Christmas Help, Part 2

With only eleven days left before Christmas, many of us are busy practicing for special programs, making memories, preparing for out of town guest or finalizing travel plans, shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping, participating in or hosting parties, all while keeping up with regular life in a pastor's home. In other words, it is a busy month! Adding to last week's post, here are a few recipes and a fun group activity for anyone looking for something fun to try. We pray you are enjoying this season of "Immanuel, God with us" and the reality of God's grace in fresh ways as you focus on the birth of our dear Savior!

Cracker Candy

from Linda Teeter

Ingredients

35 soda crackers
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place crackers in rows on foil. In a saucepan, melt butter; add the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour over crackers and spread until completely covered. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes (crackers will float). Remove from the oven. Turn oven off. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts over crackers. Return to the oven until chocolate is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven; using a greased spatula, press walnuts into chocolate. Cut into 1 in. squares while warm. Cool completely; remove candy from foil.

This was a staple in our house when the girls were around. It was a quick and easy way to get a chocolate fix. Make sure to coat foil. We have picked this off the foil in desperation many times and usually gets put in freezer to speed up the cooling process. I'm sure it will be a Christmas treat this year if all else fails or gets eaten.

Chili for 30

from Janis Shank

6 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained

Saute the following ingredients in oil:

3 medium onions, chopped

1/2 bunch of celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

Add ground beef and the following (requires a very large mixing bowl or pot or you may need to divide it into two and add these ingredients divided in two for each pot)

2 TBS chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt or more to taste

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 TBS cocoa

1 gallon diced tomatoes with juice

1 gallon kidney or red bean with juice

Mix well and heat through

Fits in 2 crock pots

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, onions or other desired toppings

React and Act!

A funny icebreaker in which players randomly select a sheet of paper that has an occurrence on it (for example, winning a million dollars in the lottery) and they must react to the occurence using animated expressions, gestures, and words. After a set amount of time, other players try to guess what happened that caused those reactions and actions.

React and Act is an active icebreaker game that can work with a variety of group sizes. It can work for small groups of five people, or adapted for very large groups by selecting volunteers. This game is best played indoors. Materials required include paper, pens, and a bag. React and Act works with all ages, including adults.

Setup for React and Act

React and Act involves some preparation; however, this is part of the fun! Pass out sheets of paper and pens to the players. Have each person write an event. Tell them to be creative! Examples of events can include:

• Being surprised by a large, aggressive bear in the woods
• You just won the lottery
• You have just been proposed for marriage with an engagement ring
• You just got fired by an incompetent boss
• Making the game winning pass to win the Superbowl
• You just fell in love

Once everyone writes an event, fold the paper once and place it into the bag. Divide the group into two teams (or select five volunteers if it is a very large group).

Instructions for How to Play

Ask five people on each team to randomly select an event from the bag. Instruct them to react to this event, without explicitly giving away what the event is. Choose a time limit (usually 30 seconds to a minute works well) and when you say “Go!”, have all five people to simultaneously react to their event using exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, and their voice.

For example, the person who has just won the lottery could raise his or her arms and scream excitedly, jumping up and down. The person who has just confronted a bear might make a terrified look, shake in fear, and call for help. And so on. Each of the five actors can interact with each other, but they must stay “in character” and continue reacting and acting based upon what their sheet said.

After time expires, the other members of the team try to guess what happened for each person. If you wish to keep score, each team gets a point for each correct guess. This game is a great way to break the ice, while watching people act out silly (and usually hilarious) things.