COMMUNITY BUILDING THIS FALL SEASON

FALL: THE OTHER NEW YEAR

Community building is our theme this fall season.

Fall is such a beautiful time of the year. Despite the dying foliage, autumn is much like the New Year.  There is something about this season that allows for a fresh start. Perhaps it’s the beginning of the school year as well as all the new activities and sports. Additionally, it’s the launch of the busy holiday season. Whatever the reason, I’m in the mood to try something new, and, of course, it’s my hope that all of you will participate.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

When I wrote my one-year anniversary blog post The Law of Diminishing Returns, I proposed some community building ideas that bind us as sisters in Christ. We started a series of blogs based on Scripture verses with the intention of also starting a prayer board in 2019.

COMMUNITY BUILDING: BLOGS

With this in mind, I will begin to post blogs that include requests for ideas, suggestions, or helpful hints on a variety of subjects, e.g. recipes, traditions, encouragement, prayer, decorating ideas, spiritual matters, etc. If there is a subject you want to be covered, let me know by email and I will include it in my list of future blog posts. Just click on Contact Us at the top right of this page.

COMMUNITY BUILDING: PARTICIPATION NEEDED 

Of course, this won’t work without reader participation. If enough of you take part in this community building effort, I will add a Reader’s Corner under the Community tab, allowing readers to view the suggestions, advice, and ideas at any time without going through the blog archives.

I know some of you don’t like to post in the comment section. If you prefer, you can email me privately by clicking on Contact Us at the top right-hand corner. I am the only person who sees this message, thus I can post your thoughts anonymously or include your name with them, whichever you prefer.

COMMUNITY BUILDING: BLOG # 1 – RECIPES! 

Since autumn is here (soon turning to winter) and the holidays are approaching, why not share some favorite fall and holiday recipes as our first community building exercise. After all, most of us are looking for new ideas for all the parties, dinners, and gatherings that inundate us during the last quarter of the year.

 Scroll down to the comment section or email me and share your recipe(s) there.

HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS TO GENERATE RECIPE IDEAS: 

What dishes do you take to parties because they travel well?

EASY recipes that everyone raves about.

How about your family’s favorite fall dish?

Share one of your family’s traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dishes.

Do you have a special recipe that looks particularly festive on the holiday dinner table?

All families have a special dessert, side dish, or salad.

Ahh, comfort foods, who doesn’t love them?

Anything else you want to share is welcome.

MY RECIPES 

So, to get started on the community building effort, I will answer a few of these questions.

EASY recipe that everyone raves about.

Recipe for:

Strawberry Ice Cream Pie – Super easy and fast to make.

Ingredients: 

Graham Cracker Pie Crust, 10 oz frozen strawberries, 3 oz. strawberry Jell-O, 1 pint of vanilla ice cream. This recipe can be made in a measuring cup!

Directions:

Drain the strawberries in a large measuring cup (4 cups size), Add water to make 1 cup, boil the water and strawberry juice mixture until it boils, dissolve the Jell-O in the boiling water, add ice cream and stir until melted. Pour into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until it sets. The remaining strawberries can be used on top of the pie along with whipped cream – if desired. Can it be any easier? And it’s really good. 

Family’s favorite fall dish.

 Recipe for:

Beef Stew

Ingredients: 

½ cup of flour, 1 tsp of salt, ¼ tsp of pepper, 2 lbs of beef stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces, 2 tbsp. of shortening, 6 cups of hot water, pare 3 medium sized potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes, 1 medium turnip cut into 1” cubes, cut 4 carrots into 1-inch cubes, cut 1 green pepper into strips, 1 cup of 1-inch pieces of celery, ½ cup of diced onions, 1 tbsp. of salt, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 1 bay leaf.

 Directions:

Mix flour, 1 tsp. of salt and the pepper. Coat meat with flour mixture and melt shortening in large skillet; brown meat thoroughly. Add water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Family’s traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dish.   

 Recipe for: 

Homemade Noodles: My grandmother and mother always made homemade noodles for the holidays and I carry on the tradition. 

Ingredients:

6 or 7 heaping tablespoons of flour, 1 dozen eggs (10 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs) 4 – 32 oz. regular chicken broth.

Directions:

Knead flour and eggs together. Flour the cutting board and rolling pin. Take a chunk of the kneaded mixture and use a rolling pin until the dough is thin. Cut in half and dry on waxed paper. Do this until all the dough is rolled and cut to dry.

Don’t let the noodles get too dry or brittle. In about an hour roll each section until it looks something like:    and cut them into thin noodles, and dry out overnight. 

When ready to cook put the chicken broth into a large stockpot and bring to boil. GRADUALLY put the noodles into the broth (if you put them in all at once it overflows) Tilt cover and simmer. Stir often while simmering. Taste test in about a half hour and every 15 minutes thereafter. They are done when the noodles taste right to you. Usually takes about an hour.                        

Favorite dessert 

Recipe for:

Texas Sheet Cake

 Ingredients: 

2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of cake flour, ½ tsp of salt, 2 sticks of butter (1/2 lb.), 1 cup of water, 4 Tbs of cocoa, 2 eggs, ½ cup of buttermilk, 1 Tbs of vinegar, 1 tsp of vanilla, and 1 tsp of soda.

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, cake flour, and salt. Bring to boil the 2 sticks of butter, water, and 4 Tbs. of cocoa. Beat eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and soda. Add all ingredients together and beat with mixer. Pour into greased jelly roll pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

 Icing Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (1/4 lb.), 4 Tbs of Cocoa, 6 Tbs. of milk, 1 box of powdered sugar – SIFTED, 1 tsp. of vanilla, ½ cup of chopped nuts (optional)

 Directions:

Bring to boil 1 stick of butter, cocoa, and milk.  Combine the boiled ingredients with the powdered sugar and add 1 tsp of vanilla. You can also add ½ cup of chopped nuts. Beat with mixer. Frost cake while warm.  

YOUR TURN TO HELP WITH COMMUNITY BUILDING BY SHARING IDEAS

I hope many of you will share your recipes and contribute your thoughts, ideas, and advice in the future community building posts, including our 2019 prayer board. It will help us know each other better.

Now go to the comment section (or Contact Us tab at top right side of the page) and share a recipe. You might save the day for a sister-in-Christ.

FREE GIFT

If you are new to the site, go to the top of the page and subscribe to receive my email notifications. You’ll get a free gift! Click Refresh on Prayer – Five ways to turn your prayer life into a life with God. Emails are not shared and I don’t inundate subscribers with messages.

Already a subscriber and want the Click Refresh on Prayer?  Click the Contact Us button at the top of the page and send me an email requesting the article. I will email you a copy. Don’t forget to include a recipe if you didn’t put one in the comment section.

If you are so inclined, check out this article about an authentic Christian community. Also, watch for another blog later this week. It is a verse of the week post, and you may learn something new about a couple of biblical women.

Blessings until next time.