Little Ones and The Joy of Giving (Our Dollar Tree Christmas Tradition)

My mom is writing this one, folks!  Isn't that fun?!?!?!  This will be a real treat for you since she doesn't overuse ????s and !!!!s as I do, but instead expresses herself perfectly with proper English usage and minimal, appropriate punctuation ;)  Her name is Elaine and she's my favorite <3 

A handful of years ago, my mom took my children to the Dollar store a week or two before Christmas, and it's become a sort of tradition since.  The kid looks forward to their shopping day every year - they get one-on-one time with their grandmother and they get to browse a store that has something for everyone and choose carefully selected gifts for their siblings and parents.....

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We all know that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and of course we want our children to embrace that teaching. You know they love to put the envelope or the money in the collection plate on Sunday. But even when you explain what that’s all about, it’s not really their decision to give.  So many moms and dads and teachers are helping children of all ages create hand-made gifts and this is absolutely wonderful. Having received more than my fair share of macaroni necklaces, woven baskets, hoops filled with cross stitch, and a two-foot Eiffel Tower made completely of Legos ©, I have seen the joy on the little givers faces when I am genuinely enthusiastic about the wonderfulness of the gift (and I STILL have several of those macaroni necklaces). Enthusiasm is key. One Christmas, many decades ago, a little guy in our house unwrapped a bag of plastic soldiers. Using his best manners, he exclaimed “I love this!” Then, “What is it?”

Hoping to spread that kind of joy around, for the past few years I’ve made several trips to the dollar store – each time with a young person – to shop. The first year, we made four trips to the store in a two hour period and I got some strange looks from the cashier.  Early on, there was a good deal of guidance necessary - “I don’t think you can give your little brother a multi-function tool that includes several knives”. It gets easier every year, and this year I was especially pleased that the children began asking at the beginning of December about our shopping trip. Guidance is still necessary, and sometimes has to be quite firm – “We aren’t going to get anyone a (Barbie) doll.”  A good deal of thought goes into the final choices. We tested a jeep and a Humvee to see which would go farther with one good push. We talked about the relative value of large and small spatulas for making pancakes. We discussed a younger sibling’s preference for alligators over dinosaurs. And we had a lot of fun imaging how much the other kids would like the gifts chosen. Several were chosen with the idea that this was something that could be played together (finger football, for example), making it even more fun.

This year we added a new wrinkle. Our parish is collecting household items for refugees that are settling in our area. Each child brought the gold coins that were found in the shoes left at the fireplace on the eve of Saint Nicolas’ feast day and bought two items from the list – soap, shampoo, sponges, toothpaste, kitchen cleaners. This past Sunday, they put the contributions that they had chosen into the box at the back of the Church.

Later this week we’ll have a gift wrapping party, and we’ll talk more about how lucky we are that we can give gifts to mom and dad and brothers and sisters. And on Christmas day, both receivers and givers will be blessed.

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As I have been on the receiving end of the this gifting tradition for the last several years, I can attest to the joy that the kids experience when they give me (or their dad, or sibling) that perfect gift.  While the price certainly is right at Dollar Tree, I think it's the variety that makes it the perfect shopping destination for little ones.  Where else can you buy a coffee mug for your mom, duct tape for your dad (always much appreciated!), bubble bath soap for the toddler, Star Wars pencils for your brother, and sparkly hair bows for your sister.  It truly is the perfect place for kids to choose meaningful gifts that communicate "I chose this with you in mind... and I love you!"

May you all be abundantly blessed these few days of Advent and 

may you have a very merry Christmas!

Happiness. Lately. March 2015 (vol 10)

first off - Welcome new Facebook followers :)  Please believe me when I say that very soon I will start blogging real content again, so don't go away!  I really will be back with posts other than random tidbits.  Pinky swear.   But seriously.  Welcome!  

You know how I don't blog much lately, right?  My plan was to take a break during March so that I could jump back in on April 1st with a bang, but on April 1st I spent the early part of the morning at the pediatrician with three kids, and then the later part of the morning and the early part of the afternoon at the ER with a dehydrated, ear-infected, miserable baby boy.  That afternoon I took a nap.  And that evening I thought it was best not to blog because it was Russ' and my 10th anniversary, so instead of blogging, I did romantic things with Russ, like eat Red Robbin takeout on the living room floor and chat about how crazy and wonderful life is.  

That crazy, wonderful life?  Yeah - we were living it hard core last night with Russ cleaning up one vomit-y bed around midnight and me getting a vomit-y baby out of his crib around 5am.  We have had some version of illness in the house for over two weeks now.  I'm soooo over it.  But, apparently the germ hasn't gotten the message.  I'm really praying that it's all over by Easter Sunday.  A girl can hope and pray, right?

So here, I am.  But it's not with the "It's April and I'm back!" bang that I had planned.  It's just a brief little photo doc on the past few weeks so that when I look back through my archives I can remember more than just the illness of March 2015.   

(As you shall see, even though it was the middle of Lent, we ended up having a lot of special desserts this month...)

We had our last fires of the season (even if it gets cold enough in April - which it probably will! - we're out of fire wood for the season.)  And we burned our scented pine cones from Christmas.  It was pretty!

I turned 36 and made this decadent cake...

I also got a new phone for my birthday which has increased the quality of my mobile phone photos by a factor of 127.  So, if you're not already following me on Instagram that's good, because you were spared all the grainy photos.  Now's the time to follow me so you can witness my transformation into a world class iPhone photographer (or something like that...)  Won't you join me at https://instagram.com/ordinarylovely/ ?

Most of the snow melted.

Russ bought us a shamrock plant and I made some cookies and we celebrated St. Patrick's Day :)

Russ also bought a sprig of lilies, but then he was out of town for St. Joseph's Day, so we prayed for him, but he sadly didn't get to pray and feast with us.  My mom joined us though!  (She had to bring me the heavy cream for the cream puffs, because the cream in my fridge was solidified... obviously, it had been in there longer than I realized...)  These were the best cream puffs I've ever made.  I was sorry Russ had to miss it :(

St. Joseph's (cookie) tools :)

 Then we celebrated Clare's birthday, even though some were a little under the weather and some were a lot under the weather.

Everyone was way too sick on the first day of spring for our traditional "Welcome Spring" cake, so we had it a week or so later after Russ was home and while my sister in law was here visiting from Australia!  

We've been playing a lot of games lately, which usually translate into lots of family fun...

And in other notable March news, since Russ was gone and lots of kids were sick at the time of a crucial library due date - I now owe the public library even more than I did back when I wrote this post.  I'm a blocked user.  I'm now a repeat offender.  You officially follow a blog run by a good-for-nothing shirker of library responsibilities.  

There was a lot of other lovely and smile-worthy things that happened during March, but this is all I can come up with for now.  

I hope you have a blessed Triduum and a very happy and holy Easter!    

How I Host a Casual, Family-Friendly Soup Party

Blog stats don't lie ;) There are a lot of people out there searching for 

soup party tips and tricks.  Allow me to help you! 

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I don't have to tell you all the things there are to love about soup... things like they're easy one-pot dinners, are healthy, filling, tasty, and toasty warm.  You know all that.  But four years ago, my kids didn't.  Back then, when I decided I wanted to start serving more soups for family dinners, I also decided that I'd get my family "on board" with the idea by hosting our first Fall Soup Party.  Anything called a party could get their attention!  They sure were excited.  They helped me make invitations and decorations.  They helped set the table.  And they ate the soup - because after all, it was party food.   

Our first Fall Soup Party was a hit, and we've been hosting one annually ever since.

Are you thinking of having your own soup party??  I think you should!  It's so much fun, and it really is a great way to draw your family together around the table to share in the warmth of homemade, wholesome soup.  

I'm no professional party planner a la Martha Stewart.  But my Blogger stats are telling me that my fellow soup-lovers are always finding my blog when they search for "soup party ideas and how-to's."  So..... I can at least share with you how I do it!  Hope you get to host your own party soon and let me know if you do!  

  

(the photos throughout are a mix of 2013 and 2014 - just so you don't get confused :) )

Set the menu.

Choose  4 -6 soups to serve.

I typically choose six - 2 vegetable or pasta based soups, 2 chicken, and 2 beef.

I choose six because it's a good variety and I can keep six warm at one time - four on my stove-top burners and two in slow cookers.

Need some great soup ideas??  Check out The Soup Savvy Page for my up-coming series "10 Days of Family Friendly Soups" :)

(it will post end of January/beginning of February, 2015)

Prepare your soups the week before the party.

I typically buy all the ingredients I need in one grocery trip and cook similar soups at the same time.  For example, if I'm making two chicken soups, I'll cook the chicken breasts in the Crock Pot overnight,  shred the meat in the morning and make the two soups that day.

I usually don't have the fridge space to store six soups, so I freeze them in gallon-size plastic bags and thaw them in the fridge the day before the party.

Buy the "extras" the day before, or day of, the party.

I plan my extras according to what types of soup I'm serving.

Here are some toppings to consider:

salt/pepper (polite to put out on the table, but probably not necessary, since the soup you'll be serving will be delicious enough not to need them ;)  )

shredded cheese (cheddar, mixed Mexican, Parmesan, feta)

crusty french bread for dipping, corn bread, bread sticks, oyster crackers, croutons

sour cream

tortilla chips or tortilla strips

bacon bits

beverages - wine, beer, apple cider for the kids :)

Set the table.

Our soup party is in the fall, so I try to go with a seasonal centerpiece, place settings, or decorations the kids made.  

I intentionally set the table with small bowls to encourage small helpings of a variety of soups.  Small mugs would also work well :)

I love to use mason jars to set out the toppings and "extras" at the table.  I think it looks pretty, offers some visual continuity, and it saves table space (because a jar is usually narrower than a bowl...)  I'll put oyster crackers, croutons, shredded cheese, bacon bits in  various size jars...

This past year I made seasonal place cards that doubled as party favors, which I thought added a pretty touch :)

Other Ideas...

Don't forget to gather the opinions of your guests (especially the kids) on the soups.  With so many to choose from, they're bound to have a favorite!

If you have guests that are not your immediate family living in your own home, at the end of the night, gift them with an empty mason jar to fill with their favorite soup of the night.  It's a lovely way to send them home with a bit of the party and a heat n' eat lunch for the next day!

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Hope you've gotten some new ideas or have been inspired to give the party a go!  Maybe you're even on your way to launching your own annual tradition!  Don't forget... I've got 10 great soup recipes coming up to help get you started! 

(series coming January/February 2015)

Our Epic Holiday Tradition: CHRISTMAS SNACK TABLE

Most of this post is a cut n' paste from two years ago.  But there was no sense in re-writing the wheel..errr... whatever.  I'm posting it for you again in case you missed it.  

This is what we're getting ready for around here... the best Christmas tradition in the universe... Christmas Snack Table.  

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The best tradition ever invented is called Christmas Snack Table, and it's so old it's hard to remember how it all started.  There is a home video of the very first one (I think I was about 12), which was actually held the day after Christmas.  I don't think anyone knows how it came to be held on Christmas Day, but I think it has something to do with not wanting to make and eat a repeat of Thanksgiving dinner one month later.  I really have no idea of the why.  It doesn't matter.  It's the what that's important.

Christmas Snack Table is an all-day buffet of the best party food - the kind that you've been waiting all year to eat - that's held on Christmas day in place of brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, and any other meal you may have been thinking about eating that day.  The planning begins weeks before Christmas.  Deciding what will be on the snack table is fairly easy for us now - there are a lot of dishes that make an annual appearance, and everyone who will be "home" for Christmas is allowed one specific food request.  We divide up shopping and prep responsibilities.  Like last year, this year we'll be doing a lot of the prep the few days before Christmas.  The rest of the work is done on Christmas morning... and Christmas morning pretty much goes the same with my "new" family as it did with my "old" family growing up.  Get up.  Go to early Mass.  Come home, drink coffee and open stockings.  Prepare Christmas Snack Table - everyone is involved.  (That's part of the fun!  It's really a family-prepared feast!)  Say prayers and sing Christmas carols, bless the food.  Fill your plate, and eat all day!  In our family, we open our gifts one at a time and intentionally draw it out all day.  So frequently, someone will declare it's time for a gift break and another round of Snack Table.  Gift opening lasts well into the afternoon and Snack Table goes on all day.  For many years, it's lasted into the evening providing the adults much needed nourishment for intense games of SPOONS and Taboo. 

The reasons to have your own Christmas Snack Table are many.  The best I can think of are these:  It's fun holiday bonding to have the whole family involved in making a huge buffet early in the day and being able to enjoy it all day long (as opposed to two or three people tucked away in the kitchen all afternoon to make a big holiday meal while everyone else is still celebrating and socializing.  We just did that at Thanksgiving, so no need to repeat!)  It can be as casual or elegant as you like (or a tacky mix of both, which is where ours usually ends up - think gourmet stuffed mushrooms and potato chips and dip on the same table.)  There's something for everyone.  And it's just. plain. fun.  A totally unique way to celebrate an already fun and festive time of year! 

Here's a peek at the 2014 menu we've lined up for this year.  Maybe it will jump start your own planning.  'Cause you know this is awesome and you're seriously thinking about trying it!  I'll post pictures of the real thing next week!  (These are from 2012... I think??)

We're having a huge crowd over for Christmas this year, so the menu is extensive.  It's going to be so fun and so yum!!

The Basics:

potato chips, dip
veggies, dip
fruit, dip
(there are a lot of dips involved in Christmas Snack Table)
cheese, crackers, sausage, cheese spreads
red and green gumdrops (a tradition)

The Stuff We'll Make:

corned beef "sliders"
layered taco dip and Frito chips
hot chicken wing dip and tortilla chips
spinach dip, bread bowl
bacon tomato cups
deviled eggs
cocktail hot dogs wrapped in biscuits (a tradition...)
crab wontons
stuffed mushrooms
cucumber canapes 
crock-pot cocktail meatballs

salted caramel and pecabrownie bites  (it's so nice delicious to have a pastry-chef sister!)
the cookie tree
chocolate covered pretzels rods
candied pecans

beer, wine, pop

All About the Fall Soup Party :: 2014

The Fall Soup Party is one of my favorite traditions and deserves a fabulously well thought out post with flowery language and glossy professional photographs.  But I couldn't manage that because life, being what it is, continues on and demands my attention even though there are fancy blog posts to write ;)

For now I've jotted down some somewhat organized/somewhat random thoughts and have included some not-so-professional photographs of this year's festivities.  Enjoy!

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check out past posts on the party here:

The Fall Soup Party: Planning and Prep

Fall Soup Party : 2013

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This year I didn't save all my soup making for one or two weekends.  I've been making and freezing soup a little at a time since September.   

Every year I try a few new soups, and this year was no different in that regard.  Except... this was the year that I finally realized I don't need to keep searching.  I made about 4 new soups, and only one was good enough to make again.  We have 7-9 soups that are absolutely delicious and everyone loves, and the new ones I keep trying really don't hold a candle to them.  

So for the first time, this year's party was only perennial favorites.  Six of them.  I didn't feel like I needed to feature anything new because our favorite soups are just so great :)

I did two new things this year in terms of prep work.   I made my own chicken stock, about 3 1/2 gallons of it.  I thought it turned out well and I'll definitely do it again, but the smell of chicken stock in the house for 2 days straight was a little overwhelming =)  Also for the first time, I pre-cooked lots of meat in my Crock Pots.  I cooked several pounds of ground beef overnight (some was for a soup and some was for casseroles) and the next night I cooked about 20 chicken breasts (again, some for soup and some for casseroles)  It was such a time saver.   

For the soup party, I had three soups pre-made and frozen ( which I defrosted the day of), two soups that I had made 1-2 before and stored in the fridge, and one I made the day of.

  

I crocheted these pretty cute pumpkins to use as place cards...

It was kind of slim pickings in the "fresh" flower department, but since I wasn't in the mood for mums or carnations, I decided to go for autumnal orange in tulips and roses.  

I ran up to the attic to grab my pumpkin wreath at the last minute... 

and the kids provided some soup "decor" to welcome our guests at the door...

The table was set with small bowls to encourage small helpings of a variety of soups :)  

The kids got cider.  (What?  You're awesome, Mom!)  And the adults enjoyed wine and the new Labatt Bourbon Barrel Ale (Soooo good.  It tastes cozy.)  

For the table, I put out salt and pepper (just a formality, though.  My soups are so good, S & P are not needed ;) hehe) as well as pretty fall napkins, shredded Parmesan cheese, shredded mixed cheese, crusty french bread, oyster crackers, and three kinds of crunchy croutons.   (Parties at which I've served "mexican" style soup, I've also put out tortilla chips and sour cream.)

Pre-soup fun...

photo from my sister, Sarah :)

Clearly, James missed the memo about acting liked he cared that this was his first soup party ;)  

photo from Sarah, again :)

Dinner...

Dinner winding down...

The day of the party was also the 1st birthday of my nephew!  I was so honored (and quite frankly, a little surprised) that he and his parents were OK with having a soup party on his big day.  Turns out, he's been asking for a soup-themes party for the past year, so it worked out splendidly =)

Where are the pictures of the soup, you may ask.  Coming :)

I'm still noticing new folks "finding me" on the interwebs by Googling things like "what to serve at a soup party," "how to host a soup party," and "soup that kids like."   So of course I'm going to write that post because it appears it might help some people out there (hi!  whoever you are!) and also because I never pass up an opportunity to chat about soup.  Stay tuned.