Dinner and Gratitude

We're trying to establish a new routine at our house. Everyone has to tell one thing they are grateful for that day at the dinner table each night. So far, so good. When you have little kids-Benjie and Jonah are 6 and 7-the things they are grateful for are sometimes entertaining. I'll try to keep a list of them and report them to you periodically.

I taught a lesson on gratitude last Sunday to my 6th and 7th grade girls, and tomorrow I'll finish it. It's from Psalms 107, and we didn't even get half way through it. If you haven't read that chapter, you should. It's awesome!

I also introduced the idea of the gratitude journal to them. We'll make it the first week in May. I plan to let them decorate the covers (cardstock) and then staple them together with 8 pages in each. We'll journal 8 times this summer-twice each month in May, June, July and August. Then we'll take them apart, I'll have the covers laminated and the journals bound with plastic combs. Then they will have something they can keep and refer back to, and hopefully will continue to add to. That's the plan, anyway!

I plan to make my own journal, and to write it in every week, but especially on Turkey Day!

New dessert

I made a new dessert last night, and it was good. It'll definately be going on the menu for holidays, including Thanksgiving. It is actually not a new recipe, just newe to me. It's 4 Layer Chocolate Delight, and Lynn's mother used to make it. It's so good, and it can be tweaked in a number of ways...my Bunco friend Debbie made it with strawberries...I'm thinking it would be yummy with bananas and vanilla pudding. Here's the basic recipe! Oohh...think how good it would be done with pumpkin instead of pudding...or maybe like a pumpkin mousse...hmmm...


4 Layer Chocolate Delight

1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup melted margarine or butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix all together and press into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool, then

Mix together:
1 package softned cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip

Spread over the crust, then

Mix together
1 large (family sized) box instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk (I used chocolate milk...double yummy)
1 cup cool whip

Spread over the cream cheese mixture, then spread another cup or so of cool whip over the entire dessert. Let chill for a few minutes, if you can bear to wait. If not, eat it a little soft. Either way, it's good!

I'm going to experiment with the recipe between now and Thanksgiving and see what else I can come up with.

Later!
Cathy

Gratitude Journal

This is a picture from last fall of some ornaments I made for the fall tree. I am going to make some this year and fill them with candy for take-home favors. What do you think? I'm also thinking about filling them with small lists of things we're thankful for...not sure how that will play out just yet! That's the great thing about starting 7 months early...you can tweak things like you want them!


On her Turkey Day Journal, Ginger mentioned a Gratitude Journal. This is something else cooked up over at Magical Holiday Home...I'm telling you, these girls are fabulous at coming up with cool stuff.

I haven't been as faithful as I should with a gratitude journal, but I'm going to start one. It's simply a list of things you are thankful for. I remember BBJ (before Benjie and Jonah), when Jacob was little, every night Lynn and I would sit on his bed at bedtime and each one of us would have to mention 3 things that we were thankful for that day...and no copying! It was amazing how you start paying attention to things to be grateful for to report in that night! I don't know why we stopped doing it...life got in the way, I guess, not to mention two babies, but I want to start doing it again. Jonah has to journal every Thursday night for school, so I'm giving him prompts to write about what he's grateful for. Also, I'm thinking I'm going to start this in my Sunday School class...I'll get each one of them-there's only about 5 on a big day-their own little journal ($1 shop has some cute ones) and make it a monthly lesson to write in them. I just came up with that idea, but I'm liking it!!

My Turkey Day challenge for April:

*purchase journals for me, the boys and my class to start Gratitude Journals
*resume listing 3 things we're thankful for every night-maybe around the dinner table

What about you? Are you grateful enough? Are any of us?

Turkey Day plans

Turkey Day is coming up at the end of the month (the fourth Thursday), so I decided to go ahead and get some plans made, because this is a CRAZY month!

For April Turkey Day, I plan to start working on some new recipe ideas for appetizers, desserts and sides for the big meal. I also want to start working on some decorating ideas, tablescapes and autumn favors for guests to take home.

Check back in a few weeks to see what's new!

Here's a quick picture from last fall...enjoy!

Turkey Day

On this blog, I'll be discussing my thoughts and plans for Thanksgiving. The fourth Thursday of every month has been declared "Turkey Day", dedicated in part to preparing for Thanksgiving and other fall holidays.

I love Thanksgiving...it's my favorite holiday next to Christmas. I love the parade, the food, the fellowship...I love it all! So, at least twice each month I'll be checking in here to make plans and let you know how I'm doing on them!

This is in response to Ginger's challenge at Magical Holiday Home. She keeps us on our toes! I'll be linking her blogs and others as soon as i have time!

Check back on the fourth Thursday for some Scarecrow Soup!