Giving Away Blessing Bags

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I did it! I gave away some of my blessing bags this week... and it was really awesome!

The first opportunity came last Thursday, which was an extremely cold, windy day. We were driving to meet my mom for lunch and I saw the guy sitting on the corner. He was hunched over, clutching a sign, and obviously freezing. My heart jumped when I saw him, this was it. I was a little nervous, but I pulled the car over, jumped out, handed a blessing bag to the guy and ran back to the car. As I drove away I looked in my rearview mirror and saw him digging through the bag, then I turned and he was gone... and I cried. I have no idea why I cried. For all I know he could have looked in the bag and threw it away. But for some reason, watching him look in the bag made my heart hurt. I have no idea what happened that lead him to the corner that day, but he had hit rock bottom and that made me sad.

But that's not where the story ends. I met my mom in the parking lot and we went into the restaurant, ordered food and sat down to eat. About halfway through our meal, as I was explaining to Cameron why we don't eat macaroni and cheese off the floor (awesome!), a man walked in and sat at a corner table. He looked pretty rough, freezing and probably homeless, but I couldn't tell for sure so I watched him for a couple minutes. When no one else came to join him and I saw him blowing into his scarf to try and warm up I decided that my gut was probably right, he was homeless. At that point I wasn't thinking about the fact that it was probably the same man from the corner, but in retrospect it probably was.

After a few minutes of debating what to do, I made up my mind. I went up and asked him if it would be ok if I bought him a sandwich. At first he was a little hesitant. I think he was worried I was going to try and get him thrown out of the restaurant. But when he realized I was trying to help, he took me up on my offer. He said a sandwich would be nice and maybe something warm. I ordered him a sandwich and a hot chocolate. Then Cameron and I went over to deliver the food to his table. He seemed very thankful. I introduced myself and shook his hand (which was FREEZING) and asked for his name...it was Mark.

I have no idea if we made an impact on Mark or not. But I hope we did. I pray he saw Jesus in us and I pray that we gave him a little sense of hope. Most likely I won't be making a habit of buying homeless people meals, I think this was just a way for God to catch my attention that day. But you never know...

Saturday I had another opportunity to give away another bag. It wasn't as much of an ordeal, I barely had time to get the bag out the window of the car before I had to turn, let alone ask the man his name. But I was thankful that I had something to give him.

So long story longer :) the blessing bags were awesome! The money I spent was definitely worth it and I plan to continue to keep my car stocked so I can be prepared when I run into homeless people in the future.

Go make some bags. I promise it will be worth it.

4 Meals to Take to Friends

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When my girls were born a bunch of friends and family brought us meals...and it was awesome! Not only was it fun trying other people's recipes, but it was such a relief not to have to plan meals and go grocery shopping. Now whenever friends have babies I like to make it a point to take them a meal, because I know how much I appreciated it when they did if for me.

Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, making meals for friends can get a little overwhelming. I know, I've been there. Life is pretty crazy and getting meals on the table for my own family can be a challenge some days, let alone getting food prepped and ready for a friend. But through trial and error I've learned it doesn't have to be like that.

Here are a few tips that can help simplify the process of taking meals to friends.

• If you've offered to coordinate meals for a friend, make it easy on yourself. Use a website like TakeThemAMeal.com to setup the schedule. Create a page and send out the link, then you're done.  
• Plan what you're going to make ahead of time and do your shopping before the day of. That way you're not trying to fit too much into one day. 
• Pick a dish that's easy to make, easy to transport and easy to reheat (check out some of the meals below). 
• Make double so that there is enough to feed your family for dinner too.  
• Drop your food off earlier in the afternoon so you're not interfering with dinner time (yours or theirs).
• If you want to visit when you drop the food off, leave your kids at home. You don't want to cause any additional stress for a friend who is adjusting to life with a new baby.

Here are a few meal ideas. These recipes have gone over pretty well when I've taken them to friends.

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A Mexican Style Feast... 

Mexican Lasagna

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Mexican Lasagna
(courtesy of my mom-in-law)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 package of flour tortillas, cut into strips
1 can ranch style beans
1 can of chilies and tomatoes (Rotel)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Fry ground beef, onion and chili powder. Drain if necessary and set aside. Mix chilies and tomatoes and cream of chicken soup and set aside. Spray a 9x13 pan and layer 1/2 the tortillas, 1/2 the meat, ranch style beans, cheddar cheese, 1/2 the tortillas, 1/2 the meat, chilies, tomatoes and cream of chicken soup mixture, and finally top with monterey jack cheese. Bake 45 - 60 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Cilantro Lime Rice
(Courtesy of our friend Kaye)

Ingredients
1 cup dry white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper

Cook rice according to the instructions and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until the vegetables have softened. Add rice and heat thoroughly. Shortly before serving, add the cilantro and lime juice. Stir thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
(Courtesy of Rachael Ray)

Ingredients
1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. Makes 4 servings.

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For the Italian lover...  

Baked Ziti

Garlic Bread

Green Beans

Baked Ziti
(Courtesy AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 lb dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Makes 10 servings.

I don't really have a specific recipe for the Garlic Bread or Green Beans. I cook them a little different every time I prep them.

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For the vegetarian...

Tomato-Basil Soup w/ Ricotta Dumplings

Beer Bread

Spinach Salad

Tomato-Basil Soup w/ Ricotta Dumplings
(Courtesy of my little sis)

Soup Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil

Dumpling Ingredients
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour

For soup, combine oil and garlic in a saucepan, cook and stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes, or until garlic begins to turn light golden brown. Immediately add tomatoes, chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, for dumplings, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg white, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well. Add flour, stir until just combined. Roll ricotta mixture into small balls and add directly into simmering soup. Cook until dumplings float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Makes 2 servings.

Beer Bread
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
3 cups self-rising flour*
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can (12 oz) beer
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. Spray or butter a loaf pan and set aside. Combine flour, sugar and beer and mix well. The mixture will be sticky. Pour mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes. At the last 3 minutes of baking, remove the bread from the oven, brush the top with butter and return to oven.

*To make your own self-rising flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt for ever cup of all-purpose flour used.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients
1 lb spinach, rinsed and torn into pieces
1 green apple, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
Shredded Parmesan
Vinaigrette

Combine spinach with apple, walnuts, cranberries and Parmesan. Toss with dressing before serving. Makes 8 servings.

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A little home cookin' goodness...

Meatloaf

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Veggie of Choice

Meatloaf
(Courtesy of my momma)

Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey or beef (or a combination of both)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup oatmeal

2 carrots, shredded

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, bread crumbs, oatmeal, carrots, onion and ketchup. Add meat and and mix thoroughly. Add pepper to taste. Spray a 9x13 pan and form meat into a loaf shape in the middle of the pan. Cook for 45 - 60 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

3 lbs potatoes, peeled and chunked

1 cup milk or cream

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water for approximately 20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Drain. Add butter to warm potatoes. Warm milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and add to the pot of potatoes. Mix thoroughly. You can add more butter and milk/cream if necessary to get the potatoes to the consistency that you like. Add grated Parmesan, and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings.

Veggie of Choice
Cook up a veggie (zucchini, squash, beans, broccoli.etc), and you've covered all the important food groups.

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Add a dessert (cookies, brownies, dirt cake)  to any of these meals and you're all set... yummy!

GOOD LUCK COOKING!!

Blessing Bags

Several years ago Ryan and I did the Crown Financial bible study series on how to manage your money in a godly way. Part of that study talked about helping the poor. I remember our group having an in depth discussion on what exactly Jesus meant when he commanded us to help the poor (because today's society looks a lot different than biblical times). Our discussion eventually lead to some pretty standard questions: What do you do about beggars? Do you give them money and risk them spending it on drugs of alcohol? Do you do something else like buy them a meal? Should we do anything for them at all?

One of the ladies in our group said that she always kept water bottles in her car and when she saw someone standing on a street corner, she'd roll down her window and hand them a water bottle. Intriguing. That definitely got me thinking, but that's about as far as things went.

Five years later, I still have never done anything to help. Actually, I take that back. One time about two years ago, I saw a homeless man sitting at the intersection as I was getting onto the highway. I happened to have some cookies in my car, so I rolled down my window and I handed them to him...but that hardly counts.

Anyway. Every time I see someone standing on the side of the road I feel like I should do something, but I never do. For awhile I thought maybe I should keep some gift cards for McDonald's or Subway in the car and hand those out, but I never did anything about it.

Then a few weeks ago I was reading a blog—Life Unexpected—and I saw a post she did about homeless bags. What a great idea! She packed bags full of food, toiletries, socks, etc. and kept the bags in her car so when she saw people she would have something to give them. Brilliant. If her husband was with her when they saw someone, he would get out of the car and ask the person their name and tell them that he would be praying for them. How awesome is that?

I loved her idea, so I decided to make blessing bags of my own. Most of the time I'm driving by myself or with my girls, so getting out of the car and talking to someone might not be the best idea, but I can at least have bags packed in the car ready to hand to someone when I have the opportunity.

Here are some ideas of what to put in the bags: non perishable food and drinks, toiletries, cards, a pocket bible. I ended up adding a few other things too: first aid kits, note pads and pens, mittens. You could really add whatever you want.

Then I printed out some blessing cards.

And put everything together in bags.

Now I'm going to put these bad boys in the car and be prepared next time I see someone in need. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about giving the bags away. It's kind of a weird thing. But I just hope that God uses it as a way to touch someone who may have lost hope.

It really is easy to put these together, and it's not a huge investment considering the impact that you could have on a person's life. So go make some bags people!