Feed The Hungry Dinner

The Feed The Hungry Dinner was December 21.  I was kind of busy before the holidays so I'm posting a little bit late.  Anyway, it was a success as usual.  We served about sixty dinners and had fun doing it!  Here are some pictures of the dining room before the guests arrived, and the kitchen with two faithful volunteers.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Holiday Dinner Fundraiser

Last night 12/11/09 was the annual Holiday Dinner fundraiser at the Church.  There were 80 people in attendance.  The decorations and table settings, all of which were done by volunteers, were beautiful.  Red and green and gold lent a warm atmosphere to a joyous occasion.  The entertainment was also performed by volunteers; a reading of the classic story, T'was The Night Before Christmas;  songs ranging from Silent Night to Rockin Around the Christmas Tree!  The cost of this event was $8.00 per person.  Here is the menu:

• Shrimp cocktail
• Prime rib, twice baked potato and mixed vegetables
  
• Neapolitan ice cream with chocolate and raspberry sauces
• Coffee, tea and mixed fruit juice
  

Where else can you get a meal like that for $8.00?  We have a fundraiser dinner every month with a different theme and menu.  The entertaiment usually coordinates with the theme.  Next month is tentatively Chinese food.  The price is always $8.00 per person.  p.s. as usual, I was on kitchen duty.

Reindeer Food Recipe

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus and his reindeer will be busy dropping off toys to boys and girls all over the world.  Yay!!  That is a lot of traveling.  Rudolph and all the other reindeer sometimes get hungry during the trip.  So here is a very special recipe for Reindeer Food.  When sprinkled on the ground outside, it sparkles in the glow of Rudolph's Red Nose and makes it easy for them to see your house!  

•  1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 tsp. each - red and green decorating sugar
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Be sure to sprinkle the Reindeer Food before going to bed!  Rudolph will be looking for it with his Red Nose.

Holiday Bazaar Fundraiser at the Church

This past Saturday (12/5) was the annual Holiday Bazaar fundraiser at the church. There were over 50 vendors selling their handmade crafts, and some not handmade. Some of the volunteers baked cakes, cookies, brownies and all sorts of goodies to add to the bake sale section.
I had offered to volunteer, so I was on kitchen duty. We served soup and sandwiches. The homemade soups were wonderful…..chicken noodle and vegetable.
Everything was going really well, there was quite a turnout. But then around 3 o’clock it started to snow. It wasn’t too bad because it was those big flakes that don’t stick to the ground. About an hour later it turned to sleet. People were leaving in droves and we weren’t getting any newcomers. Most of the vendors packed up early.
All in all it was a fun and profitable day!

Thanksgiving Wontons, They're Filled With Pumpkin!

Yes that's right!  Pumpkin Filled Wonton Dumplings.  Really easy to make too.  Just mix some ingredients in a bowl, drop a little of the mixture on a wonton wrapper, and fold over.  Cook in boiling water and you're done!  Follow the link for complete instructions, with photos.

I Went to The Martha Stewart Show Live in NYC

You can go to the live taping of the Martha Stewart Show in New York.  The tickets are free, but you have to request them in advance.  I went twice.  The first time that I went, everyone in the audience got a Cuisinart Panini Griddle as a gift.  That was fantastic!!  A bit cumbersome walking around New York carrying something that weighs about ten pounds.  But I'm not complaining.  The second time, we all got a box of Minute rice and a Cadbury chocolate bar.  Oh well.  Again....not complaining!
If you're going to be in the New York area, it's easy to get tickets.  It just takes some advance planning.
Here is the site for ticket requests:
Martha Stewart Show

Make Cranberry Jelly Using Bottled Juice

How to Make Cranberry Jelly The Easy Way eHow.com