I’m so glad it’s Friday. That means another RAK Reporting Day! Did you find fun things to do for others this week? Leave your report in the comments today and I’ll pick winners again and will announce them next week. The three randomly-drawn winners from last week are: Lisa in PA, Brigitte in MD, and Sara in TX. Each one has been contacted, and wins two skeins of The Loopy Ewe Solid Series yarn and a pattern, in their choice of colors, plus a tub of my favorite Heel Creme by Soak.
I loved reading the comments on last Friday’s Reporting Day. I think it’s great that so many of you are including your kids in the RAKs that you’ve been doing (like Karla and her baggie of change for the Salvation Army kettles, that her 4 year old hands out, or Elle who is working with her 3 year old to pick out gifts for their church’s gift drive.) What a great way to teach them the spirit of giving and doing for others. Many of you are reaching out and adopting kids or families who have no money for the holidays, and are doing things to provide them with cheer. Others of you have looked for impromptu opportunities to pass something on (like Brigette, who literally gave the coat off of her back, and Megan who passed her daughter’s new coat on to a child that didn’t have one.) And even things as simple as Kathy bringing hot cocoa to her mail lady, or Chris delivering coffee and donuts to the Pharmacy staff that prepares her dad’s medicine, or Sarah F. making homemade chicken noodle soup for sick neighbors. Your acts of kindness are a reminder to all of us that this season is more about giving than getting. Keep up the blessings and keep reporting in on Fridays so that we can all enjoy them and be inspired.
Today’s recipe is one from a blog called Sing For Your Supper. These cookies look so pretty, and taste great, too.
Peppermint Kisses
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup candy cane powder*
2 sticks plus 4 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
crushed peppermints (I used about 15 regular-sized candy canes, crushed)
White almond bark (about 12 oz.)
* Candy cane powder is made by crushing candy canes into a fine powder. I crushed these with a hammer and then dumped them into a strainer. The finest pieces went through to the bowl below (and was used for the candy cane powder) and the larger pieces in the top of the strainer were used to garnish the cookies when finished. (Note: when using a hammer to crush candy, keep your fingers out of the way. Why would I mention this? Oh, no reason. No reason at all.)
Mix all dry ingredients together.
In a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth (about a minute). Add sugar and beat for about two more minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, then add in the vanilla.
Reduce mixing speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing just until it has been fully incorporated.
Drop the dough by rounded spoonful onto baking sheets covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely.
Melt almond bark and drizzle or spread on top of cookies. Add chopped candy cane pieces for garnish. Makes 40-50 cookies.
Now – back to the RAKs – tell us what you did this week!
Sheri usingleftoverpeppermintpiecestoflavormycoffee,yum!
Gave our Nutcracker ballet tickets to a family who has recently experienced a tragic death and continues to experience ongoing health issues. They needed an evening of beauty and joy more than we do.
This week, I delivered Christmas cheer. My mom’s friend lost her husband about a year and a half ago, and is nearly as depressed as my mom is about my da (who died 14 years ago). Anyway, Mrs. Jennings has also been sick for about 3 weeks. She’s had severe bronchitis, and has been home-bound on doctor’s orders. Normally, she’s a very social person, but she hasn’t left the house.
Mama and I went to pick out the Christmas tree at the local greenhouse, like we always do. Inside, they always have rows and rows of gorgeous poinsettias, all colors (including some you’ve never thought of), all sizes. They’re expensive but wonderful, and we usually get a couple of small ones for around the house. Well, I got one for Mrs. Jennings, too, in a beautiful bright red. Complete with green foil and a plaid ribbon. We dropped it off at her house on the way home, and her face just lit up with joy.
This week I knitted an elf hat for my assistant’s daughter. She is having a hard time getting gifts organized for her four children and she is attempting to give each one of them something handmade. It was fun to knit the hat for her youngest who is the same age as my daughter. Thanks, Sheri, for helping to remind us to take time for others. And we are still hunting for the Salvation Army Kettles to share with – my daughter went through all of her money and asked me for more this week. Yeah!
Dropped off 4 hats and 2 pairs of mitten for the Violence Center’s hat and mitten tree at my local coffee shop.
I shoveled the snow in the driveway for my mother and sister and knitted some hats for children in need.
those cookies look soooo good. Sheri, I hope your hammered fingers are not too sore to knit with.
my RAKs included dropping 3 handknit hats off at a LYS’s collection basket, then giving my 10% off shop coupon to the woman coming in w/her little girl as I was leaving, I wasnt buying and this way they’d have more fun picking something out.
I picked up lunch for a homeless woman and donated a toy to the office Toys for Tots drive.
I gave away two like new coats that I hadn’t worn in a long time to the local coat drive. I have a lot of clothes that don’t fit me anymore, I’m putting them aside to give away and to let a friend shop my closet.
I’m going to be reading the rest of the comments to get some ideas for next week. I should start some charity knitting – I’ve been focusing a lot on gift knits.
My gentleman friend and I both work from home, so it usually doesn’t matter when the the snow in the entryway gets shoveled. However, twice this week he had to go and give shows/workshops early in the morning, one of those morning being right after a big snowfall. The night before the event, he was still busy getting ready, so I decided to go and shovel so that he wouldn’t have to get up insanely early the next morning in order to shovel on his way out. He still had to clear out the way a bit as snow had kept falling during the night, but doing it was only a matter of minutes and not the long and tiring job it would have been had I not done it the night before.
I’d bought extra gifts for Christmas 2011 on Cyber Monday for my great-nieces and decided to donate them to an underprivileged child at a local school. I decided I didn’t need to be that far ahead on next year’s shopping after all. 🙂
A friend is going in for surgery next week, so I bought some yarn in her favorite color and added some patterns and gave them to her for something to do while she is in the hospital. Her face lit up when she saw what it was.
My neighbor, a sweet, sweet man who rescues cats, had a cold this week. I made chicken soup a couple of weeks ago- HUGE amouts so that I could freeze & give away or reheat for my boyfriend and I as needed. I was happy I took the time to make so much soup- it was wonderful to be able to help my neighbor by giving him a few bowls worth of homemade soup!
Does trying count?? I stood in line for quite a while at the cable office today. A man came in and starting telling a few of us how he just got out of the hospital and went into a little too much detail. When it was (finally) my turn – I tried to give him my spot so he wouldn’t have to wait but the cable company said I couldn’t (I know, it didn’t make sense to me either).
Very small thing – bought coffee for the person behind me in line at the Starbuck’s drive through.
We have adopted a family for Christmas too. I’ve done this at the school where I worked for the last 8 years now. When you work at a school you pretty much do it year round though.
The kids and I shopped for some of the “Angel Tree” gifts from our church tree (they go to people who need them), wrapped, and delivered them. We also put together 12 “Personal Care Kits” (shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, soap, razors, etc. plus a candy cane and a chocolate santa) to be distributed by the local social justice center.
My 4 yr old, 2 yr old, and I made pumpkin cookies and took them to a neighbor. 🙂
Our local grocery store has a Christmas listing gifts needed for both children and for grandparents (local seniors). I chose a grandma who only wanted “a sensory music CD” I hope I interpreted that request correctly by getting her one CD of Ocean Sounds and another of calming Celtic music. I decided to include a Christmas card with the gift and the store manager was amazed. He said I was the first person who had asked if they could personalise their gift that way! Everyone needs at least one pretty Christmas card to look at and know someone cared during the holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!
This past week I finished blocking and mailed a scarf I knit for the Red Scarf Project.
This week I gave three gifts to Toys for Tots campaign and helped a father and his two children at the same time. We always attend the Penn State basketball games and they were collecting toys as people entered. If you took a toy you got in free but we had our season tickets. I saw a man and his two kids and he was counting his money to make sure he had enough to buy tickets for all of them. The kids were so excited to be going to a game. I told him we had tickets and suggested he and the children put the toys into the barrel so they could get in free. He was stunned, thrilled and thankful all at the same time. He is out of work and with unemployment running out buying game tickets is frivilous for him but long ago he promised the kids a game before Christmas.
I visited with a lady in a senior residence who does not knit or crochet anymore, but loves to hear/see my knitting projects and then sat with her for the annual “Remembrance Service” when they remember the residents who have died in the past year and hang a special ornament with their name on the “tree of remembrance”. I also left a few donations at our church for the day school children to shop in the Gingerbread House for family members.
Sheri- What a lovely post! So inspiring and uplifting!
I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies- they’re my new favorite Christmas cookie! Merry Christmas!
I volunteered very last minute to help with my department’s coat drive. Everyone was generous in donating to purchase coat’s for children that attend a certain school. There are quite a few students without coats, hats and gloves. But no one was actually going out to buy the coats. It took one evening and part of one morning but I got everything requested. Then I found out that there is one particular family that the Grandmother is raising her six grandchildren. I asked if it was okay if I brought in brand new clothes, clothes worn once that had belonged to my daughter who had out grown, never wore or didn’t need a couple of things that were intended for her this Christmas.
I sold some books on American History to a member of our church, and I had him donate the cost of them to the church in lieu of receiving the $$$s myself.
Looking forward to trying out that sugar cookie recipe you put up a few weeks ago.
Happy busiest weekend before the holidays!
This week I decided that whenever I went to the Dunkin Donuts drive thru, I would pay for the person behind me. I know it’s a small RAK, but it was fun and it didn’t have to do with death and food.
🙂
We made care packages to hand out to the homeless. The kids saved up and purchased socks, gloves, lip balm and non-perishable food; which we put in zip loc bags to keep in the car and hand out.
This week I picked a name and purchased for someone off the Angel Tree at the mall. {hugs}
I bought scratch off lottery tickets (from the machine at the grocery store) for my co-workers…and left an extra one in the tray where the tickets come out of. Some one will be suprised!
This week I did a lot better! Before Thanksgiving, we’d bought a lot of non-perishable foods for donating, and the last half of those went to the knitting guild’s drive on Monday night.
Then I read knitterbunny’s note here last Friday, and today picked up a Visa giftcard for Kim, who isn’t able to buy Christmas presents for her kids! I couldn’t let that be, particularly when I know how hard it is since my sister lost her worldly goods to fire in September. We’re helping her, too!
There was something else, but I can’t remember it now!
Thanks again for all the good ideas of others, and the lovely prizes you offer to us!
One of my class members is taking in a foster child (who is 13) as of the last day of finals. She and her partner have a lot of experience with teens who have had difficult lives, and will be great at this. What they didn’t have was money for holiday presents. A bunch of people from our class have volunteered to provide some gifts; I brought a 2011 calendar for her wall. So far, we hear she is settling in well!
This week saw me eating far more fast food meals than I should have. However, I made sure that I never ordered fries, but took the money I would have spent on the fries and the change and put it into the container collecting for charity at that restaurant.
This week, I started the reminder phone calls to volunteers for their gift wrapping schedules. I belong to a group which has a gift wrap booth at the local mall during the holiday season. It is all volunteer, and the donations are suggested donations. I have to say that the reminder phone calls are not that much fun, but wrapping is. I usually take shifts the few days just before Christmas, and there is so much energy there, good people (on both sides of the gift wrapping booth), and very fast paced. I mostly want to thank those that bring their gifts to be wrapped, and for their donations for medical research.
We work with a local VNA at work and have a family assigned to us. It is always fun to do some shopping for them and I picked the little girl this year and brought in her gift this week. It is fun to watch our shopping cart fill with the gifts for the family.
This week has been all about collecting the toys from work to give to the DCF kids. I organized this toy drive with my department at work and it looks like we will be brightening the holiday for about 25 kids. Best part has been as I bring the toys into the house my son gets reminded that we are doing this for others who are not as fortunate. Its been a good lesson.
I dug out an inexperienced driver. Now I’m tired.
Funny u gave us that cookie recipe today. My husband & i saw bags of crushed candy canes in the grocery store (near the chocolate chips & nuts). Now we have a use for them. Thanks!! (easier on our fingers!!)
I walked some friends’ dog while they were working. He loved it and they were able to do some errands after work instead of rushing home.
This week I decided that we had spent enough on Christmas gifts for family and friends. I donated the remainder of the Christmas fund to the Heifer Project.
I stayed home and kept my mean old stomach but to myself!!
Donated to Toys for Tots!
My husband and I were at the grocery store on Sunday. We had a store coupon for $5 off a purchase of $50 or more, and we realized we weren’t going to come close to spending $50 and the coupon was expiring the next day. We noticed a mom with three kids and a cart full of groceries so we decided to give the coupon to her. I think she was very suprised that total strangers would do that!
I’m 1/2 way through a scarf for charity. It’s starting to get really nippy here & I want to get it done in time to warm someone else up. And today at the grocery store I wrangled a cart for a woman who had her hands full already & it was great to see her relief at not having to figure out how to get it out without dropping something. She stopped just inside the door & waited until I came in to wish me a Merry Christmas, which warmed me up even more.
It has been a rough week at the office, so when I went to get my tea this morning, I decided to buy everyone a cup of coffee. So simple, but put a smile on everyone’s face.
Our neighbor recently had foot surgery. t snowed last night so we went over and shoveled their sidewalk and driveway.
A woman in her 60s bought some yarn off me through my Rav sell/trade page who was apparently very new to doing that kind of thing online. I know her age because she kept referring to it and how proud she was of herself for figuring out Raverly and how to use PayPal. She was really cute about it. LOL Anyway, she paid by eCheck, which takes a good week to clear, and usually I wouldn’t send the yarn until the money is confirmed, but she was so excited about getting the yarn from me, and since she’s both in Canada (which makes shipping slower) and it’s the holiday shipping season, I told her I’d mail it out to her now instead of waiting.
I’m not sure if this is a RAK (because its on my weekly schedule now) but I have taken on the task of starting a backpack program through Feed America at one of my childrens elementary schools. Today was week number 3 for handing out food and I actually did it without tears! 🙂 I have been using this opportunity to teach my children about how blessed we are and how it is our duty to help others. The other day my youngest was asking about these backpacks and why were were doing this. So I explained as gently as I could that these children may not get or have much food with out this program. And she got very quite and started to cry and said “I wish I had a money machine and I could make money and give it to everyone who was poor. Then there wouldn’t be any hungry people.” If only more people would think like that as well! But it is a nice feeling to know that I’m helping 30 families/children know there is a little food for the weekend!
Does putting up the Xmas tree for my parents count as a RAK? My 46 year old brother and his wife live with them, but they don’t have the time (yes, that is the sound of me fuming) – so we took them to buy a tree today, then put theirs in the stand before coming home to put ours in its stand. Will most likely go back to put their lights on this weekend, as aforementioned brother also no longer has the time for that (fuming again)!
I have a student in my middle school classroom who was failing to bring his binder to school, and as a result, he was falling behind. Knowing he lived with his grandmother, with limited means, I decided that he should be “gifted” with a high quality binder I had bought for emergencies. The smile on his face, as he approached his desk to see the beautiful binder, with his name on it, was priceless. I’m happy to know the binder and the student have found each other.
This week, my daughter and I went shopping for a little boy named Jadin. His needs list was long as it included about every piece of clothing. We had fun shopping for him and he now has a new winter coat with hat and gloves, new jeans, plenty of long-sleeved shirts, undies, socks and two new toys. The experience is rewarding and sad.
My husband and I surprised our elderly neighbor and her older sister with an evening of dinner and a tour of the holiday lights in a several community area. Bless their hearts, even after a week, they are still gushing about it!