Sunday Before Christmas

Chapel

Family Brunch at the Club

Packaged and Attempted Delivery of  goodies to neighbors

Christmas Program and Reception - The Christmas Program combined children's singing, Middle School Drama, Congregation Singing and the Youth Human Video Team.  It was wonderful. 

Sheep in the Making

Cow 

Middle School Drama Team - Arielle in middle

Stacia - the sheep behind the angel's wings

Nolan on left, Zander next to him - struggling with angel's halo

ALIVE - Youth Human Video team - Arielle left corner

Jared as Jesus, on her knees Ashley as Mary, team in back 

Grand Finale

From 2010-12-19_hood_Program

This little sheep did NOT want to be an angel this year....but I think she began to rethink this as the angels were front and center and their wings kept blocking her view of the camera. Mike grabbed this video. By this point she was DONE with being a star....she was far more interested in the pockets of her new pants. She does NOT wear dresses, but I thought pants may be better for being a sheep - in case she did any role playing....obviously the pockets are very interesting on pants. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Menu Plan

Surprise! Making a menu plan worked so well last week, it would appear it has become a feature of our Sunday Night Family Staff Meeting. ::snort::

Monday ~ Nite Out (our schedules just don't mesh with Michael's AT ALL on Monday it's either a meal at home or a bit of time with Dad - we choose Dad)

Tuesday ~ Chili and Cornbread (Nursing Home Visit)

Wednesday ~ Soup - Taco, Potato, Veggie, Cheeseburger..... (Movie @ 4:30) - Remember to shop, plan and bake for Jesus' party on Saturday

Thursday ~ Gyudon (Lunch and Onsen with friend)

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Lasagna, Italian Bread, Jesus' Party

Sunday - Burger Burn

On the Back Burner (Requests that didn't fit this week)
Chicken Divan
Hawaiian Chicken
BBQ Meatballs 
Big Batch of Spaghetti Sauce (manicotti, spaghetti, lasagna)
Big Batch of Pizza Sauce
BREAD


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Saturday Before Christmas

It' fairly apparent I've been baking the last couple of days.

Today  also included a wonderful break for scones and tea with the PWOC board at Cafe Live Forever.  I love the laughter and joy of meeting with this group. I've never tried the entrées here, but they have a wonderful selection of scones for Y90 each. They're fairly small and so you get just a taste with a nice cuppa milk tea and life is very good.

Christmas Program practice took up the bulk of the afternoon. It's going to be a good one. Hard to believe we're so close to the 25th already...traveling really does change the season. LOL

We arrived home in time to bake 30 dozen Oatmeal Chocolate Craisin cookies , open the crock pot and eat the roast.

I finally began creating our Christmas Card. Family, the yearly calendar will NOT make it by Christmas - sorry. Hopefully by mid- January.

I' wanted to post a video of ALIVE'S human video, but evidently it's too long for blogger. (I just figured out how to embed FB videos on a blogger and work around that). They've worked hard to have an appropriate selection for a family "Children's" Program. Last year their selection was deemed too intense for the venue.  They thought about it this year and came up with one that is perfect. Jared wrote the "script" to accompany, "Mary Did You Know?" The youth on this team are great. Ashley does a wonderful job as Mary. I found it really brought the song alive to me. As a family, we've laughed with Jared on his portrayal of Jesus. First he was very stern to keep from laughing....and I told him he was showing an "Angry Jesus" and that it didn't fit in several spots. Now he's got a bit of a "gangsta swagger" that we hope will disappear by tomorrow. Straight and proud is our mantra.  Nevertheless - enjoy from our youth to your home.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies (Jenells')

I know I keep posting new chocolate chip recipes and saying "this is the best" - but this one is great.  We want chewy but not flat and not cake-like....haven't tired these with healthy ingredients.....but they're good this way. LOL 


Preheat oven to 375 - makes about 4 doz (mine made 7 - with the smaller PC scoop)

3/4 c Butter - softened
1 C packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves (didn't have any and left out)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C all-purpose Flour
2 C Rolled Oats
1 C Chocolate Chips
3/4 C Craisins

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl.

Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves.

Add to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Fold in craisins.

Drop dough by rounded tsp...bake 8-10 min (mine took 11). Cool on cookie sheet for 1 min. Cool on wire rack.

For more recipes check out the tab at the top of the page.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Baking? Huh?

I'm a bit perplexed. 


I didn't set out to spend the day baking. 


I sat down to begin writing a Bible study lesson on James 1:1-18.....and here I am 17 hours later.....

Two big pans of Peanut Butter bars, 5 doz snicker doodles, and BAGS of Tic Tac Toe.....somewhere during the day I sent the kids out to count all the homes in our subdivision....and went to the commissary for more supplies....took Zander to lunch (which he'd been asking for for weeks)....


We ran to the nursing home for the Birthday bash when I realized it was TIME. ::snort:: 


Then home again to more baking.....dinner is done....Mike's still at a shindig....the kids are about to watch a movie....I'm going to bed.


I suspect I'm having a Zocor reaction. I'll have to think about that tomorrow - or Monday. I ache. This happened on the trip...started with a shoulder, then legs, whole body and I quit taking the Zocor until we got home. I've been taking it 10 days and my legs are aching again....could be Zocor. I'm not doing anything differently...but I don't want it to be the Zocor. Oh well, I ache. I'm going to bed.  ::snort:: 


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Peanut Butter Bars (Kristin's)

A brand new favorite this year. Thank you Kristin E, MOPS Director extraordinaire. 


The kids are swarming and asking, "Can we have the less-than-perfect ones?"  The fact that I've had the powdered sugar since we made Jesus' birthday cake LAST Christmas tells you that baking with "real" refined ingredients is rare around here....but still.....Only FIVE ingredients, no-bake....honestly....the mark of a great recipe. 

1 1/2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 lb Confectioners' sugar (3 - 3 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 C Peanut Butter

1 C Butter, melted

1 (12 oz) bag Milk Chocolate Chips (I used semi-sweet - no artificial stuff)

Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and peanut butter. Mix well. 

Blend in melted butter until completely combined. 

Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan. 

Melt Chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. 

Spread over peanut butter mixture. 

Chill until just set and cut into bars (these are VERY hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard". 

For more recipes click the tab above. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

MOPS Mother Child Peppermint Tea

The girls and I were happy to attend a MOPS Peppermint Tea yesterday. What a blast. The discussion was lively, there were crafts for children, individual ornaments to be had, story telling, Christmas music and wonderful Christmas food. It was a joy to see Moms and CHILDREN interacting with OTHER Moms and children. So fun to see children playing and mom's visiting. Great job ladies. 

Arielle suggested we dress in our most festive, jingly, jangly outfits for this occasion....we'd match for the group photo (which I'll have to scan later). 

I did get other photos but they all involve children or moms who have not told me they are o.k. with an occasional guest appearance on our blog. ::snort:: 

We had a short steering committee meeting after the tea. I enjoyed a Skype with a regional board member. I went to the onsen with a dear friend, came home, cooked dinner and slept well. It was a great day! 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...