaeological Survey and Testing of Fort Inge, Texas (Uvalde, Texas: Uvalde County Historical Commission, 1981). Thomas Tyree Smith, Fort Inge (Austin: Eakin Press, 1993).

Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas T. Smith, “Fort Inge,” accessed April 27, 2016,http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf27.

Published by the Texas State Historical Association

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Our tour started with the Census taker…

The 1850 census saw a dramatic shift in the way information about residents was collected. In 1850, the census began collecting “social statistics” (information about taxes, education, crime, and value of estate, etc.) and mortality data. For the first time, free persons were listed individually instead of by family. There were two questionnaires: one for free inhabitants and one for slaves. According to the US Census bureau these are the questions that would have been asked of persons being counted for the 1850 Census.

Schedule No. 1 – Free Inhabitants

Listed by column number, enumerators recorded the following information:

Number of dwelling house (in order visited)
Number of family (in order visited)
Name
Age
Sex
Color
This column was to be left blank if a person was White, marked “B” if a person was Black, and marked “M” if a person was Mulatto.
Profession, occupation, or trade of each person over 15 years of age
Value of real estate owned by person
Place of Birth
If a person was born in the United States, the enumerator was to enter the state they were born in. If the person was born outside of the United States, the enumerator was to enter their native country.
Was the person married within the last year?
Was the person at school within the last year?
If this person was over 20 years of age, could they not read and write?
Is the person “deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict?”

Schedule No. 2 – Slave Inhabitants

Slaves were listed by owner, not individually. Listed by column number, enumerators recorded the following information:

Name of owner
Number of slave
Each owner’s slave was only assigned a number, not a name. Numbering restarted with each new owner
Age
Sex
Color
This column was to be marked with a “B” if the slave was Black and an “M” if they were Mulatto.
Listed in the same row as the owner, the number of uncaught escaped slaves in the past year
Listed in the same row as the owner, the number of slaves freed from bondage in the past year
Is the slave “deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic?”

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From there we wandered to the stations that were set up…

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The first station on our tour was of the soldier’s quarters

Our tour guide had a display of the items in a typical soldier’s possession, along with a few items of what they mostly carried for rations, and then behind him was a small camp of the tents that they slept in.

On our second tour, the kids got to try on hats, and ask questions, and touch things. Once the kids learned all about the food and sleeping quarters, and what a soldier might carry on him on the battlefield, they were lined up for drills. Each student was given their own rifle (wooden replica) and then the hooligans were led through a series of drills. ATTENTION! Admittedly, they might need a little more practice, but not bad for their first time out.

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Moving on to textiles…

At the next station the kids learned about yarn and thread and sowing and embroidery.

They learned about all the types of materials used to make thread and yarn, how it was brushed and washed to remove seeds and bugs and dirt, and then how it was spun into yarn or fine thread, which could then be woven into fabric and sewn into clothing, coats, hats, and under garments, as well as made into rugs or blankets and such.

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And then we learned how folks kept all of their clothes and linens, and themselves, CLEAN!

The children learned about soup making: making lye, rendering fat, and adding perfumes; scrubbing and laundering, drying, ironing, and that whole lovely business. And boy did it smell good at that station!!!

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Next on the tour was weaponry…

Here was a fairly massive display of hand guns, rifles, shotguns, hatchets, and knives, used for hunting and military action. The kids even got to touch things. Ha! Pretty cool!

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We missed the firing of the cannon the first year of our tour, but on our third we had the good fortune of getting to experience all however many decibles of it.

Here is a video of the cannon being fired at Fort Inge Living History Days from several years ago…

Holy moley! COVER YOUR EARS!

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And next door to this was the Officer’s Quarters…

Like the soldier’s station, this one showed the items that were typical for an officer to have with him, and showed his slightly larger and nicer sleeping and private quarters.

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At the next station the kids enjoyed doing some CHORES…

The kids learned about making rope, fetching water from a well, taking dried corn off the cob and grinding it into cornmeal.

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Once they were finished with their chores they were allowed to run along to school…

…where they learned all about READING, WRITING, and ‘RITHMATIC!!! Teachers were required to be single back in those days and usually came from out-of-town and lived with a family in the community during the school season. The people of the community all chipped in to help pay her a salary, usually about $25 month. Children attended school when their chores were done, so they came and went all throughout the day. Students worked through their studies at their own pace, graduating to the next book once they were proficient in the beginner books. They practiced their handwriting and math problems on a slate with chalk. They also learned to write with pen and ink and the teacher gave a demonstration of the care of the pen and keeping of the ink, which was a precious thing in those days.

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If there was any time left after chores and school, these were some of the toys that kids got to play with back in those days…

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The next two stations were the kitchens…

In this kitchen the men were making stews and soups, hot coffee, and hot boiling water for dishwashing.

Next door to the hot stove was the other part of the kitchen, where the other preparations are made and the eating takes place…

In this kitchen our host was churning butter, and she told the kids about some of the baking and preserving (jams, jellies, pickles, etc.) done in those days.

She had made some molasses cookies and applesauce pies earlier that morning that made our mouths water.

She taught the kids about all sorts of period kitchen gadgets, and after we were gone, all of the volunteers would be sitting down to a nice prairie picnic of all the foods that were prepared in these kitchens that day. I loved all the beautiful Blue Willow dishes and pretty tablecloths.

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I think we walked past a station set up for blacksmithing…

(Everyone in our group needed to use the potty, and were all starving to death for lunch after seeing all that yummy smelling cooking), but there was soooo much more to see!

Various signs — These are some of the signs that are posted in various areas of the fort

This year we all got to experience a real Military TELEGRAPH station…

…which uses Morse Code to send and receive messages. My have things improved since then. Probably almost everyone on tour this day over the age of 12 had a cell phone in their pocket, which they could use to send text messages wirelessly.

And also this year we got to see a real Teepee set up…

…with a Native man inside who gave an interesting presentation of the history of his people in the area.

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And then there was the lady with the Dulcimer…

…who played beautiful music for the students. What a treat! She took requests and played her instrument flawlessly while all the kids sang along, hymns and popular songs of the period that the children would be familiar with.

The last stop on our visit was around the hedgerow to see the camels…

Please click on the link to learn more about the US Army’s Great Camel Experiment from this Facebook Page.

Our guide for this Camel exhibit was very entertaining. He played a couple songs on his guitar and sang for us. He was very engaging. The kids really enjoyed him, but I think what they would have loved more would have been to touch and ride the camels!

We ended our visit with a final climb on the rocks by an old outbuilding…

…and then headed off to our own picnic lunch in the park in town!!!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and learning about our little town’s neat little old soldier fort. You’ll have to plan a visit out sometime during Living History Days in the spring. Also, you might like to visit Fort Clark in Brackettville. And if you can find it, this is a neat book written about Fort Inge that was given to us by relatives of the author.

Happy Trails y’all!!!

For more about Fort Inge visit Wikipedia.

And he said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, Thou dost save me from violence. “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies.”

2 Samuel 22:2-4

Feast on This, Recipes

“APRIL FOOLS” SPAGHETTI CAKE

April 16, 2016May 9, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 large eggs

½ cup buttermilk

2 tsp Vanilla (pure)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour (or I use baker’s spray) a 10 X 15” or 9 X 13” pan.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and water. Stir occasionally while bringing just to the boiling point and remove from heat. Pour over flour mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat for about another minute. The batter will be thin.

Pour into prepared baking pan, and bake in preheated oven approximately 20-25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool. I like to make my cake the night before, cover it with foil, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to frost.

Frosting

3 cups Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

1 cup butter (room temp)

1 teaspoon Vanilla (pure)

½ block (or 4 oz.) of cream cheese (room temp)

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on low speed until blended, then for 3 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla and cream cheese and continue beating on medium speed a few minutes more until fluffy and creamy.

Affix the Wilton tip 3 (small hole) to a frosting piping/decorating bag as per package instructions. With a rubber spatula, transfer the frosting to the bag. Squeeze the frosting out onto the cooled cake in swirls until the entire top of the cake if covered.

Decorate

…with Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates, and Raspberry Fruit Spread. Unwrap the chocolates (about 12) and place them randomly on top of the frosted cake. Give the Raspberry Fruit Spread a good stir and then spoon it over the chocolates, pooling it over and all around each to look like meatballs with spaghetti sauce.

This is what it should look like when you are done…

Hey, and by the way…. not only is this a fun dessert to fool your friends, but it’s also just a dang delicious cake!!!! Enjoy!!!!! 🙂

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Psalm 14:1a

Baby Shower, Entertaining, Feast on This, Fun with Friends, Garden party, Holidays

“It’s a Girl” Baby Shower Party

April 9, 2016April 10, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

I’m a grandma! <I say, with a huge grin on my face> Can I just say that so far in life being a grandma is just about as good as I could have ever imagined. I am completely smitten with these little granddaughters of ours! Completely and utterly smitten! And I’ve decided that getting to be a grandma must be God’s way of saying, I forgive you for all the mistakes you made with your own kids, and I’m giving you a second chance with grandchildren. Don’t screw it up!

I don’t know that I have any more patience with them than I had with my own kids. And I can’t say that I let them get away with murder at my house, because I honestly couldn’t live with them expecting to get things all the time. But after grandpa and I have loved on them, and spoiled them just a little, and are pretty much give-out chasing after them for a day or a night, we can send them back to their parents and then go take a nap. And that’s the beauty of grandparenting. 🙂

As far as throwing a baby shower, I take my ques from my oldest daughter Dani. She threw the first baby shower for her sister, and had so much energy and charisma through the whole process. She is just gosh darn good at everything she puts her hand to. She tossed an amazing, fun party together in about an hour (including the decorating), and even between gadding about with her friends, whom she hadn’t seen since high school, and her party turned out so magnificently I can’t even tell you. I’m such a poser!

But, in the shadow of her genius, I tossed a Texas version together – in a bigger house, and a bigger yard, and a slightly plumper guest list!

Decorations

The party I threw was half indoors and half outdoors on what turned out to be a beautiful south Texas spring evening! Indoors was the food (to keep it cool and away from the bugs), and outdoors were the games. I used old baby food jars, placed tea-lite candles in each, lit them, and scattered them around on the buffet table inside, and the tables outside. The tables outside sat under an Easy-up portable gazebo which was decorated with balloons and streamers and pretty pink ribbon. I covered the outdoor tables with little baby blankets (from when my babies were little – quilted ones, knit ones, crocheted ones, tied ones, store bought and homemade) and used rolled up baby diapers tied with ribbon and Baby Bottle vases for centerpieces, along with some of the little baby food jar tea-lites. Indoors I layered a black and white tablecloth over a solid pink tablecloth for the serving table, and placed a few potted plants and a bouquet of roses around with the baby food jar tea-lites.

I hung up a small “clothesline” across the yard here and there and hung some cloth diapers, onesies, baby blankets, and little bibs on it, with old fashioned clothespins tied with pink ribbon and bows?

I set up a CD player outside that had *lullaby music playing softly and continuously in the background during the party. (*I used the Rock-a-bye Baby and Hush-a-bye Baby CDs. If you’ve not heard of them, they are the songs of country and rock musicians remade into lovely little xylophone lullaby melodies. So sweet for a Baby Shower party, and after the party they make a great parting gift for the mother!)

Refreshments

GOURMET CUPCAKES: I cheated and used a cake mix and baked up 24 cupcakes. Then I swirled store-bought frosting on them in two colors, white and pink, using a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off. I sprinkled them with pink sprinkles and decorated them with mini York peppermint patties and fresh mint leaves from my garden. Then displayed them in cute little swirly cupcake stands that made a perfect presentation and centerpiece for the buffet.

FINGER SANDWICHES: my neighbor and friend Sharon made some finger sandwiches with cream cheese and green olives, and I don’t know what else, but they were delish.

FRUIT SALAD: I cut a baby carriage shape out of a watermelon, decorated it with pink ribbon, then filled it with chunks of fresh seasonal fruits (melon, grapes, pineapple, berries, kiwi, etc.). I made a fresh yogurt, honey, and lime dressing to drizzle on top.

VEGGIES: I did little individual crudités using little see-thru plastic tumblers, placing a small amount of dip in the bottom, and then arranging cut vegetables (carrot, celery, snow peas, asparagus, bell pepper, etc.) vertically in each.

PUNCH: tea, lemonade, and lots of ice.

Games

These first four games below began right away as guests arrived, but did not have a winner until the end of the party. Each game was set up at a seperate station in my house, and a little pink footprint trail led the guests from first station near the front door (diaper name tags), to the next (Mommy Measure Game), and the next (Pacifier Necklaces), through my house, and ended at the food table near the back door, where a little sign welcomed them to help themselves to the refreshments, and asked them to place one frozen baby ice cube in their drink.

This was the best way I could come up with to be in all places at the same time – greeting guests as they arrived, hugging and welcoming them, pinning a name tag on each one, and then sending them on to some entertainment while we waited for everyone to arrive. By the time the last guests arrived, everyone would have had things to do, food and beverages to nibble and sip, time to mingle with each other, and would be ready for the games to begin.

Dirty Diaper Name Tags: I made little diapers out of white felt or flannel and pinned them closed with a diaper safety pin. Before I pinned the last one shut I smeared a little streak of brown marker in it Then I mixed the marked one in with the others so I wouldn’t know which one it was. As the guests arrived, I pinned the little diapers on each (you can jot their names on them if your guests don’t know each other). At the end of the party I asked my guests to look inside their name tags. The one with the dirty diaper won a prize.

Mommy Measure Game: Using ribbon, string, or a store-bought game, each guest sections off however much length of the material as they think will take to wrap around the mommy’s belly. They’ll cut their piece and then label it with their name, and leave it in the designated place. At the end of the evening, whoever’s piece comes closest to the actual measurement is the winner.

Pacifier necklace Game: This game is played by giving each guest a necklace and announcing that the forbidden word is “baby.” Anyone caught by another player using the forbidden word loses their necklace to the player who caught them. No one is ever out, because even if you lose your necklace, you can gain a necklace back by catching someone saying the forbidden word. The person with the most necklaces at the end of the party wins.

My Water Broke: The day before the party place little plastic babies in ice cube trays, and then fill the trays with water and freeze. Once everyone has helped themselves to cold beverages, have them drop one of the frozen baby ice cubes into their drink, but don’t tell them why yet. (The first person whose baby melts free is the winner).

Once all of my guests had gotten name tags, measured off a length of ribbon for the mommy measure game, gotten themselves a necklace and a plate of food, and dropped a baby ice cube into each of their drinks, I came and explained the rules for the necklaces and the baby ice cubes. These games played in the background of all the other games for the duration of the evening.

These next several games will have winners right away. Try to keep things moving along so no one gets bored, but be somewhat flexible for those players that are a little slower.

What is it?: You will need 10 brown paper lunch bags (numbered 1-10) and 10 random baby items (diaper pins, pacifier, diaper ointment, baby bottle, teething ring, rattle, mittens, nail clipper, thermometer, disposable diaper, baby powder, baby lotion, receiving blanket, onesie, etc. all removed from their packaging), and a sheet of paper for each guest with 1-10 numbered along the left side, and a pens for each. Make sure each bag has only one item in it and is sealed (taped, stapled, and fastened with a pretty ribbon). Pass the bags around and allow the guests to try to figure out what is in the bag. After 30 seconds shake a baby rattle for the guests to pass the bags. When everyone has written their guesses down, Set a nice basket beside the mom-to-be and have her open each bag to reveal what’s in it, placing the items in the basket. Give a gift to the person with the most correct guesses, and mom gets to keep the basket contents.

Nursery Rhyme Fill-in: Make up a sheet of lines from nursery rhymes (get a book from Wal-mart if you need one) leaving out a word or line for your guests to complete. You can either hand out game sheets to each guest and give them time to complete them, then read the nursery rhymes out loud and ask if anyone had something different…OR…you can play this game like a game show where players are seated and the first to stand must give an answer. You can either read the title of a rhyme and let your guests see if they can recite the rhyme, or read part of the rhyme and have them fill in the missing word or line. The first guest to stand up must give an answer. If they are right, you tally them a point. If they are wrong they sit down and the others race to stand up and answer. When you are out of rhymes, the person who answered the most correctly wins a prize.

Baby Food Tasting: With as much class and sophistication as a wine tasting, you will offer this game. Take the labels off a variety of baby foods (12 is good – 3 of each food-group: veggie, fruit, cereal, dessert) and replace with a number. (Make yourself a master sheet as you are doing this, so you remember which is which and can show it to the guests at the end). Give each guest a sheet of paper with 1-12 listed along the left side, and pen, and 12 plastic tasting spoons per person (ask them to not reuse spoons). Pass the baby food jars and give everyone time to make their guesses. They may taste, smell, look at, jiggle, stir, or use whatever way they want to distinguish what food it is. You can provide a list of multiple choices if you want to help them out a little, just make sure some of the choices on the list are different from the foods so it’s not too easy. The person who gets the most right wins.

The Hen Party Game: Perhaps you’ve seen it on YouTube? It is the plunger and toilet paper game. Need two rolls of toilet paper and two brand new toilet plungers. Split guests into two teams. Each team sends a player to the other side of the yard with a roll of toilet paper. She then places the toilet paper between her thighs/knees. The remaining members of the teams line up behind a leader and the person at the front of the line places the toilet plunger between their thighs with the handle sticking out in front of them. At the sound of the baby rattle the two plunger people must run down to their teammate without losing the plunger and attempt to poke the plunger handle into the hole of the toilet paper roll. Once they are successful, the plunger person takes the toilet paper and the toilet paper person runs the plunger back to the team for the next person to relay down the track. The first team to finish wins.

Baby Bottle Game: Fill baby bottles (one for each guest) with cranberry juice or tea. If you want, you could use the previous game’s winning team as contestants for this game to compete in this chugging contest in front of everyone. Just to be ornery, plug up the tip on one of the baby bottles with super glue prior to the party. At the sound of baby rattle players begin chugging from the baby bottles. The one who finishes first is the winner. See also how creative the person is who got stuck with the plugged bottle, and give them an award for being a good sport.

Sniff-a- Poo game: You’ll need 6 clean disposable diapers labeled 1-6 and 6 different snack size candy bars (Mounds, Baby Ruth, Snickers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Way, York Peppermint Patty, Three Musketeers, etc.). Place one candy bar in each diaper and microwave each diaper for 20 seconds. Stir the candy around and microwave another 10 seconds. Give each player a slip of paper numbered 1 to 6 down the left side, a pen, and 6 plastic tasting spoons per person (ask them to not reuse spoons).. Set the six diapers in front of the guests and allow them to look, smell, taste, and touch each “poopy” diaper in an attempt to identify the contents. Take lots of pictures! The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.

After the outdoor games, I invited everyone back inside and asked them to please refill their drinks and plates at the buffet, and then asked them to take a chair (bean bags, rocker, couch, ottoman, kitchen chairs, etc.) in a big circle around my living room to watch the mom-to-be open her gifts. One of the guests graciously offered to make a list of each gift and who gave it, so I gratefully provided the notebook paper and pen. Once all the gifts were opened, and the food and drinks were devoured, I awarded the prizes for the name tags, measuring game, and necklace game, and also gave out the little parting gifts (babyfood jars with jellybeans in them). Then I asked if we could all stand and hold hands and close by saying a prayer for the mom-to-be. I led the prayer but also left it open for anyone else who felt led to pray. One by one each guest hugged the mom-to-be, and started making their departures. It really was a fun party, and I was so blessed by all the compliments… which is why I decided to share it with you.

Prizes (need at least eight)

Little Bathroom soaps in a basket

Chap sticks and Lotions

Small Cookbook

A Gift Certificate for a specialty coffee (Starbucks or another local place)

A Women’s Magazine

A pretty necklace

Small bouquet of flowers

Scented Candle

Assortment of tea bags

Party Favors (as many as you have guests)

Send each guest home with a baby food jar filled with jelly beans and ask them to say a prayer for the momma and baby every time they eat a bean.

Be Prepared

Purchase everything you will need for the games. Read through each game carefully and make a list. Purchase all the prizes and party favors – or make the party favors. Purchase all your groceries and try to make everything the day before, if possible. Purchase everything you will need to decorate or make decorations, and make the decorations. Give yourself time to groom the yard (the day before), clean the house (the day before), and do all the decorating (early in the day). Purchase paper plates, napkins, cups, plastic utensils, ice, serving pieces, flowers, balloons, etc. Set up all the games the night before. Set up the food table right before guests arrive, keeping things covered and cold, and in the shade, or keep the food inside (which is what I did to avoid flies). Set out all the table service and place a paper weight on the napkins and plates – or tie them up in pretty bundles.

PARTY SCHEDULE (plan for the party to last about 2 hours)

Guests arrive: pin a diaper name tag on each and encourage them to mingle pointing them to the little pink footprint trail (like a yellow brick road – follow the yellow brick road!).

Make sure each guest gets something to drink and helps themselves to the sandwiches and snacks that have been set out.

Ice Breaker: Introduce everyone if your guests don’t know each other, and maybe tell how they each know the mother-to-be.

Play the games in the order listed on the previous pages. Keep a fairly quick pace with the games and activities, so there is no time for boredom. I tried to alternate sitting games with active games and quiet games with loud and fun games to keep it interesting. And also tried to find games that would be amusing.

Invite guests to help themselves to more food if desired, and make sure everyone’s beverage is full as often as possible.

Award prizes at the end, if they weren’t awarded at the end of each game, and give each guest a small party favor.

Let Mom-to-be open gifts.

Gather around the Mom-to-be to pray for her and the little one, for a safe delivery and a healthy, perfect baby. Allow guests to hang and visit as long as they wish. Hug everyone goodbye and thank them so much for coming. Put away the foods that need refrigeration. Pass out from exhaustion!

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Alternative Games for your party

Baby items scavenger hunt: Hide several Baby items in and around the house. Create a scavenger hunt for guests to find these items. Guests may compete against everyone individually, or you can pair people off in 2-person or 3-person teams. First person/team to find all of the items wins.

Memory game: First guest says a word or phrase, second guest says the first word/phrase and then their word/phrase, the third guest says both previous words/phrases and then adds theirs. Play continues around the table until someone forgets a word/phrase, then they are out. Play continues until one person is left having memorized the whole thing.

Itty Bitty Baby Parts Baby Shower Game: Baby shower games step into the 21st century with this high tech, offbeat Ultrasound picture challenge. You will find that people say the darndest things when they try to identify the itty bitty baby parts in this contemporary baby shower game. Identifying these parts isn’t as easy as it may seem and your friends will be chuckling for days afterwards at some of the oddball responses! People say the darndest things! Itty Bitty Baby Parts baby shower game brings those sometimes hilarious answers out into the open. Your friends and family will enjoy hearing the responses of the other players while they try to identify the images.

Entertaining and affordable. Itty Bitty Baby Parts baby shower game can be purchased from http://www.bigdotofhappiness.com and comes complete with 12 ultrasound picture cards, word lists(25 player sheets for 25 guests), directions and answer page. Itty Bitty Baby Parts (Ultrasound Picture Game) $13.99

Baby Bingo Baby Shower Game: Yea! Finally! A bingo baby shower game with Pizazz! With Pep! With, with… spunkatudinality! In this 20 card version, guests are handed colorful cards with baby themed pictures: a crib, a birth certificate, stroller, baby blocks, etc. The first person to get five in a row and yell “Baby Bingo” wins. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this baby shower game has got to be worth Millions!

There are 2 squares on each card which allow each guest to write in the name of the mom-to-be and her (expectant) due date. The mom will beam with pride and joy every time she hears her name and baby’s due date called during each game.

20 Card Baby Bingo comes complete with:
20 unique bingo cards
80 perforated caller chips
390 heart markers
Master call sheet
Instructions
Cards measure 5-1/4″ x 6-1/2″ h each.

This baby shower game can also be purchased from http://www.bigdotofhappiness.com.

Diaper raffles are the hot new baby shower activity! Use our baby raffle tickets – baby shower game to ensure your diaper raffle goes off without a hitch! Hand out raffle tickets to each guest who brings a pack of diapers. You could give one ticket per every 5, 10, or 20 diapers they bring. Have them write their name on the tickets and collect them. At some point during the celebration, draw tickets to give away special prizes. Guests will love their odds when they arrive with the all-important diapers! You could pass out tickets for other items as well – bibs, onesies, blankets, and much more!

Baby Raffle Tickets – Baby Shower Game ~ $8.99 each game
(150 tickets per package in six designs) available from http://www.bigdotofhappiness.com.

Raffle Methods
There are a few different ways to set up a raffle at a baby shower. Tickets for the event can be “sold” based on the basic baby-care items that guests bring, or can be given to everyone who arrives in a manner similar to door prize drawings. One commonly used option is the holding of a “diaper raffle,” where an extra ticket is given for every five, 10 or 20 diapers given. The same could be done with single bottles, onesies, pacifiers or even common goods such as soaps, shampoos and lotions. A winning ticket will be drawn toward the end of the baby shower, though some planners may decide to have multiple drawings and give away smaller prizes leading up to the “Grand Prize.”

Tummy Measure Game by Factory Card and Party Outlet

An immeasurably fun shower game! Our Tummy Measure Game features 150ft – 2 1/2” W plastic yellow measuring tape (number are not printed on tape) with the words “What Size is the New Mommy’s Tummy?” Simply have guests cut a length of the tape by guessing the mommy-to-be’s tummy and the closest fitting tape wins.

Wilton Baby Shower Spin Game by Wilton

Play this fun game at the baby shower. It’s a great way to break the ice and get the party started. Guests spin the bottle and do as the spot on the card asks. Some of the spaces say: Suggest 10 Baby Names; Give Mom-to-be Baby Advice; Relax and do Nothing; Sing a Lullaby; Whistle a Baby Song; Say the ABC’s Backwards; Recite a Nursery Rhyme; Repeat 5 Times: (a tongue twister).

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3

Entertaining, Feast on This, Fun with Friends, Garden party, Holiday Memories, Holidays, Mother's Day

Come to a Garden Party

April 6, 2016May 23, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

When I lived in the Rockies I used to spend pretty much every weekend in April and May (and even some years in June) sipping my morning coffee by my front windows and gazing outside at the dead, gray landscape, wishing (oh so desperately wishing) for spring, as winter relentlessly lingered. All I could think about was busting outside to push the lawnmower around in my yard, dig out the rotting leaves that had blown in around my porch, plant and fertilize my spring bulbs, and tidy up my dormant yard. I could almost hear thunder and lightning in my mind, and with feverish delirium I built castles in the clouds for the return of the robins and squirrels games, and the mommy & daddy birds fluffing their feathers, gathering twigs, and chirping their springtime songs. I swooned over what to grow in my gardens, my mouth still salivating at the evaporating memory of last year’s harvest.

Being in south Texas, I now whence at how overwrought I was for the scent of fresh washed anything to be hanging on my clotheslines. I haven’t forgotten though how badly I wanted to crank those frozen windowsills open, throw back the curtains, air out the dust and cobwebs, and let a little sunshine in. If only by my shear will I could have held back winter and coaxed those leaves to bud out on the trees, or tantalized my daffodils to bloom, or tempted the grass to creep up out of the earth, lush and green.

Almost anything was better than shoveling snow AGAIN, or sloshing in slush, or looking out at barren trees, or being cooped up inside torturing myself with the fallen mercury on the outdoor thermometer. “Oh hurry up spring,” was my daily mantra.

And then finally it was here.

Well, my dear, north-country friends, I know you are suffering now, but come sit on my south Texas porch swing (I wish this was my porch and my porch swing) for a bit, kick your sandals off, and have a slushy lemonade with me? I’m just reminiscing over my garden parties of yesterday and would love your company!

It’s a funny thing, but as soon as the words “garden party” roll off my tongue I am humming the song by Ricky Nelson…“Come to a Garden Party; reminisce with my old friends….” Hee hee, I can see you do too! Shall we hold hands and sway and sing it together?

I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends A chance to share old memories and play our songs again When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name No one recognized me, I didn’t look the same

CHORUS: But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well. You see, ya can’t please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

People came from miles around, everyone was there Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air ‘n’ over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes wearing his disguise

CHORUS

lot-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Played them all the old songs, thought that’s why they came No one heard the music, we didn’t look the same I said hello to “Mary Lou”, she belongs to me When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah) lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode Playing guitar like a-ringin’ a bell and lookin’ like he should If you got’ta play at garden parties, I wish you a lot’ta luck But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah) lot-in-dah-dah-dah

‘n’ it’s all right now, learned my lesson well You see, ya can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself

Wow…I didn’t mean to sing the whole dang song…. Sorry. The lyrics are kind of odd, aren’t they? Hee hee! 🙂

I recently finished a Bible study of the book of Esther, written by Beth Moore and since it is so fresh in my mind I thought to share with you a garden party on steroids:

KING AHASHURAS’ GARDEN PARTY

“…The king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan…in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.” — Esther 1:5

A seven-day feast. Holy cow! (…Possible pun intended). My, oh my, he sure knows how to arrange things! This is how King Ahashuras decorated for his party: “There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king.” (Esther 1:6-7). The drinking was not compulsory, but according to each man’s pleasure…soooooo, I’m guessing, since the booze was free, that it was each man’s pleasure TO DRINK!

After the king’s “garden party” came another feast. It was for his officials and servants – the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the 127 provinces over which he now ruled. This feast lasted 180 days, (holy smokes – did you catch that? 180 DAYS!!!). I can’t even imagine how much food and wine he dished out for a 180-day party! My goodness, that’s almost six months. How does one entertain guests for that long? What do you suppose they talked about? How many bedrooms do you imagine he must have had in his house to make the princes and nobles of 127 provinces comfortable, not to mention the sheer volume of bath towels they must have gone through!

Being a hot-shot, he entertained by giving his guests the grand tour of his sprawling estate, showing off his riches, splendor, and majesty, as if the food, booze, and decorations weren’t enough of a brag.

It all reminds me a little of Oprah’s Garden Party, which you perhaps caught on television some years back? The Queen of daytime talk TV wanted to pay homage to some special ladies in her life whom she admired, but in the process couldn’t help showing off a little of her great wealth, lavishing them with an exquisite menu, costly gifts, and luxuriant preparations. You can read all about it at Oprah.com.

The term “garden party” does tend to stir up in my head notions of big Queen Mumm hats, lush flower gardens, and dainty little porcelain teacups brimming with exotic teas, accompanied with a myriad of condiments to add to them, like pure white, sparkling sugar cubes, dew covered mint leaves, juicy lemon slices, and fresh, succulent raspberries.

In my dreams my tables are covered with layers of lace and floral patterned tablecloths. Bouquets of flowers, topiaries and ivy centerpieces. The chairs all around are covered in cloth and ribbon. And there are twinkling lights and lanterns hanging from the trees.

Marlene Allan – Garden Party Online has some fun ideas too. I really liked the idea of spreading picnic blankets on the lawn and resting a large umbrella at each. The edges of the umbrellas are also decked out with flowers.

I found these garden party themes and ideas at Evite.com:

Garden of Eden—It doesn’t have to be clothing optional to evoke the spirit of Adam and Eve’s home. Serve a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and decorate with snakes and apples.

Plant Swap—Celebrate your garden by asking guests to bring a flower arrangement or potted plant to swap with another guest. Guests can either fight over the foliage or pick names out of a hat to see who gets what.

Flower Arranging—Ask guests to bring blooms and vases, and invite a floral expert or a friend with very green thumbs to show you different ways of putting them together.

“Seeds of Kindness” Garden Party – was another terrific discovery. Visit this website for all the details: http://www.juliabettencourt.com/themes/kindnesstheme.html.
This is a garden theme that revolves around our planting seeds of kindness. Her emphasis is on being kinder and more caring Christian women. I won’t spill the beans, but hope you will check out all her swell ideas.

Unlike the garden parties of the rich and famous, mine have all been either merriments of Mother’s Day, or low-budget baby/wedding showers, so don’t be intimidated. You can afford this!

Garden Party 2007

Decorations: I hung plastic/silk flower strands that I found at the dollar store in swags along the patio eves. I did the same along the edges of the patio umbrella and table. I set out a few flower arrangements in baskets. I spent a decent block of time mowing and trimming and grooming my back yard so it would resemble the ritzy landscapes in the rich parts of town. There is no way it could possibly compare, but it looked its personal best anyway. I pulled all the weeds and watered until the grass was green green green. I planted the flower boxes with colorful blooms and foliage and piled them up with mulch just like the gardeners on TV. I wished I’d had a pretty gazebo that I could have lavished with tulle and silk flowers, or a lovely little pond and waterfall that would have drawn our eyes and trickled in our ears. Even a heavy cast bird bath would have been great. But I had to be content with such things as I had.

GRILLED PORTOBELLO SANDWICHES
Ingredients
Ciabata bread, drizzled with olive oil and lightly toasted
Portobello Mushroom caps, grilled and placed on top of the bread
Red onion slices, grilled and placed on top of the portobello
Fontina cheese, melted on top of the onion in the broiler
Fresh Basil leaves, arranged on top of the cheese
Tomato slices, drizzled with a balsamic/garlic/olive oil/black pepper dressing

VEGGIE PLATTER
Red, Yellow, and Green Bell Peppers sliced into wedges
Radish halves
Ranch dip

FRUIT KABOBS
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Honeydew
Pineapple
Banana
Grapes

Cut fruit into wedges and skewer on wooden spears. Arrange kabobs on a pretty platter

SUN CHIPS

BEVERAGES
Iced Tea
Sodas
Lemonade

SUGAR COOKIES cut and frosted to look like pansies, arranged on a pretty doily covered platter. OR…those flowerpot cakes that are made with Oreo crumbs and the gummy worms on top would also have made a clever dessert for this soirée. (Click here for a how-to video for Pansy Sugar Cookies)

MUSIC: I ended up being a little too pinched for time to give the music selection a proper scavenge. So we started with a peaceful classical guitar CD and ended up with golden oldies music on satellite radio. I’ve since had a little more time to look and here’s the thoughtful lineup I found:

At a Garden Party, Ed Bickert
Garden Party, Rick Nelson
The Last Dance, Music for a Vanishing Era
Radiance, Music for a Garden Party (Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, etc.)
And Dan Gibson’s Solitudes Classical Garden, featuring the sounds of nature with music

Or… we could make a homemade CD or create an i-tunes playlist to play at the party. If the garden party is to celebrate Mother’s Day, you could give the music mix to Mom afterward. Buy MP3 singles from Amazon.com and burn them onto one CD. Here are a few suggestions:

Anita Renfroe, The Mom Song (Momisms)
Boyz II Men, a Song for Mama
Chris Young , Voices
Carry Underwood, Mama’s Song
Brad Paisley, She’s Everything
Carry Underwood, Don’t Forget to Remember Me
Dolly Pardon, Coat of Many Colors
Jamie O’Neal, Somebody’s Hero
LeAnn Womack, I Hope You Dance
Rascal Flats, My Wish
Martina McBride, In My Daughter’s Eyes
Merle Haggard, Mama Tried
Taylor Swift, The Best Day
Trace Adkins, One Hot Mama
Trace Adkins, You’re Gonna Miss This
Trace Adkins, She Thinks We’re Just Fishin’
Beyonce, Halo
Celine Dion, A New Day Has Come
Loudon Wainwright III, Daughter
Lonestar, Mr. Mom
Martina McBride, Blessed
Edwin McCain, I Could Not Ask for More Sara Evans, Always Be My Baby LeAnn Rimes, How Do I Live Carrie Underwood (feat. Randy Travis), I Told You So Guns n Roses, Sweet Child of Mine
Alicia Keys, Superwoman
Aerosmith, Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

CRAFT: After our luncheon I gathered the girls up and moved our party to the far side of the yard where I had a craft project set up – making garden stepping-stones. I laid out all the decorations (small stones, marbles, jewels, beads, mosaic tiles, sea shells, tools, etc.) and the cement forms, one for each person. I mixed up cement in a wheelbarrow with water and mixed in a little cement dye to give our stones a kind of adobe look.

diy-or-buy-how-to-make-a-garden-mosaic-stepping-stone-or-where-to-buy-if-your-plate-is-full_4 — Beautiful stepping stones idea from http://www.merrimentdesign.com

After I poured the cement into each form (pizza boxes) we got busy decorating. We started with pressing our handprints (footprints) into the center, and then we started arranging little decorations around it and carving designs into the wet concrete.

We all pitched in to make a stone for my sister who died the April before. We also made one for my other sister who lives far far away. With hers I asked if she could send a paper tracing of her hand that we could use to press into the cement, and also if she could send some decorations for us to use in her stone, and if possible draw us a pattern of how she would like us to decorate it. The finished products needed to set-up and then dry without being moved for at least 24 hours, so my guests left their creations with me for delivery on another day. I later delivered all of them to my mom’s yard and we set them along a lazy path in her beautiful gardens.

Click here for lots of other garden stone ideas!!!

GIFTS: I paired a devotional book with a little watering can and filled it with garden tools, gloves, and seeds, for a hip little gift set. I found my small inexpensive watering cans at Big Lots, along with the low-cost garden utensils, gloves, and packets of seeds. I put the tools down into the watering cans, squeezed in the pair of gloves, and tucked two seed packets in the top. I tied a THANK YOU card to the handles with macramé twine. Then I gave them to my mom and sister. I also placed one on my neighbor’s door step, and made another for a girlfriend. And while I was at it, I thought they would make nice end-of-the-year gifts for each of the teachers I worked with in an elementary school, so I made three more.

The devotional books I purchased several years ago were from Crossings and are unfortunately no longer in print, but they can be found used sometimes on eBay or Amazon.com, or other out-of-print, or used book stores. They paired really well with the watering cans to make a thoughtful gift.

Bible Seeds, A Simple Study-Devotional for Growing in God’s Word
From the Creators of the God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept ™ Series
Starburst Publishers, ISBN 0-7394-2142-5

Bible Seeds for Enriching Your Character,
A Simple Study-Devotional for Growing in God’s Word
From the Creators of the God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept ™ Series
Starburst Publishers, ISBN 0-7394-3048-3

f12a59133531f43cdfb3be63c941283c — Isn’t this a neat idea? A Fruit Pizza Bar!!!! Love it!

Garden Party 2008

This Mother’s Day I invited my mom, sister, her daughter, my other three nieces, my grand-niece, my sister’s mother-in-law, and my nephew’s wife. It was a full house.

And for this year’s garden party I planned a “kiddie pool pedicure party” where all my guests would sit in lawn chairs in a circle outside around our kiddie pool filled with hot sudsy water and perfumed bath salts and floating flower pedals. The sun would be shining and the birds would be chirping. We’d be wearing our capris and peddle-pushers. We would take off our shoes and soak our footies in the warm water while we nibbled on a modest buffet of brunch items. I thought it would bring back memories of when my sisters and I were young. In the summers our Grandma Gen’s would fill tubs with water and we’d all sit around in her yard and dangle our feet in the tubs. It is one of my fondest childhood memories.

Once our feet had soaked we would give ourselves PEDICURES and paint our toenails with our choice of nail polish, all the while chit-chatting about this and that. Afterwards, since our feet would be so pretty we would need some way to show them off, so I planned a CRAFT of decorating flip-flops. Our local Hobby Lobby store had everything I needed from the glue to the flip-flops and all the cutsie adornments to decorate them.

Well, you know how plans go sometimes – right out the window! That Saturday morning we had cold drizzle, and I mean blue-lips, can’t-feel-my-fingers, it’s-raining-it’s-pouring-the-old-man-is-snoring, COLD drizzle. Ugh. So we had to move our little soirée indoors to my cramped man-cave.

I phoned last-minute and begged everyone to bring a foot tub. I had also asked in the invitations for everyone to bring their own pedicure kits, and a few bottles of nail polish to share.

We didn’t let the inclement weather, or all the other little mishaps dampen our spirits. My guests seemed to have a blast and thankfully found humor in my severe lack of hostess skills that day.

Karen was my first guest to arrive and helped me put together the mimosas. While she poured orange juice I finished assembling the breakfast pizzas and that’s when the smoke alarm went off. Oh dear, someone – I’m not mentioning any names, but her initials are Lindee (sorry Sis) – placed a stack of paper plates out-of-the-way and over on the stove… on a lit burner that she didn’t realize was lit (whoops)! Thanks to Karen’s keen sniffer and quick reflexes, she grabbed and tossed the stack in the sink and ran water to put the flames out. Woo hoo… disaster averted! It all just added to our zany fun that day.

I don’t know whether the weather put me off or what, but I just didn’t have my feet under me with this get-together. Have you ever had a party like that? I felt scattered and rushed, and just helter-skelter, all over the place with my mood and my time management – just everything. In spite of that though we spent a sweet morning together listening to silly music, eating, being crafty and otherwise enjoying each other’s company. I ended up with enough stuff for everyone to make two pairs of flip-flops each, and I had gathered enough decorations and idea sheets to give us all plenty of inspiration.

BREAKFAST PIZZA
1 tube Pillsbury Pizza dough (refrigerated) (or you could use a Boboli ready-made crust)
2 Ripe Avacados, mashed (or a ready-made spicy guacamole)
6 strips of crispy fried bacon, crumbled
Grape tomatoes sliced in half
Handful of Arugula (or spinach) leaves
Dash of Tabasco

Pop the dough out of the tube and press out onto a large greased pizza pan. Bake until just turning golden, or use a Boboli crust. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Mix a few drops of Tabasco in with the mashed avocados and spread onto pizza crust. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, arugula leaves, and grape tomato halves. Cut into wedges and serve. I tripled this recipe because of our number of guests and we had left-overs.

PEACH COBBLER
2 (1-lb) bags frozen peaches
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp. Mace (or nutmeg)
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter, melted
Cinnamon and sugar

Toss 1 bag of peaches with next 5 ingredients and then layer in bottom of a buttered casserole dish. If you want to be fancy you can split it among ramekins (one for each guest).

Place sugar, flour, and milk in a bowl and whisk until blended. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the batter over the peaches. Sprinkle with Cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 1 hour, or until the peaches are bubbling and the crust is golden. Check a little earlier if doing ramekins.

PEACHY MIMOSAS
½ gallon organic orange juice with pulp
2 small cans of peach nectar
1 small bottle of champagne (or sparkling cider, or ginger ale)

Mix all together in a large pitcher and pour into wine or champagne flutes. Decorate with orange slices dropped into the glass and a sprig of mint on top.

Flip-Flops Craft
For this craft you need at least one pair of flip-flops per guest. Hobby Lobby had a whole section dedicated to this craft. I picked up all the supplies there. At home I had material scraps that could be torn into strips and tied onto the straps of the flip-flops. I also had double-sided tape to adhere bead strips and fur strips and other decorations to the top of the sandals. If you can’t find craft flip-flops, just have each of your guests bring a pair from home to bling out.

Other Craft Ideas from Parties Past (pictured below):

Broken dish mosaic picture frames. Mosaic pieces can be glued to picture frames or clay pots and finished with grout to make a very nice looking product. Look at yard sales and second-hand stores for pretty dishes that are inexpensive; or use one of the dishes from your own cupboard. If you have a child who has gotten engaged, this would make a neat “break the dish” (Jewish engagement custom) activity for a mother to do with the fiancé’s mother, and would make a neat wedding gift for the couple to place their wedding photo in. Wrap the dishes in several sheets of newspaper and whack them several times with a hammer until there are just quarter-sized pieces. Use a fast drying mosaic glue (available at hobby stores) to adhere the pieces to the picture frame or clay pot. Keep the pieces fairly close together. Let the glue dry.

Follow package directions and mix up a batch of grout. Purchase any color sanded grout powder (available from Home Depot) that will compliment your china. Smooth it in between the tiles being sure to fill all the gaps and air spaces. Let it dry for as long as is recommended on the package, and then use a damp sponge to gently wipe the grout off the tiles. Keep rinsing the sponge and squeezing the water out of it in between wipes.
Once all the tiles are clean, let the project sit and dry for a day or two.

Paint Clay pots with acrylic paint. My family and I have done this at Christmas time and then planted narcissus bulbs in the pots after they were decorated. We’ve also done them for Mother’s day with summertime themes. Dani did hers with sunflowers. I did mine with dragonflies and other bugs. Gracee painted hers with stripes, and our other guests did designs that unfortunately escape my memory. Buy whatever size terra-cotta pots suit your fancy and some containers of water-based acrylic paint. You’ll also need an assortment of different sized and shaped paintbrushes. Remember to get the little plates that go underneath the pots and paint them too.

Paint and decorate birdhouses. A few years back I found some little wooden birdhouses at the craft store. I drug them out on Mother’s Day and we painted and decorated them. I glued rocks and sticks to mine after painting the little roof. My mom and daughters just painted theirs with pretty designs.

Rock Bugs: Hunt for rocks that are all different shapes and sizes. Glue small round ones together to make caterpillars or ants. Use small round ones and paint to look like ladybugs, bees, spiders, or beetles. Use long skinny ones and paint them to look like grasshoppers or hornets, or lizards. Use your imagination and have fun. These look especially cute when placed in the soil of a potted plant or scattered around on a window ledge with potted plants.

Craft Party 2011

My first year in Texas I decided to celebrate mother’s day with all my girlfriends and their daughters/grand-daughters. They all came over for a craft party. I served food and had music playing, of course. JoAnn’s Fabrics and Crafts had little wooden birdhouses on sale for $1 each so I picked up about $30 worth. I also picked up some cheap wind chimes to attach to the bottoms of the birdhouses, and hardware to put some heavy string through to hang them on our porches. I asked my friends to bring paints, brushes, glue guns, and whatever other things they might want to use to decorate a bird house with. They all did and we had hours of fun with each other.

COWBOY CAVIAR (and tortilla chips)
Ingredients
1 can Black Eyed Peas, drained
1 can White Shoe peg Corn, drained
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 ripe Avocados. Diced
2 fresh Jalapeños, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Cumin
¾ tsp each Salt & Pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Family Size Package of Tortilla Chips, Scoops

Directions
Mix all ingredients, except for chips, in a bowl. Toss well to distribute flavors. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until party time. Serve with tortilla chips, like you would salsa and chips or guacamole and chips.

EGG SALAD SANDWICHES
Ingredients
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 small white onion minced
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
½ cup Mayo
1 Tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard
Dash Cayenne powder
¼ tsp Salt & Pepper
5 leaves of Romaine Lettuce, shredded
2 Loaves of White Bread from the Bakery, sliced thin, crusts removed

Directions
Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill overnight. The day of the party, lay out the bottom slices of white bread on a flat surface and spread egg salad over them in a thin layer. Layer several shreds of lettuce over, and then cover with the other slices of white bread. Cut each in half from corner to corner and then in quarters from the other corners. Arrange on a platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until party time.

SOUTH TEXAS SHRIMP COCKTAILS
Ingredients
2 lb frozen cooked shrimp, tail off, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
3 Large Ripe Avocados, cut into small chunks
6 Large Jalapeños, stems removed, chopped with seeds
1 Small White Onion, chopped
Half a bunch of Cilantro torn apart and chopped
2 12-oz bottles Louisiana brand Seafood Sauce, Spicy
3 Lemons cut into wedges
Clear plastic tumblers

Directions
In a large bowl combine shrimp, avocado, jalapenos, onion, cilantro, and sauce. Toss to combine. Spoon into clear plastic tumblers, top with a lemon wedge and sprig of parsley if desired, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

HOMEMADE LEMONADE
Ingredients
2 gallons drinking water, reserve 3 cups
10 Lemons, sliced
1 can frozen concentrate lemonade
4 cups sugar
2 gallon container with lid

Directions
Place 2 gallons of fresh cold drinking water in a 2 gallon glass container, reserving 3 cups to be used in a moment. Add lemons and frozen concentrate. Stir well. Place the 3 cups of reserved water in a bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes until boiling. Add the 4 cups of sugar to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool, and then add to the lemonade. Stir well, chill until ready to serve.

Variation: Add a variety of chopped up chilled fruits (e.g. thin watermelon wedges with rind on, strawberries halved, green melon chunks, raspberries, blueberries, red grapes, orange slices, lime slices, and maraschino cherries) to the lemonade just before serving, or place fruits in large beverage glasses and fill each with lemonade. Serve with a straw.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE DELIGHT

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add butter and blend well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees *F for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling.

Filling
1 pkg of cream cheese, warmed to room temp
1 small container of marshmallow cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 small container cool whip
1 package fresh or frozen raspberries
Mint leaves and lemon slices for garnish

Directions
Mix cream cheese, marshmallow cream, lemon juice, and cool whip in a bowl. Carefully fold in half the raspberries. Spread over cooled graham cracker crust. Place the other half of the raspberries on top and garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

And here’s a menu I put together for a Baby Shower garden party for my daughter:

“And when these days were completed, the king made a feast…for all the people…great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.”

Esther 1:5

Bible Study, Entertaining, Feast on This, Hospitality, Testimonies & Personal Stories

Martha Served

March 9, 2016October 8, 2017 mrshlovesjesus

“Now it happened as [Jesus] went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.” Luke 10:38 …And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10: 39-42)

I recently put together a fairly elaborate luncheon for a group of ladies. I’d put a lot of thought and effort into it, wanting it to be sort-of-like a seventh inning stretch for them — a sort of coach’s halftime speech that would give them a sense of accomplishment for their work so far, refresh them, and then inoculate them with the energy and enthusiasm to crank out the last ounces of their strength and finish the game.

As they nibbled on their morsels, I remarked to them that this was going to probably be my finest hour, the penacle of parties, and it was going to all be downhill from here. One of the ladies piped up saying that I didn’t really need to go to so much fuss and bother, that she was just as tickled with a loaf of bread and simple assortment of lunch meats. As long as she didn’t have to cook it, or clean up from it, she was totally happy. The other guests agreed.

That’s when the scripture about “Martha, Martha” and Jesus popped into my head. And I have to also say, I love how the scriptures are so honest with Martha’s wording of her question to Jesus, “Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” By her words I’m almost certain Martha was probably a firstborn. I’d even venture a guess that she and her siblings may have lost their parents at a young age and Martha assumed the role of mother to her brother and sister. I only wonder this because the three of them are always together, but there is never any mention of parents or spouses. Mary fits the model of a second born – an opposite of the firstborn. The oldest always feels like they have more responsibilities than the other kids, and that younger siblings get away with slacking off much more than they do.

Martha had obviously been brought up with manners and knew how to entertain guests. I bet she kept her house spotless clean, dishes done, beds made with fresh linens, and smelling great with scented candles and such. When Jesus stayed I’m sure she tried hard to make sure everything was perfect for Him. Maybe she laid a mint on His pillow and bottle of water on his nightstand. Perhaps she washed his clothes for Him. And what a sweet surprise it would have been to have them pressed and hanging in the bathroom for Him when He got up to shower in the morning. With a name like Martha you have to think she probably did crafts, gardened, was an amazing decorator, and most assuredly a fantastic cook too! Or maybe it is Martha Stewart I’m thinking of? Ha!

Scripture says the Mary/Martha/Lazarus family lived in Bethany. Luke says Jesus came to their village and that’s where He met Martha. I often wonder what Martha was doing when Jesus came through? Was she planting flowers in front of her home, or sweeping off the sidewalks when Jesus passed by? Was she at the market or on her way home and they met in the street? I wish I knew how their paths had crossed? What had He said to her that prompted her to invite Him to her house? And what did she make for supper? Even more intriguing…what did Jesus like to eat?

Like Martha I am a firstborn, with a lot of things on my mind. Always a million plans on my heart. I admire Martha wanting to make her guest comfortable and happy. If she is anything like me she probably spent all week deciding on what to make for supper after extending that invitation, and then shopped all over town for the freshest and finest ingredients. I wonder if she scrubbed and dusted and made sure everything was perfect, like I certainly would have. From the cleaning of the bathrooms to the chopping of vegetables, I imagine she stayed busy. And I’m pretty sure Jesus not only cared, but that He noticed, and was grateful.

In fact the more I look at it from my recent experience with the ladies, the more the tone of His response seems to sweetly suggest that she didn’t need to go to so much trouble and fuss for Him; that she had made way too much food and preparations; and that a simple dinner would have done fine. I think Jesus appreciated Martha’s efforts greatly, but what I see that He desired rather than an extravagant meal was the pleasure of her company, which is where Mary comes in.

Jesus often broke the social molds of the age and this is one more example. Mary was allowed to sit at Jesus’ feet and be taught. That was a luxury reserved for the men in those days, but Jesus let Mary be seated in the congregation around Him instead of sending her away to do women’s work. In fact, Jesus wanted Martha to put down the spatula and oven mitt and partake as well.

Jesus loved Martha (John 11:5) and her sister, and their love for Him was mutual, but I see each was different in return. John 11:2 and 12:3 says it was this Mary who anointed Jesus with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair (Matt.26:7). That makes me think Mary (as the Greeks would say) “eros” loved Jesus – with a deep, familial, affectionate love. Martha “philos” loved Jesus, with a brotherly, giving, serving love. And Jesus “agape” loved Mary and Martha, with unconditional, sacrificial love.

God had gifted Martha to serve, and her gift is important. If she hadn’t been there, Jesus would have maybe starved. He’d have had to probably sleep on the cold hard floor or worse, on the street. As special as Martha’s gift was, though, it’s only part of the total package of hospitality. I believe John 12:2-3 lists the total package: Martha served, Lazarus sat, and Mary anointed. As a guest in their home Jesus was provided for, kept company, and well-regarded.

Those two girls, whether they realized it or not, were a pair. Together these two women demonstrate what I think are the two sides of hospitality, giving and receiving (and Lazarus was there to talk sports, right?).

I don’t think it is a coincidence that Luke 10 begins with Jesus sending out His disciples two-by-two and ends with Mary and Martha?

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy other [disciples] also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10: 1-9)

I feel like the kingdom of God has come near me today. As much as I love to serve, I have to remember that it isn’t fair to impose my ways on anyone (we are all gifted differently), or expect someone is being lazy who doesn’t share my vision. I need to put away distractions sometimes and just sit at Jesus’ feet, probably a lot more often than I actually do.

And when I do serve, I’m going to try to KEEP IT SIMPLER so that I can receive from the Lord what He wishes to teach me, rather than trying so hard to impress my guests.

It is so true what Jesus says in Matthew 13:17, “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” I sooooo wish I could see how very different Martha’s first supper for Jesus was from that last one with Him after her brother came back to life?

“There they made Him a supper; and Martha served…” John 12:2

Feast on This, Office Parties, Workplace Entertainment

Break Room Bashes…

January 23, 2016May 19, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

…and How to Have Fun at Work

Hello there. Are you a manager browsing for some good morale builders for your employees today? Or some good team building activities for your company? Or maybe you’re a small business owner looking for creative ideas for some workplace fun to kickstart the new year.

WELCOME (to my little corner of the web)! I’m excited to share my ideas with you, and hope, with fingers crossed, that you find several somethings that stir up your imagination. I know you know, or you wouldn’t be here looking, that happy, healthy employees make for a happy, healthy company. And a happy, healthy company, in any economy, is a coveted thing indeed. My list of workplace fun ideas begins just a hop, skip, and a jump down from here. Go, check them out and enjoy!

Or, are you just a guy or gal on the bottom rungs of the corporate ladder, in a job

where you feel used up, unappreciated, and insignificant. Boy, been there and done that, believe me – I‘ve got the t-shirt, or I should say HAD the t-shirt.
Thankfully I’ve long since burned that garment to smitherines! But, it is fresh enough in my memories that I want to give you a big hug, speed some encouragement your direction, and reach my hand out to you to help you up out of that deep, dark pit!

I recently heard, and was so touched by a story. It was titled, The Bagger. It was about a grocery store employee who had Down’s Syndrome. He had recently attended a conference where everyone was encouraged to make a difference in their workplace by creating memories for the customers.

The bagger didn’t think he had much to offer being the lowest paid, most insignificant person in the company. But that evening an idea popped into his head. He had the notion to create a thought for the day. He could get them out of a book or off the Internet, or even just make them up. He could sit down to his computer and type them up several to a page, print off several sheets, and cut them apart. So he did it, signed his name on the back, and the next day he put these strips in his pocket. As he was bagging groceries he tucked a little slip into one of each of his customer’s bags.

The next day he had a new thought of the day. After a few weeks the store manager was making his rounds and noticed that one check-out line was so much longer than all the rest. He let these people know that there was no waiting down on lane two, but no one budged. Puzzled by this he finally asked one of the customers what was so special about that particular line? They told him about the bagger’s thought of the day. They liked it and had come especially to see what today’s thought was.

The store manager marveled at Johnny‘s ability to bring people joy. It wasn’t long before word spread through the store and other employees wanted to create memories for people. The floral department started pinning their broken flowers on elderly women and little girls. And people who never shopped at this store before started coming to shop here for the bagger’s thought of the day and the friendly service. People who only came once a week started coming in every day just to pick up a little something and get that thought of the day. Sales increased and this particular grocery store began outshining all the others in the area. And all because one insignificant person desired to make a difference.

I admit, I was not having a very good time in my workplace when I first heard this story. It’s why the Bagger’s story had such an impact on me. I was inspired by his sweet positivity to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. And I also thought that maybe if I started to try to make things better where I worked, perhaps my coworkers would one by one lay down their hatchets and work to lighten the mood too. I figured, it was worth a try.

I read a few books that I hoped would improve my mood:

1.) Get Out of That Pit, by Beth Moore. I got the Audio version of the book and listened to it during a vacation, and then on my way to and from work.

2.) How to Respond When You’ve Been Mistreated, by John Bevere is a must-read resource. Consult it first before doing something rash in retaliation for something you perceive as mistreatment. At the very least it will give you pause to re-examine. You may not choose to follow his advice, but at least you will have heard it. And…

3.) How to Get Along With Difficult People, by Florence Littauer. Great, great book with lots of humor, explaining the various personalities. It will give you insight into how other people tick. It will make you laugh at them and yourself a little, and it might even give you mercy for them. At least these books will empower you with tools you didn’t have before. And that’s more muscle than you have right now.

And this online resource:

Michele Moore, the author of The Happiness Habit has a list of happiness habits for the workplace, and some no-nonsense tips for how to deal with “evil” bosses and coworkers: Happiness & Devil, and Psychopathology Check-list

She has a page on how to spot them, treat them, avoid them, and generally deal that I found very helpful.

There is a lot of proven fact behind workplace fun and a happy atmosphere having a direct effect on the health, success, and productivity of many Fortune 500 companies today. Go ahead and Google it and see where the Schools of Fish are swimming (those are two bold hints, btw). See what turned Southwest Airlines around (if you’ve flown with them any time in the last several years you’ve probably heard a flight attendant or two who presented the pre-flight “In Case of Emergency” speech like a stand-up comedian),

and Pike’s Fish Market (if you’ve been there you know the fish mongers make a big
production out of every fish order, tossing fish through the air, catching them, and all while chanting a loud, flamboyant rap between themselves). Crowds gather daily to watch the show, and the entertaining routine catapulted them from the brink of bankruptcy. It’s because they weren’t satisfied with the status quo and made a concerted effort to infuse their workplaces with fun!

Sooooo… I rolled up my sleeves and rather than spending my time, my sleepless nights, my depressing Sunday afternoons, stewing on the negatives I started collecting some positives. Maybe if I became a ray of sunshine in a dark place it would have a butterfly effect?

So, here are the ideas I began packing into my

little pink bedazzled briefcase. Please drag them all out and spread them around on your floor. Try any of it on that looks fun to you and dance in it all like nobody is watching. Go! Go, my dear friend and make a difference in your surroundings. Go make someone smile. Go turn your coworkers lives around, and your workplace around, and your world around. Because you CAN! Go!!!!!

O F F I C E G A M E S

Now here’s the thing… You can choose to be a one-woman-act who takes on the responsibility of organizing and running each of the following games and activities with pure workhorse determination, or you can get an accomplice, or maybe even go to your boss and ask if you can form a committee to carry out these activities. If you go, go armed. Take him or her a copy of the book Fish by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen.

WHERE’S WALLY?

Taste of Home magazine was my source of inspiration for this treasure hunt game, also like a Where’s Waldo. It’s a treasure hunt where two identical copies of a picture are posted, one in the lounge, and the other in a random area of your workplace, taped to a corner of a window, or the side of a garbage can, or inside a cupboard door in the kitchen, for example.

I decorated a shoe box and put the first copy with a sign posted above it that said “Another picture identical to this has been hidden somewhere in the building. If you find it, jot your name on the back and place it in this box.” The pictures were things I cut out of a magazine or made out of construction paper (simple things, just like this smiley face). I checked the box daily, and sure enough in a day or two the picture would be in there. I would then place a candy bar in the person’s mailbox with a note that said, “Congratulations, fearless hunter, enjoy a chocolate break!” SNICKERS bars now have little “hangry” sayings on them, so you could

also attach a note that says something like, “I hope this chases the “Loopys” away!” The next day I hung a new picture in the lounge above the box and its twin somewhere else in
the building. It was a fun game that I played all school year.

The fun for me was in not getting caught!!! I had to be reeeeeally sneaky to hide the pictures, and dispense the candy bars, and not let anyone catch me in the act. On occasion I overheard people talking and wondering who was doing this, but I didn’t want credit. I just wanted to make them all smile. I think I made the janitor smile the most. She found more of those pictures than anyone else. That’s okay; she had a dirty job and definitely deserved some sweet treats.

LOUNGE OR BREAK ROOM PASTIMES

Doodle Cloth: One of our teachers did this for one of our luncheons and I thought it was a great idea. Cover the tables in butcher paper and set out buckets of crayons. Encourage employees to doodle on the paper, or play games of tic-tac-toe. When one paper got filled up, it got peeled off and a new cover got laid down. Especially clever art could be surgically extracted from the overall sheet, mounted in a frame, and posted on the Wall of Fame.

Table Games: Set out table games like table football, spinning tops, checkers, or dice games like LCR, Farkle, or Yatzee. Set out little stacks of trivia game cards from Trivial Pursuit, or Fact or Crap, or Smart Ass. Set out a set of conversation cards like Table Talk. Or invest in electronic games like the hand held electronic games of Twenty Questions, or Catch Phrase. Maybe someone has one at home they wouldn’t mind lending?

Puzzle: Set out a puzzle for people to work on while they take a break. Your group may like the puzzle idea so much that you could glue it to a board when you are finished and display it on a wall of the lounge, and then keep a puzzle going all the time.

Loungy lounge: Take up donations to make the lounge nice with comfy couches, magazines (encourage the staff to lend their magazines from home after they’ve looked at them), a boom box with CD’s and a radio, and a TV where people can catch up on news, weather, etc.

Salute our Soldiers Wall: Have all employees who have loved ones who are currently serving or have served in the military during any of the wars to bring a photo with the soldier’s name, branch of the military, and job they did while in service. Display these pictures on a memorial wall to honor them during Memorial and Veterans Day, and to remind us to pray for military, currently serving, for a safe return home.

THE 2:00 PM STRETCH: At 2PM every day hold a 15 minute break (just to get the blood flowing again when the afternoon sleepies hit). It can be the same thing every day (like line dance, or Hula Hoops, or jump rope) or a different thing every day.

Snack Break: Set up a Popcorn Bar where people can come get a bagfull and season it with various flavored salts or candies, and get themselves a coke (or bottle of water) out of the machine.

Yoga Break: Set up a video on a TV in the break room for a 15 minute physical and mental stretching exercise, and don’t forget the bottle of water and mat.

Play break: I found some fun little slingshot animals at Amazon.com that make a loud obnoxious squeal as they fly. Buy at least one of each animal, dump them out on a table and encourage everyone to grab one and start shooting at their coworkers in a frenzied free-for-all. Everyone will be laughing and it will truly sound like a zoo or barnyard. Tons of fun! Can’t find the animals…use soft round nerf or hacky sack balls (at least 20 to 30) and have a snowball fight. Or get out the hula hoops, skip-its, BBops, or pogo sticks. (See Active Play Toys).

Walking Break: grab a bottle of water, an ipod (if you want some music), and meet others in the lobby for a 15 minute walk around the building, down the street, or across the parking lot and back. The fresh air and sunshine is rejuvenating.

YouTube Break: Meet in someone’s office to watch a funny, cute, or uplifting YouTube video of the day. Or, if you have a favorite radio program (Dr. Laura, Blue Collar Comedy, old Paul Harvey reruns, etc.) give it a listen.

Chat Break: Go visiting to another person’s office. Bring them a beverage and just chat about anything but work. Make your office a good break place (candy jar, Nerf basketball hoop over the door, dart board on the wall, treadmill in the corner, etc.)

*Make your boss aware of the rule of 52/17 and ask to give it a one-month trial: (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/science-tells-you-how-many-minutes-should-you-take-a-break-for-work-17/380369/)

CASUAL FRIDAY: Every Friday the staff could be allowed to wear jeans to work. Or, make it a….

CRAZY OUTFIT DAY: Taking Casual Friday to the outer limits…not just jeans, but themes! Here are 52 dress suggestions, one for every week of the year. Be creative. Be tasteful. Have fun.

Hippy

Pajamas

Polka Dots

Orange

Pirate

I Love Lucy

Holiday theme – Halloween

Sequins, tassels, or fringe

Green

Stripes

Backwards

Blue

T-shirt with a funny saying on it

Purple

Cowboy

Holiday theme – Thanksgiving

Yellow

Inside out

Black

Cross Dresser: men have to wear something feminine and women have to wear something masculine. (There was a time when such behavior wasn’t “outting,” but rather just silliness! I hope we haven’t lost our sense of humor).

Red

Hawaiian

Holiday theme – Christmas

Duct tape

Pink

T-shirt, favorite rock band

Favorite Sports Team

Leather

Holiday theme – Valentines’s Day

Mardi Gras

Turquoise

Vest

Holiday theme – Saint Patrick’s

b-dazzled

Tie-dyed

Old, vintage

Something touristy, purchased on vacation

Holiday theme – Easter/April Fools

Native American

Something with holes in it

Fur

Borrowed

Plaid

Work-out clothes

Periwinkle

An apron

Corsage (or, taking that to a Texas level: Homecoming Mums)

Something from your prom or your wedding

Holiday theme – 4^th of July

Suspenders

Lace or ruffles

Silk or satin

GUESS WHO? BOARD: Put up an employee bulletin board in the break room that features various monthly or quarterly themes. Have every employee bring a throwback photo of themselves when they were in Kindergarten, Jr. High School, wedding photo, baby photo, high school senior photo, funny face photo, etc.

Make sure the photos are not labeled on the front, so the staff can guess who each person is. If you want, you can give each picture a number and make up ballots with blank lines next to the numbers and have employees submit signed guess sheets into a ballot box. Whoever guesses the most correct wins a prize.

You could do vacation photos and ask everyone to guess the correct location where the photo was taken. Vacation photos are fun because you can post a world map and put markers on all the places represented by the pictures, which also makes a great conversation starter.

BRAG BOARD: Whenever anyone goes on vacation, ask them to bring their vacation photos to display on the bulletin board. Give the board a title, “Jim’s 2014 Vacation.”

If anyone has a new baby or grand-baby, has a kid graduating from high school, college, medical school, passed the Bar, etc. ask them to bring in photos for the brag board.

If anyone receives an award, buys a new car, gets married, gets a new pet, wins a volleyball/softball/tennis/golf/bowling/other tournament, whatever… ask them to bring pictures and items for the brag board.

EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK: For no special reason, this employee gets to have the closest parking spot to the front door of the building for a whole week, plus half an hour of a longer lunch break on Wednesday that they can share with another employee of their choice, and they can be featured on a paper-covered bulletin board in a high traffic area where their coworkers are encouraged to write nice or tastefully funny public compliments about them. Employees are encouraged to tuck notes and small gifts into their private mailbox. The boss might also consider giving this person Friday afternoon off with pay.

LITTLE BEAR BLUE: Purchase a small teddy bear, hopefully a blue one. Copy this poem onto a sheet of paper, laminate it, and tie it to the bear.

I’m sorry to hear you are feeling blue

I’ve been sent to give a big bear hug to you

I’m yours as a reminder for as long as you need me

That someone has noticed and is praying right speedy

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Don’t worry if you don’t feel you can be stronger much longer

You have people praying and rooting for you

We’re in your corner until you pull through

And one of these days when your sorrow has passed

When you open your eyes and there is sunshine at last

Look for another nearby with a tissue issue you know

Who could use some encouragement deep down in their soul?

Pass me forward along to them as quick as you can

And share some compassion and a helping hand

For we all soon realize just how much it has meant

When in our tough times, caring and bear hugs were sent

When you hear of an employee that is going through a tough time (death of a family member or close friend, divorce, miscarriage, loss of a pet, spouse lost their job, someone is suffering a terrible disease, etc.) set this bear on their desk. As a recipient you keep the bear until there is someone to pass it along to. You have the responsibility to be on the alert and pay it forward.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Celebrate birthdays with a monthly cake and ice cream social in the lounge. Write that month’s birthday celebrants names on balloons and display all over the room. Optional: employees get their birthday off (or half day off) as a personal paid holiday.

Celebrate the SUPER BOWL with a POOL, or MARCH MADNESS with a BRACKET RACE

In celebration of the Super Bowl, organize a 100 squares board. You and your coworkers can purchase squares, with the money going into a prize pool. It is rumored that these are legal as long as ALL the money is given away. Your group may also choose to donate the prize fund to a needy family or local charity. Celebrate March Madness with a bracket pool (basketball) in the same way.

JOKE or FUNNY CARTOON OF-THE-DAY

Send the joke of the day (or scripture, funny cartoon, thought of the day) to everyone’s email, or print it and post it on the wall of the bathroom in every toilet stall. Find a hilarious page-a-day calendar, or use the Sunday funnies or a graphic novel of a riotous cartoon strip (Far Side, Dilbert) and post something new each Monday morning in the bathroom stalls facing the toilets. Maybe you saw a ridiculous picture, or the funny ads, pictures, signs like what used to be featured on Jay Leno. Start collecting and posting these things. Humor is the best medicine for whatever ails you. Spread the joy. You can also post a “power scripture” for the day in those places if your company is okay with it. Log on to K-LOVE.com and use their daily scripture if you want.

APRIL FOOLS

Encourage everyone to participate in April Fools. Let it be a free-for-all of practical joking. Pull out all the gags and all the stops, with some discretion. Warn everyone that they might get wet, or dirty, and they will probably get startled at least once. They are not allowed to harm people’s property – such as breaking things or causing harm, nothing that stains is allowed, doing anything permanent. No scratching off paint or applying stickers that won’t come off easily, etc. Also, no mean jokes, no hurtful scemes, nothing that would cause embarrassment or make someone cry. Be fun, but be NICE.

BON APPETITE BOARD

Thinking my coworkers would appreciate it, and wanting to serve them, I put together a bulletin board in our lounge that featured all the menus from all the nearby restaurants. I drove around to all the neighborhood restaurants, from the bowling alley next door to the supper club down the road, and all the fast food places in between, and got their take-out menus. I even went online to find menus and printed them out. I pinned all these menus on the board making sure each one had the phone number for call-in orders, and highlighted those who delivered. It was so nice and convenient to have for when someone didn’t bring lunch and needed to get food delivered, or called in and picked up in a hurry.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

At my new job they celebrated every employee’s anniversary – the anniversary of the date they came to work there. They celebrated by having donuts brought in at 10:00AM. As soon as the gooey morsels arrived, everyone gathered around, grabbed a confection, and took a short break from their work to socialize. After several minutes everyone meandered dutifully back to their lonely little cubicles, or the shop, and went back to work. It was kind of a nice little thing.

FIVE MINUTE MUG CAKES

One cold and snowy afternoon, after lunch, I showed up to work with all the stuff to make 5-minute, microwave mug cakes. It was a nice afternoon snack and a huge highlight to an otherwise dreary day. We had so much fun with it that I decided I needed to share it with you all. I also discovered that any old cake mix will do. We are not limited to the chocolate cake recipe that has circulated on the Internet. The following recipe has been tested by me, and my coworkers, and works perfectly.

What you will need:

1 large mug for each person

A Tablespoon to measure with

Box cake mixes of choice

Canned frostings of choice, or Cool Whip

Oil

Milk

Small Eggs

In your large mug place 5 rounded Tablespoons of cake mix. Add 3 Tablespoons of oil and 3 Tablespoons of milk. Break an egg in a separate bowl/dish/cup and scramble it. Use just about 1 tsp of egg per mug cake. Stir until well mixed. Place in microwave for TWO minutes on high. The cake will begin rising above the rim of the mug when it is close to being done. If the mug is too small the batter may spill over, but it won’t make a mess. Of course microwaves vary and it may take the cake longer to cook. Do the spring back test and if still doughy return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds. When the cake is finished cooking, remove it from the microwave and let it cool. Frost as desired.

Monthly Mini Theme Parties for the Office Lounge

At the school where I worked many moons ago, the staff took turns, by grade level, decorating the lounge and hosting a monthly luncheon. Usually they were things like “A Salad Bar” or “Soup & Sandwiches” or “Loaded Baked Potato Bar” or “Hot Dog Bar” or we went with themes like “Italian,” “Mexican,” “Chinese,” and served speghetti, enchiladas, or egg rolls, and all that sort of thing. The staff that were assigned to each month would be in charge of decorating the lounge (if they wished), bringing in snacks, wiping tables, washing dishes, keeping the refrigerator cleaned out, etc., and providing the end-of-the-month carry-in lunch. The Parent-Teacher council also brought in a cake for dessert and we celebrated all the birthdays for the month as well! It was a really nice thing! I served on this committee many times and here are some of the ideas the ladies and I came up with:

SEPTEMBER

The holidays in September are Grandparent’s Day, Patriot’s Day, and usually the first day of autumn.

Theme 1: Back to School

Decorations: Green checkered place mats, baskets of apples, hand bells, cups full of sharpened pencils, and slates with a stick of chalk laid across each.

Table Games and Diversions: Famous Lines (write a famous line up on the board, something from a book or movie, that everyone can write a guess to on the board next to it and then sign their name next to their guess. The correct answer wins a prize in their mailbox and a new famous line is posted).

Luncheon: Crock-pot Sloppy Joes, buns, chips, veggie tray, and desserts

OCTOBER

Theme 1: Scarecrows

Decorations: Homemade scarecrows, pumpkins, Indian corn, corn stalk bundles, rakes, and colorful fall paper leaves.

Table Games and Diversions: Get a beautiful 1000 piece fall scene puzzle started for people to work on at their leisure, as they are available.

Luncheon: Crock-pot Soups, green salad with toppings, and crusty bread. Desserts.

Theme 2: Spooky Halloween

Decorations: Spooky music, dangling spider webs, bowls of “Body Parts” gummy candy, or have an Alfred Hitchcock or other chilling mystery book-on-cassette playing at all times.

Table Games and Diversions: Have an ongoing mystery game (like Clue, or How to Host a Murder Mystery) going in the lounge, where you give clues and tidbits of info every day. You can take a short story mystery from a book and post a small portion of it every day for employees to read and follow. The first person to solve the mystery by writing down their guess and turning it in to you wins a prize. Keep one going all month long.

Luncheon: Hot wings, celery and blue cheese, salads, beverages, and spice cake for dessert (with plastic bugs crawling all over it).

Theme 3: Oktoberfest (see my Oktoberfest blog post for ideas)

NOVEMBER

Theme 1: Pilgrims and Thanksgiving harvest theme

Decorations: Pilgrims, Indians, and Mayflower ships, Cornucopias filled with corn, gourds, pumpkins, etc. and turkeys.

Table Games and Diversions: Cover the tables in light colored paper and leave colored Crayola markers around for people to randomly jot down things they are thankful for.

Luncheon: A Thanksgiving feast (anything but turkey – please), but don’t forget the sweet potato pie! Try a variety of chowders and finger sandwiches.

Theme 2: Elections (if it is an election year)

Decorations: Patriotic with Democrat and Republican symbols

Table Games and Diversions: Election trivia and candidate profiles, absentee voter cards. Have reruns of West Wing or The American President playing on the TV.

Luncheon: Lasagnas and spaghetti, garlic toast, green salads, desserts

DECEMBER

Theme 1: Christmas (what else?)

Decorations: Find or make little stockings for each staff member and fill with a candy cane or other small gift and use to decorate the tree. Bring in a CD player and a variety of Christmas music that will appeal to everyone’s taste and play it continuously. Stew some good smelling potpourri in a crock-pot.

Table Games and Diversions: Scatter around on the tables Christmas Trivia cards. Also scatter around either some little toys that people can play with, or the parts to a super easy craft that each person can make. Maybe the craft can be to make decorations for the tree. Or let everyone decorate their own sock.

Luncheon: Since everyone is sooooooo busy over the holidays, the luncheon can be pizza delivery, a large bagged salad, and a ½ sheet store bought cake (or whatever size works). Instead of everyone signing up to bring something, they just put $3 in the envelope instead and cross their name off the list as paid.

Need ideas for your company Christmas party? I’ve got a few ideas for that…. see the post coming soon.

JANUARY

Theme 1: Super Bowl

Decorations: Cover the tables with green paper and draw the yardage lines -or- use vinyl tablecloths with this theme if you can find them. If you can find pennants from every team in the NFL, get them. If not, try to make them out of construction paper. Toss footballs, mini-helmets, jersey shaped beverage coozies, pennants, pompoms, referee whistles, megaphones, big foam hands with the #1 finger extended, and everything football around on the tables. Toss some Easter egg basket grass under the items. Hang the pennants from the ceiling. As each weekend of January passes remove the pennants of the teams who are eliminated in the playoffs and post the updated bracket chart. Keep the lounge/break room stocked with finger food snack items: chips and dips, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, crackers and cheese, veggie trays, etc. all month if possible. Add some excitement with an NFL Power and Glory CD, or the more recent NFL Films Original Music by David Robidoux Promotional Release (2007), Fox Sports Presents: Game Time! ~ Various Artists, Stadium Anthems: Music for the Fans ~ Various Artists, and ABC Monday Night Football Jamz ~ Various Artists.

Table Games and Diversions: Set up a goal post (inflatable from Oriental Trading Co.) and some Nerf footballs that employees can toss around and kick field goals with. Oriental Trading also has a football player cut-out with a hole where his hands should be so that you can practice tossing the football right to his hands. And the little football table game is a must.

A football 100 Squares Pool. The week before the Super Bowl game post a football pool poster in the break room. It will cost each employee *$3 per square to write their name on a square of the board. You can make them answer a trivia question to decide what square they get, or make them roll the dice, or just let them choose. On the Friday before the game fill in the numbers across the top and down the side of the board so everyone will know what score to hope for to give him or her the win. (See complete instructions on how to host this game in the chapter Super Bowl Theme Office Party, page 128). The money is divided into 4 portions and a prize awarded for the score at each quarter of the game. So watch the game and write down the scores. On Monday you will distribute the prizes. I am told that as long as all money is distributed it is legal to hold these. If you’re uncomfortable with the gambling aspect you can have everyone write on their square a worthy charity or needy family in the company who could use the donation, then on Monday those organizations or persons will get the prize monies. (*Amount is your choice).

Luncheon: Host a “tailgate party.” Decorate a table to look like the tailgate of a truck. If someone has a BBQ grill and wants to grill hot dogs and burgers for everyone – perfect! If not, carry-in various kinds of chili – like a chili cook-off. Or cook hot dogs in a large pot and let people create their own hotdog concoctions by having an array of toppings (sweet relish, dill relish, chopped onions, hot peppers, sauerkraut, chili, shredded cheese, thin sliced pickle wedges, jalapenos, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, etc.). Serve with potato chips, a veggie tray, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

On casual dress day encourage everyone to wear his or her sports team shirts or colors.

Theme 2: Snowman

Decorations: Ask everyone to bring a snowman from home. Almost everyone has either a stuffed snowman, a picture of a snowman, a snowman mug, a snowman candy jar, or something tucked back in a closet. Cover the tables in blue paper and set snowman parts around on the tables (corncob pipe, lumps of coal, top hat, scarves, small tree branches with mittens fitted on the ends, rubber boots, etc.)

Table Games and Diversions: Wad up 40 or 50 sheets of white paper into balls. Stack the balls in bowls and set around on the tables. Encourage people to engage in a snowball fight whenever the mood strikes them.

Luncheon: Hot pastrami sandwiches; Tater skins; Spinach Salad with cranberries and walnuts, and Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette; and shave ice or snow cones for dessert.

FEBRUARY

Theme 1: Academy Awards & Hollywood Walk of Fame

Decorations: Cover the table in Black, Silver, and Gold table cloths. Put centerpieces of film reels, film strip, movie trivia cards, clapboards and balloon bouquets. Hang gold stars and spot light and camera decorations from the ceiling. Roll out a red carpet from the entrance of the room to the center. Make a Hollywood Walk-of-Fame star tile for each employee with their name on it. Hang the WOF stars all over the walls of the room. Decorate the snack table with a sign that says, “Studio Commissary,” and go with snacks with names like “James BonBons with Halle Berry Sauce” or “The Queen’s scones.” Or set out bowls of flavored popcorn and Raisinettes and Juji Fruits. Set up a boom box with a CD of Movie Themes music. See also my Academy Awards post specifically featuring this idea.

Games and Diversions: Lay out several packets of sticky notes and pens. Feature 10 Walk-of-Fame stars per week to pin up on the board. Ask employees to post sticky notes with compliments to the front of each of the stars each week. Take those stars down on Friday, attach the sticky notes to the back and laminate them. Rotate in 10 new Walk-of-Famers the following week. At the end of the month give everyone their stars with the peer compliments attached and laminated to the back. Good morale booster.
Come up with 20 or more gag awards (best dressed, best supporting staff member, most animated story teller, most pleasant intercom voice, most punctual, best sense of humor, most artistic, etc.) for which you can hand out ballots and receive nominations for each category. Have an awards show at the luncheon and give out little “Oscars” to each employee for outstanding effort in whatever category they were nominated and got the most votes for.

Luncheon: Have a carry in salad luncheon: Crab Salad, pasta salad, bean salad, green salad, etc.; crusty rolls and butter; and sparkling cider in champagne flutes. Strawberries, angel food, and Tobblerone chocolate fondue for dessert.

Theme 2: Valentine’s Day

Games and Diversions: Set out the makings for valentines, red construction paper, white lace, little stickers and stick-on jewels, Cupids, small dowel rods and arrow heads and fletching that can be attached to the ends after it is woven through the heart, black sharpie markers. Ask everyone to participate in a Valentine exchange, just like the kids do at school. Everybody makes a special box for their desk for coworkers to drop Valentines in. Also, put everyone’s name in a hat and have everyone draw out one name to be a secret pal to all month.

Host a poetry contest. Everyone has to post a poem (any size and any kind) in the break room, but they can’t sign their names to them. Everyone reads and judges the poems. They put their choice for best poem on a slip of paper and drop it into the secret ballot box. At the end of the month the ballots are tallied and the winner announced. At that time the poet’s name may be disclosed.

Luncheon: Gazpacho soup or Borscht (hot or cold), heart-shaped shrimp sandwiches, Strawberry smoothies or white sparkling cider, Red Velvet Cake for dessert.

BORSCHT

8 cups beef broth

1 pound cooked tender beef stew meat or sliced Kielbasa

1 large onion, peeled, quartered

4 large beets, peeled, chopped

1 leek chopped

3 stalks celery sliced

4 carrots, peeled, chopped

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or parsley)

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Bring 4 cups of the beef broth, the beef stew meat, and onion to boil in large pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes.

2 Add remaining 4 cups broth, beets, leek, celery, carrots, and potato; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Stir in meat, cabbage and 1/2 cup dill; cook until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in vinegar.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup dill.

Serves 6

GAZPACHO

1 Mix diced tomato, peppers, red onions, celery and cucumber together in a medium bowl.

Serves 8

SHRIMP LUNCHEON SANDWICHES

1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

dash garlic powder

1 cup chopped cooked cleaned shrimp

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon grated onion

20 to 40 slices white sandwich bread, lightly buttered

MARCH

Theme 1: Saint Patrick’s Day

Decorations: Cover the tables in light green table cloths or paper. Cut out dozens of various sized dark green shamrocks from construction paper. On each shamrock write an Irish blessing. Scatter these blessings around on the tables. Set out small black kettles filled with gold foil covered chocolate coins. Make rainbows out of construction paper and toss around on tables under and around the kettles. Hang up paper leprechaun cut-outs. Set up a CD player with Irish pub music, or Celtic music, or Riverdance music. Lounge snacks : Corned beef dip and toasted rye bread; scones and Irish tea or coffee.

Table Games and Diversions: Find a nice coffee table book about Ireland and set that out to be browsed through. Encourage everyone to greet coworkers with an Irish blessing every day.

Luncheon: Baked potatoes with various toppings (in memory of the potato famine), iced coffee with Irish Cream, and chocolate cake for dessert.

Theme 2: March Madness ***Basically like the indoor tailgate from January above, except with a basketball theme.
Theme 3: Easter (If it falls in March)

Decorations: nests with colored eggs in them, and pans of real green grass with eggs nestled in them.

Table Games and Diversions: (craft) have all the stuff sitting out to make decorated eggs. Have a large basket of hollowed out eggshells. Everyone gets to keep what they make.

Luncheon: Chinese take-out, Almond cookies for dessert

APRIL

Theme 1: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Decorations: Decorate the break room with hanging umbrellas, rainbows and big raindrops. Cover the tables with light blue paper and set rubber duckies and rubber boots as centerpieces. Fill each rubber boot with a bouquet of daffodils or tulips (real or silk). Play a CD of nature sounds – thunder and rain.

Table Games and Diversions: Purchase a small clay pot for each employee and let each staff member fill a pot with potting mix and a plant seed of their choice. Have them stake in a marker to tell what the plant is (flower, vegetable, etc. be specific) and also their name. Scatter the empty seed packages around on the tables along with little cards that say, “April showers bring May flowers”. Water the plants every day as needed. Give away the pots to each employee on the last working day of April.

Luncheon: Soup and Sandwiches, and Mississippi Mud Cake flowerpots for dessert.

Theme 2: April Fools

April Fool’s day has to be a day of practical jokes and silliness. It can be a silly dress up day, or a crazy hat day. Or everyone can wear his or her clothes backwards. Make it a free-for-all of clowning around. Be creative.

Decorations: The three little monkeys (hear/see/speak no evil)

Table Games and Diversions: A month of practical jokes and pranks that start with a week of a white elephant being left on people’s desks. If you find the elephant on your desk you have to do something nice for someone AND cleverly hide the elephant in someone else’s desk without being caught. If you get caught you have to do something nice for the person that caught you, and try ditching it again on someone else. This is followed by three weeks of Friday dress-up days. The dress code will be posted in the lounge on Thursday. It may be a special color (red, purple, green), or style (cowboy, hippie, Goth), or pattern (plaid, polka dot, stripe) that you will have to wear. If you forget and don’t wear what you’re supposed to you have to buy a chocolate bar for every staff member and bring it to them on Monday. If you don’t bring the chocolate – you have to wear the ugly shirt all day on Monday. (The ugly shirt is a shirt that someone brings that must be totally hideous looking).

Luncheon: Have you ever had a “mystery dinner?” (<– Click this link for the basic instructions). Try to adapt it down to a 30-minute version, or however long the lunch breaks are at your workplace. Everyone signs-up and brings their potluck items as with any other luncheon, but with this luncheon you place a number on each dish and keep them hidden from the employees away from the eating area. The day before the luncheon require everyone to fill out a menu card where they choose their “lunch” from the code words listed. They must do this before they leave work on Thursday and sign their name to their menu and leave them in the envelope posted. The next day, you make up each person’s meal plate based upon their choices and serve it to them. The combinations of foods may be hysterical, as well as the utensils they are required to eat it with. Your meal can be a theme or it can be a hodge-podge of whatever people want to bring – including strange things, but nothing they wouldn’t be willing to eat themselves.

Make the Casual dress day a crazy hat day too.

MAY

Theme 1: Gardening

Decorations: gardening gloves, hand shovels and rakes, seed packets, straw hats, and watering cans

Table Games and Diversions: Guessing Jars. Each week set out a large jar filled with items (jelly beans, peanut M&Ms, dumdum suckers, bubble gum, Hot Tamales, etc.). Set out stacks of small note papers for staff to write their guesses on. They should put their name on the sheet with their guess and place it in the box next to the guessing jar. The person who comes closest to the correct number wins the contents of the jar. Winners are determined on Fridays.

Luncheon: Meatball subs with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese, green salad with Italian dressing, beverages, and assorted desserts.

Theme 2: Cinco de Mayo – Fiesta

Decorations: Cover the tables with Mexican blankets, Use sombreros, piñatas, maracas, ponchos, and pottery for centerpieces. Also have a nice mariachi band playing on the CD player for atmosphere.

Table Games and Diversions: Learn Spanish words by scattering Lotería cards around on the tables along with English/Spanish dictionaries.

Luncheon: Nacho or Taco Bar, fruity lemonade, and cinnamon crisps for dessert

Theme 3: Mother’s Day

Decorations: cover the tables in pretty floral tablecloths with lace tablecloths layered over. Use teapots and teacups and little wrapped tea bags for centerpieces.

Table Games and Diversions: Ask each of the staff to bring a picture of their mom that we can post on the Guess Who? Board. Each photo will have a number on the front of it so staff members can guess what mother goes with which staff member.

Luncheon: Make you own sandwich bar with assorted bread, cold cuts, cheeses, condiments, lettuce, sprouts, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., a large veggie tray, potato chips, assorted beverages, and strawberry parfaits for dessert, or order a few 5 foot subs from the deli.

JUNE

Theme 1: Beach Party

Decorations: string ropes up across the room going in several directions. Hang beach towels, bikinis and wraps on the lines with clothes pins. Sprinkle a little sand in the center of each table, and use beach balls, flip flops, Frisbees, sand box toys as centerpieces. Perch beach umbrellas in the corners of the room or stand in the center of the tables by pushing four tables together leaving a gap in the center for the umbrella rod and hanging it from the ceiling. Play a CD of either Jamaican Reggae or Beach Boys music on continuous play.

Table Games and Diversions: Cover the tables in white paper and set out little sand box buckets filled with crayons. Encourage the staff to doodle and draw on the paper. Set up some four on four basketball courts in open areas of the room, using Nerf basketballs and hoops and masking tape on the floor. Encourage tournaments during break times. You can also incorporate some cruise ship games, like shuffle board, darts, or an indoor putting green. Or set up a volleyball net and court outside, or crocket, for some outdoor fun during breaks.

Luncheon: grilled kabobs, chips, chocolate chip cookies, and watermelon.

Theme 2: Father’s Day

Decorations: Cover the tables in brown paper. Use tackle boxes, fishing lures, and nets for centerpieces. Hang a sign on the door that says, “Gone Fishing.”

Have several tall-tale fishing stories printed out on paper that you can lay around. Have the guys bring pictures of their big catches that you can post on a board.

JULY

Theme 1: Red/White/Blue

Decorations: Anything patriotic, and patriotic music too (like they play at the fireworks display)

Table Games and Diversions: Have a frog-jumping contest in the hallway using plastic frogs.

Luncheon: Have a picnic with various yard games set up (sack races, three-legged races, hula hoop contest, crocket, Frisbee, volleyball). Serve BBQ beef, salsa, crusty bread, baked beans, fruit salads, and popsicles for dessert.

AUGUST

Theme 1: Summer/Picnic

Decorations: Pots of grass, hand shears, hammocks

Table Games and Diversions: How many words can you make from the word (?). Write a very long word on the board and place dry erase markers for people to write smaller words all around. If the staff together can come up with 100 total words we get to have a root beer float party on Friday.

Luncheon: grilled burgers, corn-on-the-cob, and watermelon

Theme 2: Dog days of Summer

Decorations: anything dog related, stuffed animal dogs, collars, dog food bowls, leashes, obedience school ads, rolled up newspapers, fire hydrants, etc.

Table Games and Diversions: Dog trivia games, funny dog names, famous dogs and dogs of movies stars, dog tricks

Luncheon: Hot dogs with all the trimmings, baked beans, salads, ice cream
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So there, there you go. You can poke your head out of the hole now and come out of hiding. You’re armed with plenty of ideas to keep you busy. Don’t be a little rascal. Be pro-active!!!

I’m sure hoping that if you were in a bad mood, had a bad attitude about work, or maybe just in a funk, that something here pepped you up, encouraged you, or gave you the intestinal fortitude to go fight a good fight and make your workplace a fun place for everyone, including YOU!!! 🙂
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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

Entertaining, Feast on This, Office Parties, Oscar Party

Academy Awards Employee Appreciation Luncheon

January 21, 2016March 19, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

Soooooo, my daughter and I host a monthly staff appreciation luncheon for the teachers and staff of one of our local schools, and this was our creation for February! I share it with you because it might give you some ideas for what to do for your own Oscar Party at work or at home, for the teachers at your children’s school, for the residents or staff of an Assisted Living Center or Senior Center, for your local fire station, police station, or military group, for a bowling league party, for a Bunco party, or for a High School Musical Final Curtain After-Party (Ha! yes I did that one too — very memorable and the kids made it sooooo much fun!!!!). This party can be adapted for whatever group you are trying to honor.

What’s really rather awesome for us is that our teachers work in a place with “Academy” in the name of the school, so…how perfect is that?

Party Preparations – One Month Before…

I sent a note home with each child in each classroom, asking their parents to write a note of appreciation or compliment for their child’s teacher(s) on an index card size notecard, and return those to me. (BTW: This is a great place to direct parents who are unsure what or how to write in such a note: Teacher Appreciation Letter, Simple Thank You Notes for Awesome Teachers). I am using these notes to create Walk-of-Fame star booklets for each staff member.

How I made my booklets:

Purchase pocket size photo albums from Walmart and remove the covers that come in them.
Spray paint the card stock covers with chalk board paint (to cover any design they may have and prime the surface) and then spray on some stone
paint. I made half of mine gold (for variety) with a light coating of gold metallic paint over the stone paint.
When dry, attach a Walk-of-Fame star (I created mine on my computer “Paint” program) to each front cover with a scrapbooking glue dot.
Replace all the covers in the photo books with the new ones. I gave all the ones with gold front covers plain stone back covers, and all the ones with stone front covers got gold back covers.
Insert notes into the inside pages where the photos go.

.I’m really excited for our teachers to see these!

I’ve also given each of the staff members a SECRET BALLOT, asking them to nominate their peers for various awards (see the list and sample ballot several paragraphs down on this page). And I posted this Ballot Box in the lounge where they could deposit their ballots until I was ready to pick them up, about a week or so before the party. I used that info to make up award certificates (see below) placed in special (black) envelopes, to go with their Oscars (cookies) and their Walk-of-Fame stars.

INVITATIONS

This is the luncheon flier I made and posted on the school’s Facebook page (which I hoped would alert the staff to our menu and theme this month, and hopefully also remind the parents to get their notes to me). My daughter has also printed it and posted it in the staff lunchroom for all the staff to see, so they will be reminded to “save the date.” The design for the flier was something I found online and adapted. But here is a spectacular idea I found for more personal invitations.

OSCARS

Aren’t these the cutest? Some people are so clever!!! I’m making these adorable edible Oscar cookies for dessert from an idea I stumbled upon at Bakerella.com. Well, let’s be real real about it….mine are nowhere half as adorable as these. I’ve never been a great baker! But, if they never see this photo they’ll be none the wiser and think mine are cute. Note: She also includes a recipe for the perfect cookie dough that will hold the shape of the cookies as they bake, and I can attest that it works beautifully. I didn’t have any meringue powder for the royal icing though (I’d never even heard of it in fact), but, so I substituted knox gelatin disolved in the liquid that was called for in the recipe. It worked, but I can’t say it worked as well as the right stuff. I found a plastic, 4½” tall cookie cutter at amazon.com (sold by cookiecutter.com) that I used to shape my Oscars, and then Walmart (or any local grocery store with a baking isle) had a good assortment of cake and cookie decorating sprays, glitters, icings, etc. that I used to decorate them with. The detailed instructions for making these lovely cookies is found at Bakerella.com.

Here is my much lower level attempt:

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE…

Now, in my web travels I also found some funny awards certificates for teachers that I thought would lend a lighthearted, sort of soupçon, to our OSCARS party. The author of these awards does share some freebie images (featured on my ballot), but otherwise his certificate sets sell for $35. I also added a few of my own.

Once the ballots were turned in, I made little awards certificates and sealed them into envelopes. See a photo of them later on down this page.

Awards Categories (the freebies):

P’s & Q’s Award – for Best Manners

Burmuda Triangle Award – for the desk where things go in but never come back out

Raisin Award – for Most Deserving of a Raise in Pay

Dewey Decimal Award – for Most Organized

Smart Cookie Awards – for the Staff Member with the Biggest Sweet Tooth

Single File Award – for the Staff member most capable of keeping everyone in line

Locksmith Award – for the Staff member who is the Key to our Success

Bunsen Burner Award – for the one who has the Hottest Ideas

Baby’s Bottom Award – for the One who is Smoothest in Times of Crisis

Duct Tape Award – for the one able to fix just about anything

Carpe Diem Award – for the one who makes the most of every moment

High School Musical Award – to the one most likely to break into song

And these are the extras I came up with….

Adam Award – for the one who has been here from the beginning (most ancient human)

Noah Award – for the one who is always ready and prepared to save us all from disaster

Mary & Martha Award – for the one who brings treats often and makes everybody feel welcome

Secretariat Award – for the one who runs the race with the biggest heart

Red Carpet Award – for the one who stuns us daily with the cutest hair, nails, shoes, and outfits

Anne Sullivan Award – for the teacher who is amazingly gifted to seemingly be able to teach anyone

Maria Montessori Award – for the teacher with the most amazing motivational skills (gets her kids to do anything)

William McGuffey Award – for the teacher who is (him or herself) the most ferocious reader

Emma Hart Willard Award – for the teacher with the biggest dreams for her students, gift of encouragement

Jaime Escalante Award – for the teacher whose students often outscore everyone else

GOOGLE Award – for the one most likely to know the answer to anything

Thomas Edison Award – for the one with the most inventive ways to accomplish things

Albert Einstein Award – for best hair (what were you thinking?)

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award – for the one who tells the best stories

Baby Huey Award – for the youngest staff member

Wilma Rudolph Award – for the marathon runner in the group

Peter O’Toole Award – for the one with the most skill, talent, longevity, but who never wins an award

I typed up my ballots, printed them out, and made sure every staff member got one. Another option would be to give out simple awards for “outstanding effort in” whatever categories (i.e. Out-the-door Fire Drill Skills, Genius Mathmatics Game Inventor, Huff-n-Puff P.E. Fun Stuff, Hilarious Staff Meeting Antics, Top Teacher’s Lounge Comedian, Genius Science Guy/Gal Shinanigans, Oscar Worthy History Lesson Dramatics, Most Imbarrassing Library Faux Pas, High Brow Hallway Decorum, Best Dressed, Best Supporting Staff Member, Most Captivating Story Teller, Most Pleasant Intercom Voice, Most Punctual, Most Artistic, Most Likely to End Up as Teacher-of-the-year, etc.)

Once the staff members filled out their ballots, they deposited them in the Ballot Box in the middle of the teacher’s lounge table, and then a few days before the party I picked up the box, went through the ballots, tallied the winners for each AWARD, and then made up my little black envelopes. On the outside of each envelope I wrote the AWARD: “And the Dear Abby Award” goes to…. Inside I had a little card with the Award written on the outside and the staff member’s name who got the most votes written on the inside. I intended them to be keepsakes for everyone.

DECORATIONS

This is the tablecloth I found at Amazon.com to decorate the table.

I placed the Oscar cookies in the center, and flanked the plate with the Walk-of-fame star booklets and the black envelopes with the awards inside. I also found some nice compliments for teachers online that I printed and scattered around on the table.

For your party it would be fun to scatter some Movie Trivia Cards around on the table, and decorate with some helium filled star-shaped balloons; maybe some old film reels, and clapboards. The party stores have cut-outs too that your guests can stick their faces in and you can take photos of them.

Silver serving trays, plates, and utensils, and stemware for the non-alcoholic bubbly beverages.

FOOD “Studio Commissary”

“Straight Outta (insert your town name here)” Cheese Fondue, served with torn crusty bread, cooked and cooled fingerling potatoes, and mushrooms.

Before broiler

Baked Fontina Fondue

CHEESE FONDUE

“Straight Outta (my town)” baked Fontina fondue (Ina Garten’s recipe from Food Network), and omg you cannot begin to imagine how magnificent this dish smells as it is broiling in the oven its short little six minutes. Super quick and easy to toss together and absolutely the best thing you will put in your mouth this whole week. Make sure though that you find a good Italian Fontina. The other stuff doesn’t melt very well and will soon turn to a rubbery mass as it cools. It will still taste awesome, but not have that gooey, dripping, oooo la la lushiousness that you want in a fondue.

Another option is to slice your crusty bread into thin slices, toast them lightly, and lay them out on a cookie sheet, top them with a couple few small cubes of cheese, a sprinkle of the seasonings, and a drizzle of olive oil. Place the sheet in the broiler until the cheese is melted, and there you go. This way if all you can find in your grocery store is the rubbery Fontina, you’ll still end up with a nice grilled cheese snack that your guests will enjoy.

Torn, freshly baked Baguette

Mushrooms & Cooked, cooled fingerling potatoes

Chicken meat balls & various smoked sausages, cut up

MEAT FONDUE

“The Revenant” Meat Fondue dip can be just a warmed cream or brown gravy, an Asian style Sauce, or a sweet & spicy Jezebel/Henry Bain BBQ sauce (which is what I did), served with various chunks of little smokie sausages, chicken and or beef chunks, or meatballs to dip in it.

FRUIT FONDUE

“Spotlight” Fruit Fondue – you can go with a melted sweet cream vanilla sauce (or I made a Toblerone Fondue: 1 cup heavy cream, 5 (3.5 oz) bars of Toblerone, broken, 1 1/2 Tablespoon Hazelnut-flavored coffee syrup. Heat cream to a simmer. Remove from heat. Toss in Toblerone. Let sit a few moments. Add Hazelnut syrup. Whisk until blended and smooth. Keep warm in fondue pot).

I did cream cheese filled strawberries (1 8-oz block cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp. Vanilla. I placed these three ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag, sealed it, and then kneaded the bag until the contents were completely blended. Then smooshed the contents to to bottom of the bag, cut a small hole in the corner, and piped the cream cheese into my strawberries. Oh, after you core your strawberries, nip the bottoms off so they will sit nice and upright on your plate).

You could have all sorts of dipping fruits for your fondue (strawberries, grapes, banana slices, pineapple chunks, apple slices, etc.

AND ROUNDING OUT THE FOOD PYRAMID WITH…

“Inside Out” Lettuce Bundles – I used a recipe from Betty Crocker.com only I used Blood Oranges to squeeze my OJ, because I love them, and the store had them, and they make such a pretty colored red-carpet-like dressing.

BEVERAGE

“Star Wars” Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Cider, served in Champagne flutes

ANOTHER CUTE IDEA…

You could go with a HOT DOG BAR instead of the more intimate fondues I served, and wrap your little “Oscar” Mayers in cute little tuxedos (click on the blue link for the Better Homes and Gardens tuxedo instructions), and then flank them with a huge spread of topping choices. You could even print and post this poster to give your guests ideas for how to dress their dogs, once they’ve undressed them out of their fancy duds. You could even give each topping combination a special celebrity name from this year’s A-list.

AND finally, for dessert, or snacks later in the afternoon…

A “Shaun the Sheep” Popcorn Bar (there are tons and tons of great serving table ideas on Pinterest), like the one pictured above. Mine was not so fancy, with tied cloth and labeled shakers and pretty signs, but I did figure out how to tilt the popcorn bucket like the ones above. Just roll up a towel and tuck it up under the back of the bucket.

I ordered Popcorn Bags, from Oriental Trading Co. but also found them at the dollar store.

I popped a bucketful of plain popcorn, no butter or salt or anything. (I found the coolest popcorn popper at World Market. It’s a glass pitcher with a resin lid. You measure your kernals into the lid, pour them into the pitcher, pop in the microwave for about 3 minutes, and voila…POPCORN!)

I found my popcorn buckets at Dollar General, probably intended for plants, since they were in the garden section, but they worked perfectly, and I lined them with clear plastic bags.

Toppings:

M&Ms

Milk Duds

Reeses Pieces

Toffee coated Peanuts

Malted Milk Balls

Butterscotch chips

Candy Corn

Raisinettes

Juji Fruits or Dots

Flavorings:

*Olive Oil (served in a condiment dispenser, like this one —>

Italian Seasonings (I mixed some garlic powder in with mine)

Parmesan Cheese, grated

*Melted Butter (served in a condiment dispenser, like this one —>

Plain Sea Salt

“The Hateful Eight” Kernel Seasonings assortment

MUSIC

I played a Hollywood’s Greatest Hits CD on the BoomBox to set the stage as the staff members arrived in the lounge. (BTW, if you have time, a great game to play with this Hollywood music CD: Name-that-movie. Once your guests are fed, awarded, and honored, you can see how good they are at music trivia. Play just the first few seconds of a song on the CD and see if they can guess what movie it is from. The first person to guess the movie for that score could win a prize).

I also found a wonderful blog with lots of other game ideas for an Oscar Party that you might like to do at your party if you have the time!!!!!

LET’S GET MY PARTY STARTED…

First the teachers walked on the red carpet that I had laid down outside of the teachers lounge. I had the Hollywood music playing to greet them as they stepped inside, and our amazing school secretary played the part of Paparazzi with camera flashing as the teachers entered the room. They were directed to the food buffet “Studio Commisary,” and then to the table where where they discovered their “Walk-of-Fame Star” booklets set out like place-markers all around the table. Scattered in the center of the table were the black envelopes with an AWARD written on the outside and the winner’s names secretly sealed inside.

As the staff ate their lunch, each person took a turn grabbing a black envelope, reading out loud the AWARD written on the outside of it, and then tearing it open to reveal the winner of the award inside. Winners were awarded with an Oscar cookie (the plate of cookies was passed to them)!

They each continued eating their lunch and quietly browsed through their little Hollywood Star booklets reading to themselves some of the kind comments written inside.

At the end of the luncheon they each gathered up their booklets, and tucked their black envelope AWARDS inside, grabbed their Oscar cookies, and made themselves a bag of popcorn to go, then headed back to their day, hopefully feeling loved and appreciated.

May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. — 2 Samuel 2:6

Thank you teachers, here and everywhere, for all you do for our little people!!!!! May God bless your gifted hands, as you bless all our hearts with your sweet service! We love you!!!!!

Entertaining, Feast on This, Office Parties, Superbowl Tailgate Party

Super Bowl Indoor Tailgate Party

January 2, 2016March 1, 2016 mrshlovesjesus

Are you ready for some football?

Ahhh… it’s that time of year again. The weather outside, well, basically sucks for an estimated 75% of us, and is getting colder and nastier with each passing weekend. Every Sunday, however, from September to February, those of us not sitting in stadiums will make huddles in warm houses all across this great motherland from sea to shining sea.

Houses jolting off their foundations as men and recliners collide to the play-by-play action of the NFL. It’s football season! Mmmm… smell the popcorn popping in the microwave. Hear the crackle of potato chips under foot. Tweet! Who fumbled the chip bowl? Or was it pass interference? Maybe illegal use of hands?

Feel the tension in the air as the excitement mounts. Will our favorite team make it all the way to the big game, or be eliminated in the playoffs? A hundred thousand nerves are on pins and needles with anticipation.

If we wives have not retreated to the mall in desperation, we’ve probably rolled up our sleeves, put on our gear, and tackled the season like a girl – from the kitchen…counting down the days to the big game with the workhorse determination of a defensive lineman; tackling the holidays one by one on first downs as football season charges through. We hit Halloween low, take Thanksgiving off sides, sack Christmas in the end zone, and before we know it, we’ve got the playoff season at the goal line. Will we run in for a touchdown or kick a field goal with our party?

Believe it or not, I actually enjoy football season. I like the sounds of it from the other room as I’m folding laundry or baking. I get a kick out of my husband’s antics and wild displays of emotion. No matter how far to the outer recesses of our dwelling I may go to escape it, the yelling rings in my ears as “moron” refs make bad calls, and “idiot” players fail to do their best. “C’mon ref! Oh… WHAT WAS THAT ? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME [insert player’s name here]! Jeeminy Krismas (only it’s not ‘jeeminy Krismas,’), not another interception!!!”

From the kitchen to the laundry room and even the garage I can pick up on the tone of the game by the shouting in the next room. Add to that the sounds of muscle bound, sweaty men in heavy armor crashing into each other like a pile up on the freeway. Whistles blowing. Huddle chat. Hollering from the coach. And, of course the play-by-play from the guys in the booth.

Time out!

Whether I am having a houseful or its just hubby, kids, and me, we have a Super Bowl party every year — complete with food, decorations, and beverages. It doesn’t matter whose playing.

COLLEEN’S PARTY PLAYBOOK

Invitations

Official NFL Super Bowl invitations are available from party stores, or you can be creative and make your own.

Ask your guests to bring a 12-pak of beer (non-alcoholic if you prefer) or other beverage, and a snack item. Be sure to mention that there will be a pre-game Super Bowl pool starting an hour before the game that they’ll need to bring wager money to participate in. Send invitations out two to three weeks in advance.

What to wear

Encourage your guests to wear their favorite team colors, official team jerseys, or other crazy party duds. If your guests come with painted bodies – the maniacs – make sure it doesn’t rub off on your furniture. Have a sheet handy to drape over just in case, or park them in a chair that doesn’t matter – like lawn furniture.

Decorations

OUTSIDE: Stake down a lawn sign that says the party is here! Hang a team flag on the flagpole. Toss some toy footballs around in the snow or yard. (Last year the footballs I tossed around were all flat – because I am ornery and my son-in-law is a die hard Patriots fan. (Remember “deflate-gate?”)

Tie balloons or hang pennants along the fence railing or stake pennants on individual sticks all along the walkway to your front door. Set a boom box outside with an Official Music of the NFL CD playing continuously. This should have your guests frothing by the time they reach the front door.

INSIDE: cover the serving tables with green football field tablecloths – the kind with the yardage lines marked on them, available at online party stores. Steel a handful of the green Easter basket grass out of the kids’ baskets (that are hanging on a nail in the garage from last Easter), and put little tufts of it in the center of your serving table and on various tables around the room, and around the house. Place on each clump of grass a mini football, mini jersey koozie, and a gumball machine mini football helmet. I found jersey beverage koozies at Oriental Trading Company. I found gumball machine helmets on eBay.

Decorate the walls and windows with football player cutouts. Thread some NFL mini pennants (found mine on eBay or you can make them really easy on the computer) onto a long black cord, like clothes on a clothesline, and hang from the ceiling. I found pennant banners at Oriental Trading Company. Also at Oriental Trading were inflatable goal posts and also an inflatable football player catch game. Put the goal posts on each end of the serving table and set the player over in a corner of the room. Do you have a life-size football player cutout? You can get one at cardboardcutouts.com. You can also find the cool, high definition, life-size wall stickers at fathead.com, but they are kind of pricey. Pick up some balloons and streamers of both the teams colors and string those up too. Scatter around #1 fingers, pom-poms, bam-bams, and other such fan paraphernalia from your local party store.

I found a football crock-pot at Wal-mart. I also found a large, brown, 3-section football bowl and a stadium pictographic serving tray at the grocery store, and a football helmet chip and dip snack bowl on eBay (they also have these at the NFL website – official NFL helmets, your team choice). I also saw the cutest idea in a Taste of Home magazine recently (Laces Out Bottle Coozie, p. 26, February/March 2012)…homemade football koozies. You take your old beverage koozies and spray paint them “football brown.” Then you cut fat little lace shapes out of craft foam sheets and attach so it looks like a little football. So cute!

Put an NFL music CD on continuous play on a CD player in the entry room of your house. Purchase plates, cups, napkins, etc. from a party store or Wal-Mart. You can go with the official NFL Super Bowl stuff or anything with footballs on it. Or do the team colors.

I found some super soft Nerf footballs and piled them in a basket for the boys to throw at the TV when the players do something bad or the ref makes a bad call. I called them “bad-call-bricks.” I’ve heard it isn’t good to throw them directly at an LCD screen when it is on, so my boys were instructed to chunck them on the floor to relieve their aggression.

Buy a piece of Astro-turf (do you know why they call it “Astro” turf?) at your local hardware store to cover a coffee table or serving table. Some hardware stores (Home Depot) sell it for less than a dollar per square foot. It’s an inexpensive way to add a great touch of the game. You can spray paint some lines on it and let it dry before placing on your table.

Food

If I want to really plan ahead I’ll go with whatever foods are indigenous to the host city of the Super Bowl, since that information is available much ahead of who the actual teams are that will be playing there. For instance, this year, Super Bowl 50 will be played at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California (which is really part of the greater San Francisco Area). Having visited San Francisco many times, and eaten myself into a food coma on almost all of those occasions, I can vouch that the food choices are wide open. One could easily go with Chinese from Chinatown, which, in its own rite is a vast menu (thinking of Dim Sum — little nibbles of many things, or Chop Suey and fortune cookies — which were both invented in San Francisco). Or Italian foods, straight out of North Beach! Or, perhaps my most favorite, the street foods from down on Fisherman’s Wharf. My personal favorites are the dungenous crabs that they sell (or at least used to sell) from little stands down by the water — bought by the pound, then cooked to order, and beaten with a mallet on the chopping block, scooped onto paper and served with drawn butter and lemons. Oh my!!! Lord have mercy!!! If you grab a fresh, hot loaf of sour dough bread first to go with it, and find yourself a bench to sit on, that is eating like a king, baby…truly eating like a KING!!!! Or, my other fav is sitting outside in the salty air eating Boudin’s clam chowder in a Bread Boule, with the seaguls (and street people) scavenging about.

So, with that in mind, this year (2016), I went with Sour Dough Bread Bowls of Boudin’s Clam Chowder, Crab Louie salads, with homemade Thousand Island Dressing, and Ghirardelli Mug Cakes for a luncheon that I hosted…

Clam Chowder in a Sour Dough Bread Boule (I used a recipe found on Taste of Home, that truly is “Contest-Winning” New England Clam Chowder). I tripled the recipe and it was perfect for serving the 20 people in my crowd. I got the bread boules at Wal-mart. I had Super Bowl plates that I served the luncheon food on, but of course failed to grab a photo of those. This photo is of the left-overs I fed to hubbie for supper that night. His is missing the crumbled bacon on top though. 🙂

Crab Louie (which is said to have been invented in San Francisco), with homemade Thousand Island Dressing. I actually put the crab meat on top of the salad that I made for the luncheon, but failed to get a photo of that dish as well. So this is a recreation of the salad (which I am feeding to hubbie tonight). It is missing the avacado and black olives, and I’m saving that can of crab meat for tonight’s supper: Grilled Red Fish smothered with a lump crabmeat cream sauce on top, and Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat!!!

Ghirardelli Mug Cakes (because a trip to Fisherman’s Wharf is not complete until you’ve stopped in for your chocolate fix at this famous San Francisco fixture)! I whipped up the mixes and baked them in ceramic mugs in the oven (325* for approx. 28 minutes). The white cups were a Chocolate cake batter made with a big bar of Ghirardelli chocolate, and then a Ghirardelli gnache (made with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and heavy cream) spread on top, with some chocolate sprinkles for garnish. The black mugs were a box mix Ghirardelli Caramel Turtle Brownies (2 boxes for 8 mugs) mixed as directed on the package, and with a spoonful of the wonderful gnache on top of each. ***Take these to the next level by serving warm out-of-the-oven with a scoop of vanilla (or caramel, butter pecan, or even coffee flavored) ice cream and a drizzle of the warm gnache on top, and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

And… now that we know my Denver Broncos (wooot, wooot, wooot) will be playing in Super Bowl 50 (Squeal, whistle, doing my touchdown dance, uh huh, uh huh — I’m really trying to contain my excitement), I’m going to do the Denver thing for my personal Super Bowl party at home this Sunday. And what is the Denver thing you ask? Well, I’m going with anything that can be stacked up or piled high – “Mile-High Nachos” (like the ones they serve at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville), or “Mile-High BLT’s” (which will take the triple or Dagwood sandwich to a whole new level), and a monster pile of “Mile-High Garlic Fries,” and/or a heaping platter of “Mile-High” Hot wings (yeah, you get the idea)!!!! And of course anything made with “Orange Crush” soda — like an orange Creamsicle cake with cream cheese frosting, or orange and cream jello parfaits (or jello shots).

Here’s what my “Stadium Concessions” looked like: (and, how ’bout them Broncos? 🙂 Wow…I can barely contain myself!!! They said it was gonna be a blow-out. It was the Sheriff’s best rodeo!!! I guess if a black cat crosses your path you just squish’it with your defense!!!! Congrats to Von Miller for MVP!!! Way to go Payton! All the way Elway! Kube..Kube..Kubiak! Way to stomp ’em Orange Crush!!! Yeehaw!!!

“Orange Crush” Jello cups

“Mile High” BLTs

“#18” Hot Wings, with homemade Blue Cheese dressing

Stadium Snack Bar

“Mile High” Garlic Fries, served with green onion Ranch dip

Ghirardelli Brownies

Stadium Concessions

“Mile High” BLTs

But if, for instance, the Eagles were playing this year, then I would definitely be serving Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches. Chicago = Chicago Dogs or Deep Dish Pizza. New Orleans = Jambalaya, shrimp Po’Boys, Muffalettas, or Gumbo! Texas = BBQ Ribs, Texas Chili, or Tex-Mex Enchiladas!!! New England = Clam Chowder or Boston Baked Beans. New York = Coney Dogs, New York style (pizza) pie, Buffalo Hot Wings, or Manhattan Style Clam Chowder. Kansas City = Ribeyes. Seattle = Smoked Salmon served wrapped in newspaper, or a Crab boil (crab legs, mussels, clams, shrimp, baby red potatoes, corn on cobbetts, and kielbasa, poured out on a paper covered table, served with drawn butter.

This was my personal last year’s menu:

And this is what it really looked like in reality (just before I ate mine):

Or…you can do tailgate foods:

Chili cook-off (red chili, white chicken chili, green chili, and chili with and without beans), and serve with corn bread or Mexican corn bread, or over Fritos, and have various chili toppings

Hot Dogs done all different ways (mustard, relish, sauerkraut, chili, cheese, Chicago style, etc.) and served with pasta or potato salads and chips

Nachos Grande (chips, ground beef, crumbled bacon, cheese, pico de gallo, jalapenos, etc.)

Hamburgers cooked on the grill with all sorts of toppings, and served with salads and chips

Sloppy Joes

Baked Potato Bar featuring large baked potatoes and a sundry of toppings

Smoked Brisket, beans, coleslaw, hot rolls, potato salad, pickles and onions

Or, you can just go for some awesome snacks: homemade soft pretzels and a melted Monterey Jack with poblano peppers fondue dipping sauce, or a sandwich tray, cold cuts, cheeses, and spreads. Maybe your guests would enjoy a platter of little cheeseburger sliders. You can also add a veggie tray from the grocery store, or a shrimp tray from Red Lobster. Try take-and-bake pizza like from Papa Murphy’s. The freezer section of the grocery store also offers a sundry of appetizer items that can be baked in the oven and added to your table in a hurry, like TGI Friday’s spinach artichoke dip, or twice baked potato skins, and such.

Have a LARGE ice chest in the TV room filled with ice where your guests can chill the beverages they brought. Put all the beer and pop in it. Keep it in the same room as the TV so people don’t miss anything when they need another brewski. And be sure to set out bowls of popcorn, pretzels, chips and dip, salsa and tortilla chips, mixed nuts, M&M’s, and snack size candy bars. Or set up a popcorn bar (there are tons of ideas on Pinterest), with a huge barrel of plain popcorn and sundry toppings (chocolate covered peanuts, M&M’s, Jr. Mints, candied pecans, Malted Milk Balls, Reeses Pieces, mini peanut butter cups, etc.), or melted butter in a squeeze bottle and various seasonings (check out Kernal Seasonings) and flavored salts.

Check out these cookbooks for more recipe ideas:

NBC Sunday Night Football Cookbook (ISBN 160320797X)

The NFL Gameday Cookbook (ISBN 0811863956)

ESPN Gameday Gourmet: More Than 80 All American Tailgate Recipes (ISBN 1933606158)

FOX Sports Tailgating Handbook: The Gear, The Food, The Stadiums (ISBN 076274622X)

Games and Activities for the kids

Set up a craft table for the kids and give them blank pennants to decorate (available at Oriental Trading Company).

Purchase several tabletop football games (with suction cup goal posts and a cardboard football), one game for every two kids. Set them up on a long table and have the kids play off against each other. Winners continue playing against each other while losers watch. Have some prizes for the final winner of each match.

Have some small soft Nerf balls for the kids to play catch with.

Set up a goal post kicking game in a far corner of the room (or down a long hallway) where the kids can take turns kicking a mini nerf football through the uprights from several distances marked as yard lines on the floor. The kid with the most goals wins!

Set up a tossing game by cutting a hole out of a large piece of cardboard and leaning it up against a corner of the room. The kids can take turns tossing a mini nerf football into the hole. The kid who tosses the most in the hole after several rounds wins.

Make sure to have special snacks and beverages for the kids that they can help themselves to throughout the party.

Games for grown-ups

You can collect money from your guests for the hundred squares pool (explained later in this post) and also scratch off tickets. The hundred squares pool will get cash prizes, and then if you want, you can give great non-cash prizes for the scratch off tickets. Here are some ideas for prizes that I found at Wal-Mart:

Official NFL football jersey or hat

Official NFL football, signed by all your guests

This month’s issue of Sports Illustrated

A poster of an NFL Quarterback or favorite player

Sports Illustrated poster of a swimsuit model

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar

A best-of CD by whomever is performing the half-time show

The Football Pool

An hour before the game, have your guests start filling out the hundred squares board (I’ll explain how this game works in just a little bit). Each participants pays a quarter, 50 cents, or a dollar for the opportunity to put their name in a block on a hundred squares board. You can also, or alternatively, make them answer a trivia question for the right to a square, if you want to keep money out of it. If they answer it correctly they get a square, if not, they have to wait their turn to try and answer another one. Guests can continue answering trivia questions until the board is full.

You could also make them do something to earn a square, like tossing a football through a hoop, naming five NFL teams, naming five quarterbacks, or naming five NFL stadiums, or guess the colors of a particular team.

The Hundred Squares Board

Get a large sheet of poster board; I like the stiff foam type (available at Wal-Mart in the craft or school supplies area). Draw a grid on it that is 10 squares wide by 10 squares long. Write one team’s name across the top of the board and the other team up the left side of the board. ***Do not fill in the numbers yet.*** Players will fill in their names in the squares (first) either by purchasing a square, or by answering a trivia question correctly.

Once the grid is completely filled up with names (one name in each square) then you can fill in the numbers. This is done by first writing the numbers on slips of paper ( 0 thru 9) and then drawing the slips out of a hat to fill in the numbers going across the top. Put all the slips of paper back in the hat and repeat the process to fill the numbers going down the left side of the hundred squares board.

Divide the money into four portions. The first three portions should be less than the last portion. If you charged $1 per square you’ll have $100, so your portions should be $20, $20, $20 and $40. At each quarter of the game the person whose block matches the last number of each team’s score is the winner, and wins that quarter’s prize. For example, using the grid above, if the score at the first quarter was Green Bay 7 and Denver 10, Ann would win $20.00. Whoever has the correct block for the final score wins the final and largest cash prize.

Scratch off tickets

These are party favors that look like lotto scratch off tickets. They usually come in a set of 10 or 12 with one of them being a winner. I found sets of them on eBay advertised as “Football Party Favors Scratch-off Game” a few weeks before the Super Bowl. I have also seen them at party stores. This website has a set specifically for Super Bowl that costs just over $5 for a set of 12 cards, personalized.

Guests can buy a ticket from you, or you can just give them out at any point during the game, or before or after. They are like lottery tickets that you scratch off with a coin to reveal what’s underneath. If you made your guests purchase a ticket, the winner wins the cash you collected. If you just gave them out, winner gets a prize that you have purchased.

If you can’t find scratch-off tickets, or you waited until the last minute to play this game and don’t have time for the shipping (that would be me), here’s a great alternative. Hide prize coupons in random places in the house – an index card with the words, “CONGRATULATIONS, YOU FOUND IT!” printed on the front, and instructions for redeeming it on the back. If a ticket is spotted the finder can redeem it with you for a prize! Some good hiding places I used were

laying on the bottom of the inside of the chip bowl
hidden in the roll of toilet paper in the guest bathroom
taped to the bottom of a plate in the paper plates stack
taped to the hidden side of a bottle of beer in the refrigerator

Don’t tell your guests anything about the “treasure hunt.” Let them discover it all on their own. Of course, after a couple have been found your guests will be asking if there are others and where they are – especially the kids.

On the backsides of my cards I told them to bring the card to me for a prize. I had 4 cards hidden and 4 prizes: an NFL football, a CD of the featured halftime entertainment, a Sports Illustrated magazine, and a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit poster. Those were the choices I happened to find at Wal-Mart. I wrapped each prize and labeled it with an alphabet letter, and then hid the prizes in a back bedroom closet of the house. I marked each index card with the corresponding letters of the prizes so that when someone came to redeem a prize, it would already be predetermined which prize they had won. Only the winner could accompany me to the prize closet.

It’s all about the game… focus, focus, focus!

Make a list of several things that could happen during the game:

Who wins the toss?

2. Who scores first?

3. First field goal,

4. First Touchdown,

5. First Penalty (offensive/defensive),

6. First Punt,

7. First Blocked kick,

8. First QB sack,

9. First Fumble,

10. First Interception, etc.

Use a symbol, or sticker, or just number the items as I have done above to identify each of these things on a wager sheet, shown below.

Take a sheet of notebook paper and write all of your guest’s names descending down the left side. Divide the right side of the sheet of paper into two columns, one for each team, and write the team names at the top (see example shown).

Each guest antes up a quarter for each thing they wish to wager against. Set the limit low to encourage everyone to participate.

Each guest selects the team that will be the first to commit. This makes it simple for folks that are not football fans, but are attending the party. All they have to do is select one of the two teams.

Now make a game board using a sheet of poster board, and draw a grid on it, like the hundred squares board. Place little football game pieces for each player (marked with their initials) along the bottom of the board, and draw a goal post at the top of the board. Each time a guest gets an item right they can move their game piece up one square on the game board, towards the uprights. In the end, the player closest to the goal wins the pot.

Since anything can happen at any time, this creates interest in the game.

Other activities

3-D glasses: sometimes there are advertisements or half time events that are broadcast in 3-D. In 2009 3-D glasses were available at various grocery stores and fueling stations for use during the Super Bowl. Shrek 2/Shrek 3-D: Party in the Swamp, the DVD, came with 4 pairs of 3-D glasses. Perhaps you bought the movie and saved the glasses? Otherwise look for them online. Have several pair of 3-D glasses on hand so your guests don’t miss anything cool.

How daring is your crowd? Make “Jell-O-shooters” (non-alcoholic for the nondrinkers and kids) ahead of time to have on hand. Make two different color shots and celebrate whatever you wish. You could ask your guests to designate a Team upon arrival and give them a name tag. Whenever the “Giants” score a touchdown all those fans can make the other fans take a shot. That way everybody is having a good time. Or you could do it like this, when the “Falcons” score EVERYBODY has to take a peach shot, and when the Packers score EVERYBODY has to do the green apple shots. Jell-O shooters are made my replacing half the cold water in the recipe with liquor (vodka or peach schnapps usually).

At the risk of stating the obvious… please, please, please be a responsible host and don’t allow underage drinking, nor let your guests drink and drive.

Pre Game Games

Maybe you’d like to make your party all day rather than just an evening affair? Have your pals over for some pre-game Games, such as ESPN Sports Trivia version of Scene-It, or NFLopoly, just to name a couple.

Prearrange for a party referee (especially if you have ill mannered guests at your party or one especially bossy person that you want to give something to do). Ask one of your guests ahead of time if they would be willing to serve as party referee. This person will wear a referee shirt and throw a yellow flag for the following offenses:

Holding – Such as holding on to the popcorn too long

Party Foul – guest caught double dipping anything

Illegal Use of Hands – self explanatory.

Most important element to a successful Super Bowl party, don’t run out of drinks or things to snack on.

Party favors and parting gifts: Send all your pom-poms, bam-bams, pennants, mini-footballs, football koozies, etc, home with your guests.

NOTE: this party transfers well as an office party, or what I like to call a”Break Room Bash.” Do you and your coworkers get together each month and have luncheons? I worked at a school once where the staff took turns by grade level decorating the lounge and hosting a monthly luncheon. Usually they were things like “A Salad Bar” or “Soup & Sandwiches” or “Loaded Potato Bar” or “Hot Dog Bar” or that sort of thing. The staff that were assigned to each month would be in charge of decorating the lounge (if they wished) and also taking care of it (wiping tables, washing dishes, keeping the refrigerator cleaned out, etc.), and providing the end-of-the-month carry-in lunch. The Parent-Teacher council also brought in a cake for dessert and we celebrated all the birthdays for the month as well! It was a really nice thing! Click here for more about “Break Room Bashes.”

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

1 Corinthians 9:24

Angels Among Us, Feast on This, Testimonies & Personal Stories

Angels Unawares

December 28, 2015October 2, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

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Have you ever been touched by an angel?

“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. Daniel 6:22

I listened recently to a sermon about angels watching over us, and as the pastor recanted a few of his experiences I was reminded of one of my own.

I was a young adult woman, fresh out of high school — but a hick from the sticks in every literal sense. I had made friends with a wild and crazy gal I met at my first job in the big city, forty miles from my small town home. She was fun and had lots of friends. It was a pretty crazy place to work too. The exact kind of job, and co-workers, my dad would have forbidden me to be part of had he known. After the crumbling business folded my new gal friend asked if I wanted to move to Phoenix with her. I remember digging in my pockets and coming up with what I thought was enough gas money to contribute to our travels and said, “Sure, I’ll go” (like Jenny in Forrest Gump, only not to San Francisco).

So off to Phoenix we went. We couldn’t stay long however, as my sister was getting married the very next month and had asked me to be her maid-of-honor, so after making a few acquaintances, finding a place to live, and securing a couple of decent part-time jobs, my friend and I hit the road back to Wyoming (having no idea of the peril which lie ahead).

We left Phoenix in a hidalgo-like dirt storm. A dust cloud a mile high was waiting for us to make the city limits and then it pounced on us like a playful cat on a clueless mouse. The roadway disappeared in a consuming brown-out. I strained to keep the tail-lights of the car in front of me in view, trusting that whomever was in the lead knew where the road was. It was a harrowing twenty minutes. Gradually the brown cloud dissolved into cottony white. The dirt storm curtsied off and a blizzard took center stage. The roadway became slick and icier by the minute. Cars, trucks, semis, all began sliding around, and some slipped off the highway.

Being a Wyoming girl, I put the car in a low gear and tanked slowly through the obstacle course of fast, slow, and out-of-control vehicles, finally making it over the pass at Flagstaff and to the other side, thankfully unscathed. It took us all day, but we finally arrived at Gallup, New Mexico late that evening. Our plan for a two-day trip was still possible, although the next day would probably be a really l–o–n–g day. We spent the very last of our money (earned from part-time jobs in Phoenix) on a room for the night, saving just enough back for a tank or two of gasoline and perhaps one stop at a McDonalds.

The next morning when I turned the key in the ignition, my alternator light was on, on the dashboard. The car seemed to run okay, so when we went to get gas I asked the mechanic to have a look at our issue. He reported the alternator was in need of replacement. He suggested we drive to Albuquerque, where we could probably get it fixed that afternoon. He said we’d be fine as long as we didn’t run any electrical stuff. No heater. No radio. No headlights. Soooo, off we went on a wing and a prayer and thank God arrived safely, just as the mechanic had promised we would, at a Chevron station just inside the city limits, and right off the Interstate.

It had to be a Chevron station because my parents had given me a Chevron credit card with strict instructions that it be used ONLY for an emergency! We pulled the car into the parking lot and went in to talk to the mechanic. He had one of the men pull it into the bay and check it out. Sure enough it could be fixed easily and quickly, but they wouldn’t be able to get the part there until the next morning. I offered to go fetch the part myself and bring it to them, if that’s all they needed to get it done that day. He said the parts store wouldn’t have it themselves until the next morning, and as soon as they got it they would run it over.

My body broke out in a sweat. Worry billowed up from my bowels until the ache in my stomach was surly manifested all over my face. I turned around trying very hard to “be cool”in a very crowded waiting room. My friend stood across the room, the two of us trying to read each other’s thoughts through the laser beams in our eyes, afraid to utter a single word that would reveal our desperate vulnerability.

The reality was, we didn’t have money for another motel room and neither of us knew a single person in Albuquerque, NM. We needed to discuss our dilemma, and come up with a plan, but where? We stepped outside and found a secluded corner of the parking lot where we could sit on a curb and quietly bounce ideas off each other. Maybe we could sleep in the car? I suggested. But what kind of neighborhood was this? The door locks were defective on the old Dodge Colt and if we locked them it would take more mechanic work ($$$) to remove the door panels to get them unlocked, otherwise we’d be forced to climb in and out of the windows for the rest of the trip home, in the cold and the snow. Maybe the owner of the garage would let us sleep in the car inside his garage if we swore an oath not to leave the car or touch anything?

As the sun sank lower and lower in the southwestern sky so our desperate situation grew more and more crimson. We were two young, unarmed, dirt poor girls in desperate straits and a long ways from home, without a viable plan. Those were the days before cell phones, before bank ATMs, and before things could be charged to a credit card over the phone. Even if we called our parents, there was very little they could do, but worry.

When we re-entered the waiting room late, late in the day, still mostly without a plan, and by that time it was almost totally cleared out. That’s when a man approached us. I guess he’d probably been sitting in the waiting room the whole time, but we hadn’t noticed him. He was tallish and slender built, a bit older than us, early thirties maybe, handsome, but not overly so, the kind of handsome that made him blend in rather than stand out.

He offered that we could stay with him and he’d bring us back to our car in the morning. Of course we thanked him very much, but vehemently declined his offer, assuring him we had plans. He let a little while pass and then he approached us again, saying it wasn’t safe for us to sleep in our car in that neighborhood. Had he somehow overheard us? We looked briefly at each other in an almost naked moment of stunned silence. He assured us that he was offering the safest option. Something about him lent us to trust him, a little, although we remained guarded and aloof.

I don’t remember the exact moment that he finally persuaded us, or even the words he used, but I’m sure it had a lot to do with the owner of the station bringing out the keys to lock up shop. We two helpless girls relented to his offer and followed him out to his vintage Porsche 2-seater with a stick shift, covered in gray primer. We squeezed into the passenger bucket seat and off we went…off into the sunset…off and away from the bright lights and the big city…away to the uninhabited burbs of the suburbs…to a shabby looking single-wide trailer truly in the middle of literally nowhere. What the hell were we thinking?

We pried ourselves out of the car and hesitantly sauntered behind him to the door of his trailer, which stood all by itself out there in the dark and quiet outback of New Mexico, and although rugged and weather-beaten on the outside was surprisingly immaculate on the inside. I remember being impressed that he had a very nice stereo system and a comfortable pit group of sofas. His place was very orderly, and minimalistic, not the typical bachelor pad you would expect. It was neat and it smelled good. It actually smelled like nothing – not like sweaty socks or musty closets or last night’s cooking, or anything.

He gave us a tiny tour and showed us the room where we’d be sleeping, and the bathroom where we could shower if we wanted. It looked clean and comfortable. And then the three of us sat in his living room and made small talk. We talked about what we all did for a living. He was very vague – making us to imagine he maybe had some career in the CIA or secret service or something.

It finally got to that time of night when it seemed rude to stay up any longer. Carol and I slipped back to our room. I don’t know about her, but I laid on my side of the bed peering up at the darkness, with worry and thoughts playing red-rover-red-rover in my imaginations. Was he a serial killer? Is this how I die? Why was he being so kind to us? In my anxiousness I prayed to Jesus, and somehow in my heart also felt my grandma praying for us as well, as I often did when I was young and in a tight spot. An uncanny peace snuggled in around me.

I guess I finally dozed off towards morning. I remember waking up and seeing a glimmer of daylight peeping through the windows. I thanked God that we’d been kept safe all night, and nudged Carol to see if she was awake. We both got dressed quickly and I peeked out the window to see what the desert looked like in the daylight. The Porsche was gone. Oh no. Where did he go? What if he didn’t come back? Or, what if he did come back and he brought others with him? Maybe we should try to make a run for it? That’s just crazy…where would we go? Before I could even put a period on my racing thoughts his car roared into its parking spot and our host reemerged, dressed business causal, like he was returning from work or something, and with a grocery sack in his hands.

He came inside and when he saw us standing there, greeted us benignantly. “You’re up?” “I thought I’d make us some breakfast before we went to get your car. The garage doesn’t open until eight.” Oh my gosh, was this guy for real? Even though he had given us no reason NOT to trust him, I still couldn’t help but be a little guarded, and at the same time exceedingly grateful. He made us breakfast burritos. They were the first breakfast burritos I’d ever eaten in my life and they were fantastic. As soon as we ate them he ushered us out the door.

We piled into his car (in his really cool car that he skillfully drove, if I hadn’t mentioned that already) and we zipped back to town. Upon arrival at the service station we found our car sitting outside in the parking lot. Our host parked beside it and went in before us to check on the repair. He returned to let us know the car was fixed. We went in to take care of the bill and get the keys. When we returned, there he was leaning on his car, waiting to see us off. We thanked him over and over again for his extreme kindness. My heart truly swelled with gratitude (and relief). I asked him how in the world we could ever repay him for all that he had done for us. He simply responded, “Someday, someone will need you as much as you needed me…pay it forward,” and he waved goodbye to us as we drove away.

His name was Robert Ortiz…one of a hundred Robert Ortiz’s in the Albuquerque phonebook in the 1980’s. I have looked occasionally for him ever since. Often wishing to find him. But then, the bigger part of me is happy to let him forever be the “angel” that he was, and trust that I shall see him again someday when I can tell him how I repaid him.

I wish I could say this was the only bump in the road and the rest of the trip was uneventful, but more peril lie ahead.

The roads were a terrible mess through Colorado and Denver, icy all the way from Cheyenne north. The sun had long ago set in the sky when we ran almost out of fuel at Douglas. We dashed into a gas station (about one or two o’clock in the morning) and searched the cracks and crevices of the car for change, under the seats, in the ash tray, in the glove-box, every nook and cranny, until we came up with about $2.00. We thought that should get us home (gas was pretty cheap back then, and a Dodge Colt could go a hundred miles on a gallon of gas just about).

I went in to pay and Carol pumped. But Carol wasn’t paying attention (maybe she dozed off?) and let the pump go over about 10 cents. We knew we didn’t have another dime to our names so we quickly screwed on the gas cap and raced away as thieves in the night with 10 cents worth of stolen gasoline in our tank. We kept expecting a cop to come out of nowhere and pull us over but he never did.

We got back on the highway and just about five little miles down the road I lost control of the car on an icy bridge. We ricocheted like a rocketing pin-ball back and forth across the railings of that bridge all the way to the end. Carol screamed the whole time, “We’re gonna die!!!” And at the end of the bridge, the car shot into the barrow ditch in a cloud of powder white snow. Moments, no, more like seconds later, a semi-truck blew past us, leaving a plume of white in its wake – certain death had we not landed off the road.

When we realized we were still alive, patting all the parts of our bodies, we turned the key on the stalled car to see if it would start again. It did, thank heaven, but try as I might to find a gear and get us going, it wasn’t budging. We got out to see if we were stuck in the snow and found a tire had blown out, and the car was dented all the way around. (Oh man, my dad was going to kill me).

I went to the trunk to retrieve the spare, but couldn’t get the trunk open. Both back corners were mashed-in causing the truck lid to be jammed shut. Just about that time a pickup truck came by, a very nice 4-wheel drive rig, actually, with fog lights and expensive wheels. He slowed and stopped about a hundred feet past us. We watched as he took his rifle off the back window rack and lowered the barrel out the driver’s window, as he then began to slowly back up towards us. Carol and I scrambled for the car screaming, and that’s when we heard him say, “Oh hell, its two girls.”

He got out of his truck, apologized for scaring us, introduced us to his wife, who was sitting right next to him, and then helped us pry our trunk open to get the spare out. He changed our tire, God bless him and explained that he was a National Guardsman. He and his wife were on their way back to Casper after a meeting.

He apologized for scaring us with the gun, but explained that just last week someone in this very stretch of roadway had faked an accident and killed the people who had stopped to help them. The authorities hadn’t caught the perpetrators yet. Some of the other details of his story were pretty disturbing, and an eerie chill washed over us.

Once the tire was fixed the man said he’d follow us to make sure we made it to Casper okay. I begged him to just go on ahead as I was scared to drive very fast and didn’t want to hold him up. He insisted, so we set out together. After several miles of me feeling totally guilty for him to have to drive so slowly, I rolled down my window and waved him by. He obliged, disappearing into the darkness. But then, ten miles later, there he was again, on the side of the road. We slowed down and stopped to see if he was waiting for us or what. He said he had a blowout himself and had to change his tire. He told us to go on ahead and he’d see us down the road. Sure enough, a little while later there he was again, going out around us and disappearing into the darkness.

Carol and I finally made it to her apartment about 4 o’clock that morning. We were exhausted. I believe I knelt down and kissed the frosty pavement of the parking space in the parking lot of her building, and might have fallen asleep there from exhaustion if it hadn’t been so bloody cold.

The next morning as I dug in my purse for the keys to my broken car, so I could go check-in with my sister, there, tucked way down in the very bottom was a $20 dollar bill. What? Where did this come from, I thought? When I told Carol about it, she looked in her purse, and behold there found a $20 bill also. We both scratched our heads and surmised that it had to have been Robert, in Albuquerque. He had to have done it after we fell asleep at his house. Neither of us ever heard him come into our room. OMGosh, he was in our room while we slept (creepy), but he tucked money into our purses (tears). How did he do this without either of us hearing him?

Was Robert an angel? He was certainly a mysterious stranger, with an undercover life, who appeared out of nowhere in our most desperate hour. And his last words to us, “Do as I have done for you,” sure goes a long ways to making the case.

And our National Guardsman…was he an angel too?

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels unawares…..

I wish I could say this was the only harebrained adventure I’d ever set off on, but it wasn’t. In fact, there were so many that there is probably not enough blog space on WordPress to confess all of them to you. My life is an avalanche of dumb-ass stunts that God has miraculously retrieved me from. When I get to heaven I am certain I will owe my guardian angels big time.

As stupid as I have been in my life, I cannot be so foolish as NOT to thank God upon every cringe-worthy remembrance. I must thank Him for His mercy. I thank Him for the hands that have led me safely home thus far. As I look back over my life, and see my Savior’s tender care, I shall trust that where ever my path may weave from here, He’ll lead me safely home. Praise the Lord.

Soooooooooooo….what’s your story?

Read other stories at CBN.com: Saved By Angels. And Angels on the Highway.

Entertaining, Feast on This, New Years Eve Party, New Years Traditions

Count Down to New Years

December 23, 2015October 18, 2018 mrshlovesjesus

TRADITIONS…TRADITIONS…TRADITONS

I’ve always sort of wanted to be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. And then again….eeeks! Sooooo many people…cringe…the thought of it almost makes me, ummm, well, I guess the word I’m looking for is: closterphobic? Perhaps it is better just to watch it on TV? Regardless, what New Year’s celebration would be complete without a champagne flute of some bubbly, a clock to count down the hours and minutes to midnight, some sort of fireworks and confetti, a kiss with our sweetheart, and singing Auld Lang Syne together with everyone in our time zone? It’s an American Tradition! Or is it? Where did all this tradition come from?

“NEW YEARS ROCKIN’ EVE”

Did you know that American Band Stand host, Dick Clark began New Years Rockin’ Eve in 1973/74 on NBC as an alternative to Guy Lombardo’s popular and long-running New Year’s Eve big band broadcasts on CBS. The first two editions were hosted by Three Dog Night and George Carlin, respectively, and featured Dick Clark as the Times Square reporter. In 1974/75, the program moved to ABC, where Clark assumed the role of host, and the show has lived on even after his death in 2012, to be now hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BALL”

Did you know the Times Square Ball is located on the roof of One Times Square? The ball is a prominent part of the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, colloquially known as the “ball drop,” where the “time ball” descends 141 feet in 60 seconds down a specially designed flagpole, beginning at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and resting at midnight to signal the start of the new year?

The event was first organized by Adolph Ochs, owner of The New York Times newspaper, as a successor to a series of New Year’s Eve fireworks displays he held at the building to promote its status as the new headquarters of the Times, while the ball itself was designed by Artkraft Strauss. First held on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908, the ball drop has been held annually since, except in 1942/43 in observance of wartime blackouts.

The ball’s design has also been updated over the years to reflect improvements in lighting technology; the original design was made from wood and iron and lit with 100 incandescent light bulbs, while its current incarnation features a computerized LED lighting system and an outer surface consisting of triangle-shaped crystal panels. Since 2009, the current ball has been displayed atop the building year-round, while the original, smaller version of the current ball that was used in 2008 is on display at Times Square’s visitor center.

The event is organized by the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, a company led by Jeff Strauss, and is among the most notable New Year’s celebrations internationally: it is attended by at least 1 million spectators yearly, and is nationally televised as part of New Year’s Eve specials broadcast by a number of networks and cable channels. The prevalence of the Times Square ball drop has inspired similar “drops” at other local New Year’s Eve events across the country. (This info found at Wikipedia)

“AULD LANG SYNE”

Did you know that when we sing,“Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind…” that we sing an old Scots poem, popularly believed written by Robert Burns in 1788, and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294) possibly that Burns simply dictated and added a few verses to an old song from the fragments of another old man’s memory?

Auld Lang Syne basically means “old times gone,” according to Gurmeet Mattu.

And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,

And gie’s a hand o thine

And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,

For auld lang sine.

Which, in modern English translates to:

And there’s a hand my trusty friend,

And give me a hand of yours,

And we will take a right good drink,

For old times gone.

Burns is said to have captured the essence of emotion, whether it was the friendship of two people or the brotherhood of an entire race. As we link arms, or hold hands on New Year’s Day and sing Auld Lang Syne, let us remember that we are wishing a good new year to our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, the people of our town, our countrymen, and ultimately the whole world!

Above info found here and here!

MORE SCOTS TRADITION

In researching the origins of the famously sung song I stumbled upon another curious New Year’s tradition of the Scots. In Scotland, December 31^st is Hogmanay and commemorates the passing of the shortest day of the year. Aside from the pagan roots of this festival it is a celebration of new life. This renewal of life is required to be celebrated properly, to insure a good and prosperous new year. It begins with Scots housewives thoroughly cleaning their homes on Hogmanay, including taking out the ashes from the fire. This cleared out the old year and prepared for a fresh new start.

On Hogmanay the Scots welcomed friends and strangers into their homes, offering them hospitality, including a kiss to wish them a Guid New Year. These visitations included what they called the ‘first foot.’ If the first foot to enter your home on that first day of the New Year was a tall, dark, male, you could expect to have good luck that year. A blonde man entering your home however was a sign for trouble. A throwback, no doubt, to the Viking days when blonde strangers arriving at your door invariably meant danger. If you were that tall, dark, Scotsman, out and about to visit your neighbors and friends as their “first foot” you were expected to bring symbolic gifts of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun, and whisky.

There are a whole lot more curious facts about “First Footings” at SNOPES.com and you would be amused to go and read about them.

FOOD FOR LUCK!

In the south it is a tradition to eat Black-eyed Peas (with greens, and cornbread) as the first meal of the New Year to bring good luck and prosperity upon the year. But why black-eyed peas?

Most Southerners will tell you that it dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas (like purple hull peas) were considered animal food. The peas were not worthy of General Sherman’s Union troops. When Union soldiers raided the Confederates food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas became symbolic of luck.

Black-eyed peas were also given to slaves, as were most other traditional New Year’s foods. Let’s face it: a lot of the stuff we eat on New Year’s is soul food. One explanation of the superstition says that black-eyed peas were all the southern slaves had to celebrate with on the first day of January, 1863. What were they celebrating? That was the day when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. From then on, peas were always eaten on the first day of January.

Others say that since the south has generally always been the place for farming, black-eyed peas are just a good thing to celebrate with in the winter. Not many crops grow this time of the year, but black-eyed peas hold up well, are cheap, and just make good sense.

The oldest explanation for this tradition is found is on Wikipedia: the tradition dates as far back as ancient Egypt. During the time of the Pharaohs, it was believed that eating a meager food like black-eyed peas showed humility before the gods, and such a humble one would be blessed. According to Wikipedia, the Babylonian Talmud, which dates to 339 CE, instructs the faithful Jews to eat black-eyed peas at Rosh Hashana. The belief was similar: those who ate black-eyes showed their humility and saved themselves from the wrath of God. (about.com)

Whatever the reason, I love black-eyed peas!!! So for me New Year’s is the perfect excuse to break out some Cowboy Caviar or a bubbling pot of Hopping John!

And now that I know about Hogmanay, that tall, dark, and handsome man of mine is going to have to stay up on New Year’s Eve and be my “First Footing” before our blonde son-in-law of Norwegian ancestry spoils the whole deal. (Sorry, sweetheart. It’s nothing personal. You can still come, but please let the old man walk through the door first, and then we’ll gladly accept your gifts of whiskey and shortbread).

As a girl of Scottish blood, my ancestors must probably be rolling over in their graves to see that our daughter brought home a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Viking husband, although if they knew him they would all love the boy – even if he does own a Viking sword and has the strength of Conan the Barbarian to wield it! He is a gentle giant, a protector, and not at all a raping, pillaging conquerer, but in all fairness, I haven’t seen him mad yet!

RESOLUTIONS

Yet another traditional aspect of this holiday is resolutions. Do you make resolutions? I usually resolve to be more diligent to spend time in God’s word and prayer. I resolve to be nicer to my family, and more thoughtful with my friends. But making resolutions…are they a set up for failure? I think it is good to have goals. If we reach them hooray…if not, well, we have something to strive for next year.

TIME CAPSULES

I always thought it would be a neat tradition to collect things from throughout the previous year, little trinkets (a gas receipt, a grocery store receipt, a photo of our family, something representative of the hobbies and activities we were involved in over the year, plane tickets, restaurant receipts, and items that would tell the story of our lives that year), then put them all in a time capsule and bury it in the back yard. How fun to find it (or one that someone else has buried) years and years and years from now.

FIREWORKS

Our first year in south Texas we found the weather phenomenal for shooting off fireworks at midnight in our back yard. One year we got to have my mom and sister and her family join us in our Texas tradition…

In my devotional, SAVOR by Shauna Niequist, (which I am sadly coming to the end of) on page 378, she explains something she learned as a student of Irish literature in college. It was the Celtic idea of “thin places.” She explains that these thin places are places where “the boundary between the natural world and the supernatural one is more permeable – thinner, if you will.” I’m pretty sure I have experienced many “thin places” in my life. The first sunset that I saw after giving my life to Jesus…gazing over the vast Grand Canyon as an adult…coming around the bend and out from the tall pines to be smacked in the face with the Grand Tetons…seeing my very first granddaughter born and watching her look up at each of us…and while sitting in my south Texas back yard for the first time, at night, waiting for my son-in-law to launch the first New Years fireworks. We were all sitting under a massive live oak tree and on the other side of the limbs and leaves was a big black sky glittering with stars. It was as if God put lights in my trees, as if He did it just for me, just to let me know He was mindful of me, and showering me with His sweetest blessings.

* * *

Thank you God for each New Year, and for all the bumps in the road You’ve brought us over. Oh how my heart wants to shout out in a loud voice how magnificent You are and how wondrous Your mighty grace and mercy towards us. You are our new life and our new beginning, and our tall, dark, and handsome gift-bearer – the fairest of ten thousand. At Your coming every eye will see, every tongue confess, and every knee shall bow. May the humble meals we share together on earth be always a reminder of the magnificent feast we shall share with You in heaven. With gratitude we ask your blessing on our New Year. IJN Amen

* * *

Whatever you have planned for your Count-Down-Party: a houseful of friends, champagne and small bites, watching the ball drop together and singing Auld Lang Syne arm-in-arm as the clock strikes midnight, sharing a kiss and shooting off fireworks, and welcoming your first foot to the goodluck meal you’ve made on New Year’s Day, I pray for you that God will bring you through every hardship, lead you to the thin places where you see Him with spiritual eyes that raise goosebumps on your skin, and gain strength from His inner peace for this earthly journey, and that your new year is drenched in His love and blessing.

~ Recipes ~

Mrs H’s COWBOY CAVIAR

1 14-oz. can black eyed peas – drained

1 14-oz. can white corn – drained

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 avocados – cubed

4 tomatoes – diced (prefer sweet cherry tomatoes – about 2 cups of chopped)

1 clove garlic – minced

1 to 2 fresh Jalapeños– diced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. Cumin

¾ tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

1/8 tsp. Cayenne powder (or Tabasco sauce)

Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and allow flavors to meld for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips.

BLACK EYED PEAS – HOPPIN’ JOHN

3 Ham Hocks

1 48-oz. Box chicken broth

1 (16-oz) package dry black-eye peas

1 lb hardwood smoked bacon, thick sliced, cooked crispy

Several slices of smoked ham, chopped roughly

1 cup chopped onion

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

2 large jalapenos, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 serrano chili, seeds removed, diced

3 Bay Leaves

1 14.5-oz can Fire roasted Tomatoes

Hot pepper sauce

1 package ready to eat Kale, torn into bite size pieces

I put a large box of chicken broth, plus about 4 cups of water in a large pot on the stove and add my ham hocks to it, bring it to a boil, and let it stew for a couple hours to bring as much flavor out of the ham hocks as possible before making my Black-eyed peas.

Fill a large sauce pot about half full of water and bring to a boil. Rinse and sort black-eyed peas and add to the water. Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse, and then add to the pot with the ham hocks. Keep the liquid boiling gently. Add onion, celery, jalapenos, serrano, and red pepper, Bay leaves, and ham. Cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. Add water if necessary to keep it soupy. Season to taste with salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce or cayenne powder.

In a large skillet fry bacon until crispy. Add the bacon to the peas while they are cooking. Once the peas are soft and about to be served, remove the ham hocks and bay leaves, and add tomatoes and kale. Let simmer until kale is wilted. Serve with cornbread.

MRS H’s GREENS

1 lb hardwood smoked bacon, thick sliced

1 small onion sliced into thin slivers

2 garlic cloves

1 bunch Kale

1 bunch collard greens (or other favorite greens)

1 bunch turnip greens (or other favorite greens)

3 Tablespoons honey

Hot pepper sauce (chili peppers in vinegar) for a condiment

In large skillet fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from drippings, break up and set aside. Add onion and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add kale, collards, and turnip greens. Toss in hot bacon drippings until all the greens are wilted. Turn heat down to low. Drizzle greens with honey, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Toss with bacon crumbles and serve with *hot pepper sauce.

*I am fortunate to live where chili pequin peppers grow wild. I have several bushes of them in my yard. About mid to late summer they start putting on little green chili peppers that are about the size of a small English pea. They are on a heat scale par with a habenaro. By Christmastime my bushes are loaded with ripe chilies and before a frost comes along to kill them I get out and pick them all. I dry most of them and then grind them into powder. Some of them I use to make hot pepper sauce. To make it I first wash my little chilies and then pack them whole into pint sized mason jars that have been washed and placed in boiling water on the stove. I pack the jars about half full of the chilies. I heat some white vinegar in a sauce pot (enough to fill however many jars of chilies I have) until the vinegar just comes to a boil, then I pour the boiling vinegar over the chilies until the jars are full. I then cap the jars with sterilized lids and let them cool, and then place them in the refrigerator. Whenver I make greens, this is the “hot pepper sauce” I use to season them with. It is delicious.

Corn Bread (to be honest, I usually use a boxed mix. I love the honey cornbread and often add to it a (12-oz) can of creamed corn, about ½ cup shredded Jalapeno Pepper-Jack cheese, and a chopped jalapeno (no seeds) to the batter, along with an extra egg, and sometimes a handful of chopped green onion. Because of the added ingredients I cut the liquid (usually milk) back by about a 1/4 cup, and bake as directed). I love hot fresh cornbread slathered in butter.

Happy New Year, y’all! ❤

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. Nehemiah 8:10 & 12

Christmas Dinner Recipes, Feast on This, Holiday Memories

Mrs H’s Christmas Dinner Cookbook

December 18, 2015December 29, 2017 mrshlovesjesus

Welcome to my table. We’re just having a small family affair this year, but we’re happy to share it with you? And yes, those ARE paper plates. I don’t consider that low class, I say it’s showing love to my guests. First of all, paper doesn’t break, so everyone can relax and just enjoy the food and the company and not worry about knocking a glass over, dropping a plate, or banging a treasured platter against the ceramic sink and chipping it. Want seconds? Just help yourself to a new, clean plate. And when dinner has been served, enjoyed, relished, savored, and devoured, nobody (not one of the men – ha! right, women, or children – or more importantly ME, who hates to do dishes) has to gather up and scrape the food, fill the sinks with hot suds, don a dish towel, or ask where the dessert plates go. It all goes into the waste pale and out to the curb. Only the food has to be dealt with, and in a few minutes we can all scoot off into the living room and gather around the television for a movie, drag out a fun board game, gather around the stereo and sing Christmas carols, or grab our jackets and pile in the car for a trip around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. Paper is pretty, and blessedly low maintenance.

Veggie Platter

Meat & Cheese Platter

Warm Artichoke Dip with toasted bread

Deviled Eggs

Christmas Cookies

On the Menu:

Prime Rib (served with horseradish sauce and au jus)

Steamed Artichokes (which aren’t usually in season until March, so they may not be available – in which case I substitute a yummy Brussels Sprouts dish)

Potato Casserole

Creamed Spinach with sliced baby portabella mushrooms

Yorkshire Pudding

Fruit Salad (ambrosia)

Deviled Eggs

Tamales

a Relish Platter to nibble on until the roast is perfect

and finally…

a warm, fruit cocktail sour dough Friendship Cake for dessert (because it is the only fruitcake I figure I can get them to eat),

or… (if I’ve forgotten to get my starter stared back around Halloween)…

warm Gingerbread with whipped cream on top

or… A wonderful Pumpkin Roll (homemade of course)

Perfectly medium rare Prime Rib

Prime Rib, potato casserole, Becky’s Green Bean dish, Yorkshire Pudding, and burgundy mushrooms

Yorkshire Pudding

Steamed Artichoke

Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole

Creamed Spinach with Portabella Mushrooms

Colonial Gingerbread with whipped cream on top

Country Christmas

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PERFECT PRIME RIB

A Prime Rib Roast can be a scary endeavor, but be brave. Don’t let it intimidate you. It’s scary for all of us the first time, because it is sooooo expensive, and overcooking it will totally ruin it, but there are some tricks to the trade that make it a cinch. And truly anyone can do it!

The first trick is to cook it “low and slow,” and the second is to use a meat thermometer, preferably one of the professional expensive ones with a wireless digital read out – totally worth the expense!

You’ll need a roast with half as many ribs as you have guests…so 8 guests equals a 4-rib roast. Most butchers prefer you to place your prime rib order with them a week or two in advance.

Choose well marbled meat from a reputable butcher.

If possible (or affordable) have it professionally dry aged.

Pick the roast up from the butcher at least a day or two before your meal. Salt the roast liberally on all sides with kosher salt the day before, rewrap loosely and keep in the fridge. (NOTE: some folks say this dries out the meat, but the first Prime I made wasn’t dry at all. As a test I skipped it the next year and really didn’t notice a difference. However, I did notice the butter sticks to the surface better if it has been salted, and the salted roast also seemed to end up with that wonderful crust at the end, better than the unsalted roast.)

Bring your roast out of the fridge a couple hours ahead of baking to allow it to come to room temperature.

In the meantime preheat your oven (or roaster) to 220 degrees, and make the following:

Seasoned Butter Rub

Combine 1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon Thyme

and 4 garlic cloves minced in a bowl. Mix well.

Spread this butter mixture evenly over entire roast and then place several Bay Leaves around on top.

Place roast, ribs down on a rack and into a roasting pan with tall sides, like you would use to roast a turkey. Insert meat thermometer so the tip is in the thickest part of the beef, not resting in fat or touching bone, and somewhere in the center half way between the ends. Place roast in oven (or roaster), uncovered. (Note: Some roasters, mine in particular, run hot, so I put an oven thermometer in mine where I can see it from the little window, and I check it often to make sure the temperature inside is what I want it to be).

Slow-roast the prime rib for about 4 to 5 hours (for a 3 rib roast), until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F (for medium rare) and 135 (for medium/medium well). After the first hour in the oven turn the oven temp down to 200 degrees. After another hour in the oven, turn the temp down to 170 degrees. My 4 rib roast took about 5 hours to bake. Go by temp not by time. If you have the time, you can roast at 170 degrees for the whole time. Use a digital or remote read thermometer to monitor the temp. Begin closely monitoring the internal temperature about an hour before the estimated end of the roasting time and check back often, like every 10 to 15 minutes.

Once temp is reached, remove roast from oven, and increase oven temp to 500 degrees. Once the oven is heated, return the roast, uncovered, to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to produce that nice crust on the outside. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes .

Remove Ribs and string, and carve slices of prime rib for guests. Serve with horseradish sauce and au jus.

AU JUS GRAVY

Place pan on stove on medium heat. Place 2 tablespoons of beef roast drippings (if there are any, if not use butter or bacon fat melted) plus 1 to 2 tablespoons flour to the pan. Stir with a wire whisk until the flour has thickened and is smooth. Continue to cook slowly and stir constantly so that the flour taste cooks out, but don’t let it burn. Slowly add 3 cups of beef broth, or 2 cups broth and 1 cup cream, or beer, or wine to the gravy. Season the gravy with salt and pepper and herbs d province if desired.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

1 to 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish (or more to taste)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp chopped chives or the greens of a green table onion

Mix ingredients together. Place a tablespoon or two each into small bowls and serve to guests with their roast.

Makes about 1/2 a cup.

* * *

CHEESY HASHBROWN POTATO CASSEROLE

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
8 ounces (1 container) sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1 bag (32 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes (about 7 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups crushed corn flakes mixed with 1/4 cup melted butter

Stir the soup, sour cream, butter, onion and cheese in a 3-quart shallow baking dish and then add the potatoes and toss until mixed well. Season with the black pepper. Spread in a 9 x 13″ pan. Sprinkle the potato mixture evenly with the crushed corn flakes and butter. Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

NOTE: Sometimes I like to add 1/2 block of softened cream cheese and a minced clove of garlic to the sour cream and soup mixture, and about a teaspoon of salt.

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ARTICHOKES

Cut off stems and trim the thorny tips from artichoke leaves. Rub cut ends with lemon juice (to help prevent discoloring). Place chokes stem end down in a large Dutch oven sized sauce pot and fill about 2 inches deep with boiling water. Turn heat on medium high. Place lid on pot and steam artichokes for about an hour, replacing water as it evaporates. Check often.

To test for doneness, lift the lid (don’t burn yourself) and try to pry a leaf from the side of one of the chokes. If it lifts out easily, they are done. If there is resistance, continue to steam and check again in five minutes.

While chokes steam, make the following dipping sauce in a small bowl.

Artichoke Dipping Sauce

1½ cups mayo

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

1 tsp lemon pepper.

Serve an artichoke to each guest with about 1/3 cup of sauce to dip the leaves into.

* * *

COLLEEN’S FAVORITE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

2 packages of fresh Brussels sprouts, quartered or sliced

1/2 bunch of Asparagus, touch ends removed, chopped into 1″ pieces (optional)

½ lb thin sliced bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Parmesan cheese

Place bacon on cookie sheet in 400 degree oven and cook until crispy. Break into pieces. Add onion and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté in oven until translucent. Toss in Brussels sprouts and stir to mingle all ingredients well. Let roast in oven for about 8 minutes, until Brussels sprouts are brighter colored. Turn oven down to 350 and add asparagus. Roast until brussels sprouts are desired tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss in almonds. Shave some parmesan cheese on top for garnish.

(*Sweet golden raisins counteract the bitter taste of the Brussels sprouts and really add a neat balance to the dish, but picky eaters may not like raisins, so if you use them, make sure you chop them up really small so no one can’t tell that they are in there – ha!).

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CARMELIZED BAKED ACORN SQUASH

Acorn Squashes, cut in half, seeds and membranes scoooped out (you’ll need half as many squashes as you have guests)

2 Tablespoons butter per squash half

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar per squash

pinch of salt per squash

Bake in 350*F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until squash is completely tender. If your squashes won’t sit level you can make a ring out of a rope of tin foil and then use them as stands to set your squashes on to hold them level while they bake.

dscn7520 — BUTTERNUT SQUASH: Cut in half, remove seeds, place cut side down on baking sheet and then into a 350 degrees oven. Add about a cup of water to the pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, cut off the tough outer skin, slice into pieces and then drizzle with caramel sauce. Return to oven and broil for a minute or two to caramelize slightly before serving. I make my caramel sauce with 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 stick of butter, either heated in a pan or in the microwave until sugar melts into butter. I add a splash of Half and Half and stir until creamy, then drizzle over squash. Finally give it all a little sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.

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CREAMED SPINACH

1 ½ cups heavy cream

½ cup finally chopped yellow onion

3 pounds baby spinach, freshly washed

1 carton baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into quarters

3 Tbsp butter

Kosher salt

Cayenne pepper

Combine the cream and onion in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let cook until the cream has thickened and reduced by half, and the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add about a quarter of the spinach to the dry pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Add more spinach to the pot and repeat until all of the spinach is wilted.

Set a strainer in the sink and transfer the spinach to the strainer. Drain off the excess liquid. In the meantime sauté mushrooms in butter until tender. Return the spinach to the pot with the mushrooms. Add the reduced cream mixture, season well with salt and cayenne pepper, and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

* * *

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

Traditional Yorkshire pudding cooked with roast drippings.

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 eggs, beaten*

2-4 Tbsp of roast drippings

* If you double the recipe, add an extra egg to the batter.

Sift together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in the center. Add the milk, melted butter, and eggs and beat until the batter is completely smooth (no lumps), the consistency of whipping cream. Let sit for an hour.

Heat oven to 450°F. Add roast drippings to a 9×12-inch Pyrex or ceramic casserole dish, coating the bottom of the dish. Heat the dish in the oven for 10 minutes.

For a popover version you can use a popover pan or a muffin pan, putting at least a teaspoon of drippings in the bottom of each well, and place in oven for just a couple minutes.

Carefully pour the batter into the pan (or the wells of muffin/popover pans, filling just 1/3 full), once the pan is hot. Cook for 15 minutes at 450°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes, until puffy and golden brown.

Cut into squares to serve.

(Recipe courtesy of http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/yorkshire_pudding/#ixzz3MlqgYWNC)

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Christmas Dinner1 — Gracee’s Christmas Dinner Table

dscn7482 — One of my Christmas Dinner Tables

The next recipe for Amish Friendship Cake, makes a nice Christmas gift for your neighbors, coworkers, the mailman, hairdresser, etc. You give them a small loaf of the bread and a small container of the starter, along with the instructions for how to keep the starter going, and also the recipe for the bread. You just have to remember to start it around Halloween!

I’ve included both the pink liquid recipe and the sour dough recipe.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP CAKE (The Pink Liquid Stuff)

There are 3 steps to this Amish Friendship Cake. First you have to make the initial Starter. This process takes 30 days to make. The whole process, if starting here takes 60 days. The third step is to make the Amish Friendship Cake.

Starter

1 cup pineapple chunk, drained

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brandy

Combine ingredients in a glass gallon jar. Cover loosely with 3 layers of paper towels rubber banded to the opening of the jar, and with a wooden spoon inserted through the cover to stir contents daily – DO NOT REMOVE PAPER TOWELS OR SPOON TO STIR! Note: leave jar on the counter & DO NOT REFRIGERATE!

Stir daily for 14 days.

Day 15

Add:

1 cup maraschino cherry, including the juice

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brandy

Replace with new paper towel cover and stir daily as above.

Day 30

Strain the fruit from the juice using a plastic strainer (DO NOT USE A METAL STRAINER).

The resulting “juice” is the “starter” for the Secondary Starter. Divide fruit in thirds and freeze the fruit for another use. You can use this fruit to add to the other Amish Friendship Bread that is made with a sour dough starter.

Secondary Starter

1 1/2 cups Amish starter (from above)

1 (20 ounce) cans sliced peaches in juice

2 1/2 cups sugar

Put first three ingredients in a gallon jar, covered loosely with spoon inserted as above. Stir once a day for 10 days.

On the 10th day, add:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (20 ounce) cans pineapple chunks in juice

Stir every day for 10 days.

On the 20th Day, add:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (10 ounce) jars maraschino cherries, and juice

1 (20 ounce) cans fruit cocktail, and juice

Stir every day for 10 days.

On the 30th Day, strain the fruit from the juice using a plastic strainer (DO NOT USE A METAL STRAINER). Divide fruit in thirds. Freeze 2/3 of the fruit for another use. Use the remaining fruit for the following cake. Divide the liquid into 5-6 jars, each containing 1 1/2 cups of juice. Give jars of starter to friends, along with the recipe for the secondary starter and the Amish Friendship Cake listed below.

Amish Friendship Cake

1 yellow cake mix

2/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1/3 of the fruit (prepared with the starter above)

1 cup nuts, chopped

1 (3 1/2 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding

Mix all ingredients together, and bake in a greased Bundt pan at 350 degrees, for 50 minutes or until done. Serve warm with whipped cream, or cool and frost with a cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

AMISH SOUR DOUGH STARTER

3 cups sugar

3 cups flour

3 cups milk

Day One: In a large clean glass bowl or gallon sized wide mouth jar combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cover loosely with a clean cloth dish towel or paper towel or paper plate. Keep at room temperature. DO NOT USE ANYTHING METAL TO CONTAIN, COVER, OR STIR, DO NOT REFRIGERATE, AND DO NOT COVER TIGHTLY.

Day Two: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Three: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Four: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Five: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Six: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Seven: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Eight: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Nine: Stir once with a clean, dry wooden spoon. Replace cover. Keep at room temperature.

Day Ten: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon. At this point you can remove 3 cups of mixture and place 1 cup into each of 3 plastic containers to give to three friends, along with the following instructions for keeping the starter going, and the recipe for Friendship Bread. They, and you, will keep the starter going with the following instructions:

Day 11: Place starter in large clean glass bowl or gallon sized wide-mouth jar. Cover loosely with cloth or paper towel or paper plate and set on counter at room temperature.

Day 12 through 15: Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon once every day and replace cover loosely.

Day 16: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour. Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon and replace cover loosely.

Day 17 through 21: Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon and replace cover loosely.

Day 22: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour. Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon and replace cover loosely.

Day 23 through 26: Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon and replace cover loosely.

Day 27: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour. Stir with a clean, dry wooden spoon.

You are now ready to bake the bread.

Give away two cups of the starter to two friends, along with a small loaf of the bread you bake with your starter, plus instructions for keeping the starter going (day 11-27), and the recipe for the bread. Reserve a cup of the starter for yourself and keep it alive for another batch.

This is a great “sour dough” for many baked things (breads, cakes, pancakes, etc.), so even if you don’t want to keep making this bread, you can keep it going for making lots of other things.

Amish Friendship Bread (with fruit)

1 cup oil

½ cup milk

3 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour (an extra Tablespoon if using drained fruit)

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ tsp salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 (5-oz) box instant vanilla pudding

1 (12-oz) can fruit cocktail (for fermented fruit from the first Amish Friendship Cake recipe), well drained and patted dry with paper toweling

1 cup chopped nuts

Cinnamon and Sugar mixture

Mix oil and eggs, add vanilla, and stir into the 1 cup of remaining STARTER. In a separate bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pudding mix, and nuts. Stir in oil and egg mixture, and add fruit. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Pour into two large, well greased 9 X 5 loaf pans, or 4 to 6 mini loaf pans, or one Bundt pan that has been well greased and sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and a dusting of flour. Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on the tops of the loaves.

Place in preheated 325 degree F oven for one hour or until bread springs back with touched and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

* * *

Colonial Gingerbread with whipped cream on top

COLONIAL GINGERBREAD with whipped cream on top

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup dark molasses

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground fresh ginger root

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325*F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9″ pan. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a mixer until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times during blending. Pour batter into greased bundt pan (or 9 x 13″ pan) and bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, but don’t let it over bake or it will be dry.

*If you like your gingerbread a little more moist and sticky you can make the following glaze and pour over the warm bread, even poking a few holes into the bread with a kabob skewer.

1/2 cup dark molasses

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

pinch of salt

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp pure Vanilla extract

Place cornstarch and molasses in a small heavy sauce pot over medium high heat. Add boiling water and salt to the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook another 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla, stir and then pour over warm gingerbread. The gingerbread can be enjoyed just like this, or you can sprinkle chopped nuts on top. I like mine with a heaping dallop of whipped cream.

Whipped Cream Topping

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

dash of salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a small bowl with the mixer on medium speed. Beat until soft peaks form and keep their shape. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve, or frost cooled cake and then keep cake in refrigerator until ready to serve. I used Red Hots candies and mint leaves to decorate my cake, and then dusted it with a little nutmeg.

dscn7521 — PUMPKIN ROLL: I used the recipe on the label of Libby’s solid pack pumpkin.

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITES

Besides the obvious and most centerpiece activity – shopping for, giving, opening ,and playing with presents, there are several other activities that are traditional in our Christmas season: the Shoebox, the angel-tree, making cookies, writing a Christmas letter and mailing out with Christmas cards, doing crafts, attending school parties, programs and functions, going to all the community events like the parade, the college festival of lights, the downtown square event in our town and in the nearby towns, the festival of lights at the 501 Ranch, and whatever else we find out about.

On Christmas Eve it is a tradition to eat 3 types of chili and tamales, open one present (from the same Aunt year after year – and she always sends pajamas), driving around to look at Christmas lights, and watching Christmas movies (A Christmas Story) until, according to the NORAD website, Santa is in the USA and getting close!

There’s also the Advent Calendar that is a yearly custom for the kids:

The Advent Wreath is always part of the season:

After Christmas dinner there is always a puzzle:

And this year we added a hay ride, and made a fire outside to sit around before it got dark, then making a fire in the fireplace inside and sitting around it playing with our toys and watching Christmas movies (National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and others) and snacking on Christmas goodies:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

*Assortment of Christmas Cookies & various flavors of teas

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

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Bye Bye Birdie

Oklahoma!

“…the morning STARS sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy!” Job 38:7

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After my little luncheon that I hosted I thought of another way to make flowerpot cupcakes that you may like better…

“Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”

Psalm 34:8

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Our tour started with the Census taker…

Schedule No. 1 – Free Inhabitants

Schedule No. 2 – Slave Inhabitants

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From there we wandered to the stations that were set up…

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The first station on our tour was of the soldier’s quarters

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Moving on to textiles…

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And then we learned how folks kept all of their clothes and linens, and themselves, CLEAN!

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Next on the tour was weaponry…

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We missed the firing of the cannon the first year of our tour, but on our third we had the good fortune of getting to experience all however many decibles of it.

Here is a video of the cannon being fired at Fort Inge Living History Days from several years ago…

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And next door to this was the Officer’s Quarters…

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At the next station the kids enjoyed doing some CHORES…

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Once they were finished with their chores they were allowed to run along to school…

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If there was any time left after chores and school, these were some of the toys that kids got to play with back in those days…

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The next two stations were the kitchens…

Next door to the hot stove was the other part of the kitchen, where the other preparations are made and the eating takes place…

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I think we walked past a station set up for blacksmithing…

This year we all got to experience a real Military TELEGRAPH station…

And also this year we got to see a real Teepee set up…

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And then there was the lady with the Dulcimer…

The last stop on our visit was around the hedgerow to see the camels…

We ended our visit with a final climb on the rocks by an old outbuilding…

2 Samuel 22:2-4

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Cake

Frosting

Decorate

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Psalm 14:1a

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Ice Breaker: Introduce everyone if your guests don’t know each other, and maybe tell how they each know the mother-to-be.

* * *

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3

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KING AHASHURAS’ GARDEN PARTY

Garden Party 2007

Garden Party 2008

Craft Party 2011

“And when these days were completed, the king made a feast…for all the people…great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.”

Esther 1:5

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“There they made Him a supper; and Martha served…” John 12:2

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…and How to Have Fun at Work