Hands and Feet Christmas Gift Project

Help Orphans Get Back to a Safe Home:

Here is a last minute idea to a special Christmas service project, and one your kids can be fully involved in.  Our idea this year is to raise funds to donate to the Hands and Feet Orphanage in Haiti. This Fall the orphanage was robbed.  You can learn more at their website:  handsandfeetproject.org (specifically this page: http://handsandfeetproject.org/uncategorized/jacmel-update/)  While the orphanage is restocked and more protection is added, the children are living at other orphanages. 

We would like to help Hands and Feet purchase replacement items and also to possibly help with the cost of a wall around the complex.  Two ideas are a simple donation and a "Jesus gift" fundraiser.

Allowing children to earn their own money to give as a special gift at Christmas is a great way to inspire them to work, to think of others, and to relate in some part to the sacrificial life of Christ.  So, below is a (very incomplete) list of chores that preschoolers can do.  I'm sure you many more ideas or more age appropriate things.

- dusting (socks on hands work great)
- emptying dishwasher
- tidying
- tearing lettuce for a salad, peeling carrots, etc
- gathering up crumbs off a table or floor
- cleaning windows (after Momma sprays them)
- feeding pets
- gathering random clothing articles around house (common in this home) and putting in the laundry basket
- tidying shoe racks or shelves
- wiping counters
- and more!  (Ask moms who have been there, done that)

To make it more personal for your kids, you can visit the Hands and Feet website to view kids' profiles and see pictures of the orphanage.

Because we are a little short on time (and on MOPS meetings), any money you would like to donate, or that your kids earn and would like to donate, can be sent or brought to my house in Peshastin.  There is no minimum amount.  If Junior earns 3 quarters, they can be put to good use in Haiti. :-)  Check back soon for who to write checks too, and a deadline.

This is very last minute, and we can possible do this again, on a larger scale, another time. 

Merry Christmas!
-Anna (548-0308)

Christmas Marketplace - please RSVP

Ladies - Our next MOPS will be upon us so very soon...
At our December MOPS (Dec. 14) we will be having our Marketplace. 
Don't know what the Marketplace is?????  I'll tell you :)
If you are a mom that crafts/creates/or sells something, you are invited to set up a table at our December MOPS to sell your goods.
If this is something you might be interested in, Heidi needs to know...  Please RSVP to her at josh.hill@frontier.com. 

Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser Auction

Recipe's from Freezer cooking night

Ham & Cheese Braid

1 loaf Rhodes bread dough
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (not generic)
3/4 lb. thinly sliced ham
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Assembly: Roll bread dough out into a rectangular shape so that itsapproximately 1/2" thick. Combine butter and ranch mix. Spread about 5 tablespoons of mixture on the rectangle. Layer ham and cheese down thecenter of the rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut strips along eachside of the dough (even numbers on each side). Starting at bottom,take each piece, cross and twist. Continue criss-crossing until yourit is all braided. Brush remaining butter ranch mixture over the top.Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Wrap loaf with plastic wrap and then foil.Label with cooking instructions and freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Unwrap from foil and plastic wrap and set on alightly greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap. Let thawovernight in refrigerator. A couple hours before you are ready to bakeplace on counter to let rise. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.


Brown Bag Burritos
▪ 2 lb. ground beef
▪ 2 cans refried beans (I make my own)
▪ 1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
▪ 1/2 c. water
▪ 1/3 c. minced onion (I use dried)
▪ 1 Tbsp. chili powder
▪ 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
▪ 1 tsp. salt
▪ 1 tsp. dried oregano
▪ 3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
▪ 20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)
Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time. Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla. (I like to use my cookie scoop for this. Helps me keep everything uniform without any mess.)
Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil. (See my crinkly foil? Because the foil doesn’t really touch the food, it is super easy to save and reuse!)
Refrigerate or freeze. I like to pack them in the tortilla ziplock bag. I can usually fit 10 per bag. Oh, by the way, sure wish I would have looked at the corner of this bag before I bought them. See where it says “Thins?” Not such a good thing for burritos. These tortillas tore too easily. I know I should practice making my own…
When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil. Then heat burritos in the oven with foil. For a sit down meal they are nice topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. If you’re eating on the run, though, just grab and go!

Creative Dance Classes - Start Oct. 17th, 2011

First meeting of the year!

Hey Ladies! Guess what? 

It's that time again.

The first meeting of Leavenworth MOPS is on the

schedule for Wednesday September 14!

PLEASE NOTE: TIME CHANGE. We will be meeting at the Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene at 111 Ski Hill Road but we will be meeting earlier than last year at 9am to 11am! (We hope this time change will be helpful for those moms needing to pick up their chitlins from preschool.)

This year's theme is MomSense. This year MOPS will focus on assuring every mom she can become the mom she's meant to be and by combining her mom intuition and her common sense she will discover her own unique "MomSense".

In a nutshell, MOPS is all about moms getting together to encourage, equip and edify one another on this fun filled road through these crazy times of raising preschool kiddos!

Won't you join us?

If so, get ready for a great year packed with yummy food, practical and quick crafts (did I mention quick? Like even I can do them and finish them before I leave!!) and an amazing line up of speakers who will fill our think tanks with good info. Here are some of the slated topics:

How to fit healthy habits into a hectic lifestyle

Creating lasting and memorable holiday and family traditions

Home Efficiency: How to calm the crazy

Healthy kids are happy kids

Disciplining children in love

Decor for the busy Mama: What is YOUR style?

Keep in mind these topics are still floating and subject to change but most will be in the line up for this year!

Be excited!

MOPS Moms in Leavenworth also have a heart to give back to the community around us as well as the world at large. We also know that mothers of preschool kids have bigger philanthropic dreams than their time allows so we have planned a few activities that allow us to work together and bless others!

If you are new to MOPS and want some more info, check out www.MOPS.org. You can email us at LeavenworthMOPS@gmail.com!

Also, Leavenworth MOPS is on Facebook. Yes, we are that cool. So look us up and friend us so you can get all the great updates and witty quips from time to time!

Well, that's all for now. Have a great rest of your summer and we'll see you in a few weeks!

Love,

THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR

This is it for the year, folks! We are meeting this Wednesday at 9:15 for a time of socializing and picking up ideas for ways to keep your kids busy and having fun all summer long. This is also time clean out your bookshelves for a book exchange. You may bring grownup books as well as kid's books. See you at the Nazarene Church on Wednesday.

We do plan on meeting informally during the summer, so be sure to check the blog or your email periodically. We can't go all summer without seeing each other!