Celebrate Epiphany…Feast of Lights & Coming of Wise Men Sunday, January 6

I plan to have an Epiphany feast after church on Sunday.

Here are a few websites to help you.
http://www.ehow.com/how_9405_celebrate-feast-epiphany.html
http://www.cresourcei.org/cyepiph.html

We’ll be making a King’s Crown for dessert and here’s a recipe you might use.

Three Kings Cake
Cake:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1/4 oz.) envelopes active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 eggs
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Trinket, almond, other nut
Colored sugars, if desired

Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100 degrees to 110 degrees.

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.

To finish: Make a tiny cut into the cake and hide a plastic or china trinket (shaped like Baby Jesus, if possible) inside (may substitute an almond or other nut). Mix the icing ingredients and do one of the following: 1) simply spread on cake (may dot with candied cherries), 2) spread on cake and then top with a colored sugard 3) spread on cake and sprinkle with alternating bands of colored sugar (in New Orleans, the traditional colors are green, gold, and purple

>>Four more versions of Kings Cake can be found here:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/156/story_15666_1.html

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Now that it’s time to write thank you’s, why not have some fun with your kids?  Let them make a tag book thank you.  Write a few lines about the gift on one tag. Add a few Christmas pics on the other tags.  Now you have a special thank you card.  Grandmas and Grandpas love these!

Just follow these Tag Book directions

…from Two Peas in a Bucket

Merry Christmas!

This is a special time and a special day.  I plan to post some pics tomorrow and will send you a note with them and other news.

I hope you and your family had as wonderful a Christmas as mine.

Blessings,
Kerry

ps.  We had a semi-White Christmas.  The snow still covers our yard, even thought it has melted most other places

pps.  Tonight turned into a real White Christmas…fresh snow & all

Let your children help you record what happened this year at Christmas!  They will have fun and learn a lot in the process.  Here are a few ideas for you to use:  Christmas Book

It’s all from Two Peas in a Bucket

I hope you are having a great holiday season.  I couldn’t believe it started raining today and the snow is melting away.  My daughter told me she thinks it will all be gone by Christmas.  Oh well…no white Christmases while we live in Idaho!

I just want to take a minute and share a thought I had at church this past Sunday.  All of a sudden it struck me again …the idea of preparing ourselves for the Christmas feast (or celebration).  I’m not talking about buying a bunch of gifts (and yes I’ve spent time preparing for Christmas by buying gifts).

What I am talking about is preparing for Christmas by getting my heart ready for Christmas.  I’m also talking about helping my kids get ready for our Christmas feast.

This is a lazy week for us, so I’m looking for some good ideas to help us get ready.

1.  Advent Bible Readings - Each breakfast, even when we eat at (9:30 or 10:00am this week we are progressing through our Advent Bible Readings as listed in our ) book.  We’ve had some great discussions after our readings.

2.  Read background info about some of our Christmas carols.  The stories bring the carols to life.

3.  Watch a few late night movies.  There are great lessons we can discuss in movies such as A Christmas Carol or It’s A Wonderful Life.

Next week, I hope to tell you about our Epiphany plans after Christmas!

I’d love to hear how you are taking it easy this week and preparing for your Christmas feast at the same time.  Just post a comment below.

Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Activities

We had our neighbors over last night for a small Christmas party.  I tried a new dip I saw on tv while I was exercising.  It was a HIT!

Here’s the recipe:

1 pkg soft cream cheese
1 C ricotta cheese
1 C green olives w/ pimentos
1 clove garlic, grated

Put it all in a food processor and blend together.   Pour in bowl and top with chopped nuts.  I used cashews
Serve with crackers.

YUMMY!  and sooooo EASY!

from Rachael Ray - 30 minute meals

As Christian men and women, we know the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts, but how many of us proclaim this fact to the world around us during the holidays? We can gently challenge those who would see Christmas as a time for commercialism and greed by letting our actions speak for themselves.

Pass it on. Want to give a special gift to a friend or coworker? Give them the gift of the Word. Share the Christmas story, and I don’t mean “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”. Pre-printed leaflets recounting the miracle of Jesus’ birth can be purchased from a Christian bookseller. Or, add that personal touch and create a booklet of your own. A small item, such as a candle, can be included too. Fill a weary heart with God’s message.

Share His love. When someone invites a person to their house, it signifies that they wish to share their good fortune with them. When we accept Christ into our lives, his home becomes our home. Invite a friend or coworker to God’s house for an Advent service or a family Christmas Eve church service. They will be glad they came.

Get involved. For people living on the fringes of society, life gets a little bit harder around the Christmas holidays. Suicide rates increase. Those in urgent need, like the poor and destitute, become more so due to the weather conditions that time of year. God cries out for us to show His love.

Volunteers are a welcomed sight at holiday time. Soup kitchens and food banks seek extra people to prepare and serve hot meals and help with food box deliveries. The social services agency can provide particulars on families in the area that want to be “adopted” for Christmas. As a church body, everyone can pitch in and provide gifts and other necessary items. Providing gifts for orphaned children can also be a church project or one taken on by individual families within the congregation. If you see a need that has yet to be met, begin your own program to provide it or let your family do it.

The object here is to let Christ’s light shine in the life of another. During his lifetime, Jesus met each person at their level of need. Someone whose belly has been filled with food you helped to provide will be ready to hear more about the God you serve.

A commitment to Christ is a commitment to communicate his life and love to others. If Christ is number one in your lives, your actions should let everyone know it. As Christians, we have a unique opportunity to bring to the world, a true understanding of the Christmas season.

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© Kerry Beck, 2007
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
—————————————-
Kerry Beck wants to give you a free Advent activities to use in your Christmas & Advent celebration this season. Her package will also includes free Advent activities.

Preparations for the Christmas season begin right after Thanksgiving. Christmas decorations in all shapes, sizes, and colors adorn store shelves just in time for the after-Thanksgiving Day sales rush. Moms and Dads line up for miles outside toy stores, rain or shine, to be the first to buy the hottest new item. By Christmas morning grown ups don’t even want to get out of bed to celebrate the day. This year instead of preparing our wallets and pocketbooks, let’s prepare our hearts to usher in the Christmas season with our families in a faith-affirming way.

Family Worship

The season of Advent (which means arrival) begins the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and extends through four Sundays. Advent celebrates the coming of the Christ child into the world and the significance of this event in the lives of every Christian.

The Advent wreath, the centerpiece of worship, consists of a small wreath (real or artificial), evergreen sprigs, five candleholders, and five candles. Three of the candles can be purple or deep blue, one is traditionally pink or rose-colored, and the fifth candle is white. The candles are arranged in a circular fashion inside the wreath with the white candle, usually called the Christ candle, in the center of the other four.

Worship time can be set aside each Sunday before church or later in the evening before bedtime. Family members can take turns each week lighting the candles and reading a devotional and prayer. A few moments can be set aside for any questions that younger family members may want to ask about the celebration.

Family Fun

Holidays are a time for people to get out and celebrate with family and friends. As a family, host a “Christmas for Christ” party. Involve the whole family in the planning. The central theme, of course, is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Have the children create their own special invitations. Invite Christian and non-Christian friends alike. Do the shopping for game prizes at this time too. If a lot of activities are planned, start early enough to fit everything into the evening.

To defray some costs, have guests each bring a dish and serve a buffet-style meal. Since decorations will already be hung for Christmas, no extra fanfare is needed. If a costume party sounds fun, have guests dress as a person from the nativity scene. Prizes can be given for the best costumes. The games that are chosen should revolve around the theme. People love trivia games, charades, and puzzles at parties. Let the kids take charge of the games while parents organize the buffet.

Don’t forget to end the night as well as you started. No Christmas gathering is complete without dessert, singing of carols, and the telling of the Christmas story. Sharing your faith with your family should be special and fun. You will create Christmas traditions that will be enjoyed for years to come.

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© Kerry Beck, 2007
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
—————————————-
Kerry Beck wants to give you a special Advent Countdown to use in your Christmas & Advent celebration this year. Her book will also include daily Advent calendar.

It’s the Christmas holidays, and you decide to invite your friends over for a Christmas party. Here are the best company Christmas party ideas

Light the fireplace; put on your favorite Christmas CD; hang mistletoe in every doorway, and you are ready to begin. Depending on how many friends you have invited, you will either choose a sit-down dinner or a buffet. Most often, buffet is the method of choice. Don’t forget to write on your invitations: “Bring a Dish to Share”.

What Will You Serve For The Buffet?

You can order a 12 foot sub or hero of your choice. Either hot or cold, it will be enough to serve all your guests. Or, you can make your own dish and invite everyone else to bring something special, as well. Some examples of popular side dishes are: pigs in a blanket; stuffed mushrooms; chicken rolls, or bite-sized cheese puffs which come in a variety of flavors, as well as knishes. Have an assorted array of wines, colas, water, and of course, eggnog.

How Will You Serve the Buffet?

Set up a separate table in your dining room or living room. Place all of the foods on the table. Add Christmas paper plates, napkins, and your good flatware at the beginning of the table. This way, your guests can take a paper dish, napkin and utensil and proceed directly to the food. Tip: This makes cleaning up easier for you, too.

Decorate your dining room table. Here are some suggestions: Choose a solid color tablecloth; red, green or white. Add Christmas placemats at each setting. As a centerpiece, fill a crystal bowl with Christmas balls. Next to the centerpiece, place two Christmas candles. To make your tablecloth stand out, pin garland around the bottom of the tablecloth.

What Party Games Can You Play?

After the buffet and dessert, it’s time for some party games. Adults may enjoy charades or a Christmas sing-a-long. Or you could play musical chairs with a twist. Have the men get down on one knee, while the women walk around them to the tune of jingle bells. When the music stops, each woman has to sit on a man’s knee. This game is so much fun, that your guests will laugh until they cry.

Finally, Christmas isn’t Christmas without Santa. Pre-arrange someone to dress up as a Santa villain. Have him wear a wig and a mustache that turns up to his nose. He could give away gag gifts, or anything that’s funny and appropriate. This is sure to be a company Christmas party idea that will be long remembered.

———————————–
© Kerry Beck, 2007
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
—————————————-
Kerry Beck desires to give you free Advent activities to use in your Christmas & Advent celebration this season.