Giving Challenge ~ Extra Groceries

I know many of us are stockpilers. And, I know that many of us take the opportunity this time of year to share from our stockpiles with worthy organizations. Even as a stockpiler, I found the following to be a great and inexpensive way to give.

Recently, while in one of the grocery stores that I frequent, I noticed a stack of boxes near the register that contained a good supply of dry goods, like rice and baking mix, all neatly packaged and ready to purchase for $4.99. The boxes that are purchased are collected by the store and then delivered to local food banks that are a part of Feeding America.

There were several things that I loved about this opportunity. First, the boxes were well-thought out and nicely packaged. The price point is reasonable and easily "paid for" with my savings from a couple of coupons. The food is going to people in my community. And, Feeding America is "the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity".

I would encourage you to keep an eye out for these boxes in your own grocery stores. It really is a painless way to help someone in need.

Giving Challenge ~ Operation Christmas Child

I have personally been involved with supporting Operation Christmas Child for over 13 years now. It is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse which is a Christian international relief organization founded by Franklin Graham. It has been my privilege to work in many areas of this ministry on a volunteer basis and I have always been impressed by the amazing heart of the OCC staff.

Each year, OCC collects shoe boxes filled with small gifts and then distributes them to children all over the world who are victims of poverty, war, and disease. Each child who receives a shoe box gift also receives a story book, in their own language, that shares the story of Jesus. Millions of shoe boxes have been delivered over the years, and countless families have come to know Jesus as a result of this ministry.

National Collection Week for OCC has already passed. But, this year they have an awesome new online "Build a Shoe Box" opportunity. It is easy to choose the gender and age of the child that you wish to send a shoe box to, then choose a few basic items to include in your box. OCC staff will assemble a shoe box to your specifications (with extra items beyond the few that you choose), including if you wish, a note and photo that you you have uploaded to personalize your box. You will also be notified via email when and where your shoe box is delivered.

The cost to send a shoe box online is $35. I usually spend about $20 packing a shoe box myself, and then add $7 to help cover delivery to the child. So, for only $8 more, this is a great opportunity to send a box if you didn't have time to pack one before the collection date passed.

Operation Christmas Child is a worthy organization with the most important task in the world, sharing the message of Christ. Packing a shoe box is an inexpensive and tangible way to touch the life of a child you would never otherwise have the opportunity to meet.

Giving Challenge

Last year I attempted to find some way to give, large or small, every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My intention was to, in a more intentional way, create a culture of giving within our family.

I still think this is a good idea, and I intend to do it again this year. The one thing that I want to avoid, though, is reserving this activity to the holiday season. I know that realistically I won't be able to find something new to do every day of the year. But, it takes 21 days of repetitive action to create a habit. If we keep giving at the forefront of our minds during the holidays, we should start the new year with a habit of giving.

I hope to post a new idea for giving every day between the Holidays, and then continue posting occassional ideas throught 2011. So, be looking for my first giving post on Thursday.

Great Deal On Printer Ink!

I just had to share the amazing deal that I just got on ink! Through tomorrow, 11/17, you can receive 10% of remanufactured ink cartridges from 123inkjets.com. But, that's not all. This offer also includes free shipping. And, if you start out at *Ebates, you will receive 16% cash back on your purchase!

This is the order that I just placed:
3 ink cartridges @ $13.95 = $41.85
- 10% = $37.67 shipped
- $6.03 cash back = $31.64
That's only $10.55 per cartridge!

The same cartridge (not remanufactured) at Walmart is $14.97, plus I would have to pay tax, making them $15.87. I saved $15.97 (or $5.32 per cartridge!) by ordering from 123inkjets.

I have ordered from this company before and been very pleased with their speedy shipping and the quality of their product. I honestly can't tell a difference in the remanufactured cartridges.

Use code GIVETEN to receive your 10% off and free shipping...and don't forget about *Ebates">Ebates!

**Ebates is a cash back program for online orders. I have earned over $230 cash back on purchases through them. Yes it really works! They deposit my savings in my paypal account every few months. If you sign up through the link above, I will receive a $5 bonus to my account. You will receive a $5 bonus whether you use my link or not. If you prefer not to connect through me, simply visit www.ebates.com. If you ever make purchases online, you should be using a reputable cash back site.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

Do you follow Pioneer Woman? If you don't you should. Her stories make me laugh out loud, and her recipes are to die for....okay, maybe not. But, they are definitely worth a serious illness.

A few months ago she posted a recipe for a drool-worthy pound cake that the Southern Girl in me just could not ignore. So, I decided to try it out...for the first time...when we had over 30 guests coming to our home...'cause I'm a little crazy like that.

It baked beautifully, and the scent was divine. Then, I tried to turn it out of the pan and got this:



My first course of action was to take a spoon and dig the warm cake out of the bottom of the pan. What?!? I had to see if it was worth saving! It was irrefutably the best pound cake that I'd ever made. So, I had to come up with a way to camouflage it's appearance.

I looked at recipes that included drizzling sauces and syrups on top. I tried slicing it and arranging it on a plate. We all know that didn't help at all. Then, I decided to fall back on a Southern Classic ~ The Trifle.

If you do a search for Trifle recipes, you will find a myriad of way to assemble one. The basics ingredients are
1) Some sort of cakey substance
2) Some sort of creamy substance
3) Some sort of fruity or chunky chocolate substance

Now, hear me please, run screaming from the ones that include fruit cocktail, 'kay?

I decided to make up my own and here is what I came up with, it disappeared at my party.



Berry Trifle
1 Pound Cake, cubed
4 Cups Fresh Berries, sliced if appropriate
4oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 Lg Vanilla Pudding
Sugar

Combine berries in bowl and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Let this sit on the kitchen counter, covered, for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Prepare pudding as box directs and then add cream cheese, whisking to combine.

In a large bowl or trifle dish (preferably a clear one), place half of the cubed pound cake. Add half of the sugared berries. Add all of the pudding mixture. Then finish with the rest of the pound cake followed by the rest of the berries. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

This is best eaten the same day that it is prepared, but leftover will keep for another day or so. I've since made it with a store bought lemon cake, which was also good, but not nearly as yummy as PW's Pound Cake.

Enjoy!