Christmas in Argentina

As I continued to keep my eyes peeled for any opportunities for gift giving this year I saw an online post from Mercy Corps for their “Mercy Kits.” Having previously provided PR to Mercy Corps I was well informed on these gifts and how they work. So I did some research on what my options are this year. I really believe in the work that Mercy Corps does around the world for poor communities and it’s inspiring and uplifting to get to pick the program that your money will be funding. So I found that I could restore a schoolhouse for $125. A little steep for myself, but if I could get my family to go in it with me it would only cost $25 each. I approached them with this idea and they were all on board. Wohoo!

Then, the next day I went home to visit my parents and they were asking about my donation to the families in Argentina from my Missions Trip. I told them that I was still donating some of my clothes and would go buy some additional items, likely first-aid kits.  But then my dad asked, "What if I one-up your offer? What if we give $500 to the nuns?"  I was completely surprised and so touched. So we started to discuss this idea. He asked how would they get the money, how would they use it, etc. But in my dad's mind - where the wheels where obviously turning much faster than mine - he put together: a need, security in knowing who would be spending the money, and knowing it would be spent where it was needed most. These were all the points I was arguing for the Mercy Kits. But he also put together what I had not - an emotional connection to this community. 

I realized by my dad’s offer that my desire to help those less fortunate was inspiring others to help as well.  I'm happy to say there will be a nice surprise Christmas gift to this special community! I just wish I could see their faces when they get it. 

Here are some photos from my trip last year: 

Dancing one afternoon - a typical past-time.

All boys love foosball.

Pretending to run a radio show.

Boys will be boys...

Finding Inspiration in Memories

This time last year I was getting ready for my first Missions Trip. I was heading south to Argentina where I would be working in a very unfamiliar environment - a poor town run by an order of nuns and priests, comprised of orphans, and mentally and physically handicapped men and women. I was digging out my t-shirts and shorts, doing laundry, and feverishly trying to figure out how to prepare myself for my trip. 

This year, I am sitting and remembering everyone I met and how much they touched me. I am thinking of how all the little kids are preparing for, and getting excited about, Christmas, New Years Eve and 3 Kings Day. I can’t help getting lost in all my memories from my time with this community and feeling a little sad that I am not returning. These thoughts bring me back to their needs and the poverty that surrounds them - poverty you can’t turn a blind eye to. It is from this contemplation that an idea strikes me. 

I realize that I have been looking for ways to help give back this holiday season and here is a community I am capable of assisting. And added bonus, it's a community I have a personal connection to. I don’t have to go on this year’s trip and be physically present for these people to receive my love and support. I can help them from home by donating clothes I no longer wear, old jewelry I don’t use anymore, and purchasing some first-aid products.

It is such a simple gesture to give away items you own and no longer use, but to the person(s) receiving these gifts, it can mean the world! And it is from these simple gestures that we can receive the greatest pleasures.

Secret Santa

This Christmas I have been filled with a large (larger than previous years) desire to be a really great Santa to poor and less fortunate families. To get my “secret Santa giving’s" off to a start I participated in my company’s “Adopt a Family” program. For this each department would pick one or more family that all the employees were encourage to purchase gifts for. The information on the family members and their needs/wish-lists were provided. I picked two kids: a 21 month old and a 6 year old. I got the 21 month old a cute musical tea set, something she could grow into but also play with at such a young and developing age. For the 6 year old, she had asked for some educational toys (or more likely her mother had asked for this). So I bought her several books, a puzzle and interactive flash-cards for her to draw pictures and write words/letters on, as instructed.

I am very proud to say that the two families my department picked will receive every gift that every member of their family asked for. Just look at this piles we made.

 

I am also apart of another team within my company and for this group we selected one family. For them I bought the parents a gift card to Barnes and Noble – something they had both put on their list. And for their eight-year old daughter I bought hair accessories, also on her list.

I can’t image not being able to provide a Christmas for my children and so I am happy to say that I know of many families that will have wonderful Christmas’ this year thanks to my company’s “Adopt a Family” program. And I can’t help but feel proud of myself for helping to bring joy to those less fortunate than myself. And this feeling sparked a flame in me to do more… 

Butterfly Cupcakes

I was reading my friend's blog and just had to link you all to her recent post. Krissy - my friend the baker - apparently makes the cutest... no that word doesn't do it justice... most amazing!!!!... butterfly cupcakes. She hasn't shared her secret to making them yet, but I think a little artistic talent and some steady hands are needed. So while I won't be making them any time soon I will be keeping them in the back of my mind so I can give her a reason to bake these for me. Maybe she'll let me watch her do her magic.  Take a look for yourself here: Krissy's Butterfly Cupcakes.

Baking Competition - Part 2

In my last post I shared with you the baking competition being hosted by my office for our holiday party. And you got to see my decadent dessert - the Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake. Well the votes are in and we have a winner. But first let's meet the "contestants":

Graham Cracker Squares - This came in second place. 

Cream Wafers - These were hands down my favorite! Light, flaky, melts in your mouth. 

Om Nom Nom Nom Cake (Chocolate Ganache) - Very rich, best for chocolate lovers.

Shortbread - These are always good, but I felt that this recipe had a little too much butter.

Harvest Loaf Cake - A very flavorful mix of banana, spices, and chocolate. This was good, but you don't know if you want breakfast or dessert when you have it. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing - Made from scratch these were the perfect balance of sweet, moist and light.  (I also don't like cream cheese icing so I really enjoyed this lighter icing). 

And the winner? ... the Red Velvet Cupcakes! I was very sad that my cake did not make 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd! But I received a lot of genuine, positive feedback from people that loved it. And I thought it was the best cake I had ever made. Certainly it was the most moist! My advice - This is great choice if you ever need a moist chocolate cake to wow people with. 

The Baking Competition - Part 1

Somehow I got roped into another baking adventure! For my work's holiday party we decided to have a baking competition. And out of the 50+ employees I got asked to be one of the 6 to bake a dessert. Now this really proved to be a challenge because I had to make something that would be prize winning, something that 50 people could all try, something I could bake the night before and wouldn't go bad, and something I could transport on my hour long metro ride to the office. And again, I love to be festive. So, I wanted to make something people would only, normally, have during the holiday season. So I researched a lot of options to find the perfect dessert. 

Here are some of the desserts I thought of making:

Red Velvet Cake Balls 
Red Velvet Trifle  
Chocolate Candy Cane Cake  
Cookies and Cream Cheesecake 
Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake 

I choose to make the Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake. This seemed the most decadent while not requiring too much time or too many cooking utensils. And I recruited my good friend, the host of the Christmas Cookie party, to help me bake. I knew I would need an expert baker to help me manage this one. Here's how it went: 

It came out of the oven okay. 

The glaze was simple enough to make. 

Et Volia! What a beauty!  Stay tuned to find out who won... 

Fun Christmas Wreaths

I love decorating for Christmas. And one of the staples in my decorations is a wreath. I like to have these hanging on my front door and also over the mantel.  My favorite style of wreath for my Christmas decorations is a traditional pine or holly leaf wreath with a red bow.  

This is the one hanging on my door this year. 

But I appreciate all the styles wreaths can come in. Southern Living has some great examples.  And I love this very creative, simple and inexpensive option from Mal-licious. These are a great way to add your personality to your decorations. 

Tis the Season for Christmas Cookies!

The holiday's are such a fun time of year, in my opinion. Although I'm sure I share that with most women. What girl doesn't love decorating, baking super fattening things, hosting parties, and having a real excuse to shop! This year my girlfriend decide to host a Christmas Cookie Swap Party. Now, I am not a baker so I had to think of something that would be simple, festive, and enjoyable for a variety of people. I thought back to all the found memories I have of making cookies with my mom and sisters each Christmas. We of course had the sugar cookies with festive cut-out shapes, Hersey Kiss cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and cheery cookies. But none of these seemed holiday enough for me to make. I needed something that would be really creative. I wanted a "wow" factor. I had to compete with my girlfriends that can bake, after all. And yet, it had to be simple enough for me to make. So I found a new spin on cookies - something much lighter - but loved by all. Wreath cookies made with the same ingredients of a marshmallow treat!

Here is the recipe I followed. Although I prefer to make it in a pot on the stove, it's easier I think, to stir and work with the ingredients. Also when you are making the wreaths make sure to have buttery fingers so the marshmallow mixture doesn't stick to your hands.

And here is how they turned out.

Super cute! And they were a total hit! So ladies, if you are ever looking for something quick and easy to make, these are the treats for you. You can also make a spin-off on these in the spring. For Easter you could forgo the food coloring and turn it into a bird nest and put a few jellybeans or robin's eggs candies in the center. 

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  One year ago – almost to the exact date – I was on a plane to Argentina for a Missions trip with my church. During the eight hour stretch from Miami to Santiago, Chile I got to know the woman I was sitting next to pretty well. We swapped stories and dreams, and discussed what we both could only describe as a “higher-calling” for our meeting. Now I am a frequent flier and never, ever, speak to the people around me. But this time, it was as if I was seated next to a good friend whom I’d known for some time. I was at a cross-road in my life – soul searching – and this woman gave me the encouragement and confidence I needed to have faith in taking leaps and trusting that all my actions and everyone I meet in life is for a reason. She, for example, was a total stranger picking me up when I was lost, while I was giving her the encouragement and faith she was seeking in her search to re-connect more strongly with the Catholic Church. (In our story swaps I told her about my desire to take this journey as a Catholic and learned that she had strayed from her Catholic upbringing and was finding her way back to the Church.) And literally we were both traveling to Argentina to, in many ways, find our way back to a closer connection to Catholicism! She was on her way to a baptism where she was going to be the godmother to a little girl (and here lies more irony in our meeting) named, Monica!

So, what does this story have to do with my first blog entry? Well, during our conversation she told me to start a blog. She wasn’t sure what it was that was compelling her to tell me this, but she said she was overcome by a feeling that I needed to blog. This has haunted me (in a good way) for many months. And several times I almost started one, but I could never decide what I would focus on. I felt it had to be something amazing, something truly big, to make her proud. And so, it has taken me, almost a full year to finally find my voice and start my blogging adventure.

Well, now you are probably wondering, ‘what is this amazing niche that I will focus on’?! I hope I don’t disappoint you when I say, ‘it’s a blog about me’. Plain and simple. My thoughts, adventures, passions, likes, and dislikes – my life through my eyes.  And while I hope this blog interests you and inspires creativity, joy, and contemplation in your own life; mostly I hope that, where-ever this woman is today, she knows I started this blog and thought of her “larger-calling” for my life. (The calling that guided her to encourage me to blog). And I hope – in-line with the conversation she and I had – that this blog will bring me to the next stage of my life, whatever that may be…