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Post by Clipper on Nov 22, 2019 10:48:00 GMT -5
For several years now Kathy and I have put together dinner boxes for two families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It started years ago with a family that we were close to that found themselves hurting financially with the holidays coming up. We bought all the fixings for them to have a family dinner for 5 and found that it was less than $25. In the years following we somehow ended up giving TWO of the dinner boxes to families in need.
This year we are having my sister deliver boxes to two families of former students of hers that find themselves in need. She is a retired teacher and therefore has been able over the years to help kids that were without proper winter clothing, shoes, school supplies, and to help their families with food when necessary.
Part of Thanksgiving is actually giving thanks. Something that is sometimes lost in the excitement of the holiday. Thanks for all the blessings that we have received. Kathy and I tend to have a soft spot for those in need. Especially families with children. It is no huge thing. We simply have the time and the money, being retired, and blessed with the means to do it. I used to get a lot of joy out of volunteering at the food pantry, but I don't do that as often as I used to. Kathy enjoys cooking and baking so she is constantly baking something for someone. This time of the year we find ourselves especially thankful for all we are blessed with. Reasonably good health, enough money to eat well, a roof over our heads, and a circle of wonderful friends and family.
The total cost of the two boxes this time around came to less than $70. I found turkeys on sale for 59 cents a pound at Kroger's, and with the cost of a can of Yams, 5lbs of potatoes, two bags of stuffing mix, a bag of coleslaw, and a frozen pumpkin pie, the total per box was $34. A total of $68 to feed two families. We have spent that much on a single dinner out for the two of us.
The greatest reward comes when we sit down to eat our own holiday dinner we can not only thank God for the blessings that he has bestowed on US, but we are also able to feel the joy of knowing that two other families are sitting down to a nice family holiday meal as well. It always warms our hearts and brings a smile to our face as we dig into that over abundance of food that will be stuffing us with left overs for a week to come.
I bought a twelve pound turkey for us. We are having the couple across the road over for dinner so I wanted enough to feed us on Thanksgiving and enough to share the leftovers. One of the best parts of having a turkey on a holiday is the sandwiches that I get to slather with Hellman's mayo and enjoy for a week after.
Our turkey comes out of the freezer today to thaw in the refrigerator until thanksgiving, and Kathy is going to make her pie crusts and freeze them until Wednesday when she will make her pies. She is also making a cheesecake. I am getting pumped up for a great dinner of turkey, bread stuffing made from my grandmother's recipe, squash from the garden, green bean casserole that the neighbor is bringing, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and a relish tray, followed by coffee and conversation while that all settles enough to eat dessert. I am thankful for all that we have been blessed with. Thankful for each other, for family and for friends, and thankful for all that the good Lord has allowed us to enjoy over the past year. Have a great day all. I have to get moving and take the boxes to my sister's house for her to deliver.
Have a great day.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 22, 2019 17:21:28 GMT -5
We have traditionally spent Thanksgiving with Barb's brother and his family. They have a big house and have often hosted a dinner for 25 or more people. Sister-in-law Jo Marie complained last week that the head count is down this year. Barb told me today that she invited a woman she met through Stephen Ministry. From what I understand this is a woman whose husband passed away last year and she moved into assisted living. She has essentially no visitors. I hope she is prepared for the tumult of my grandchildren.
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Post by BHU on Nov 22, 2019 17:40:48 GMT -5
For several years now Kathy and I have put together dinner boxes for two families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It started years ago with a family that we were close to that found themselves hurting financially with the holidays coming up. We bought all the fixings for them to have a family dinner for 5 and found that it was less than $25. In the years following we somehow ended up giving TWO of the dinner boxes to families in need. This year we are having my sister deliver boxes to two families of former students of hers that find themselves in need. She is a retired teacher and therefore has been able over the years to help kids that were without proper winter clothing, shoes, school supplies, and to help their families with food when necessary. Part of Thanksgiving is actually giving thanks. Something that is sometimes lost in the excitement of the holiday. Thanks for all the blessings that we have received. Kathy and I tend to have a soft spot for those in need. Especially families with children. It is no huge thing. We simply have the time and the money, being retired, and blessed with the means to do it. I used to get a lot of joy out of volunteering at the food pantry, but I don't do that as often as I used to. Kathy enjoys cooking and baking so she is constantly baking something for someone. This time of the year we find ourselves especially thankful for all we are blessed with. Reasonably good health, enough money to eat well, a roof over our heads, and a circle of wonderful friends and family. The total cost of the two boxes this time around came to less than $70. I found turkeys on sale for 59 cents a pound at Kroger's, and with the cost of a can of Yams, 5lbs of potatoes, two bags of stuffing mix, a bag of coleslaw, and a frozen pumpkin pie, the total per box was $34. A total of $68 to feed two families. We have spent that much on a single dinner out for the two of us. The greatest reward comes when we sit down to eat our own holiday dinner we can not only thank God for the blessings that he has bestowed on US, but we are also able to feel the joy of knowing that two other families are sitting down to a nice family holiday meal as well. It always warms our hearts and brings a smile to our face as we dig into that over abundance of food that will be stuffing us with left overs for a week to come. I bought a twelve pound turkey for us. We are having the couple across the road over for dinner so I wanted enough to feed us on Thanksgiving and enough to share the leftovers. One of the best parts of having a turkey on a holiday is the sandwiches that I get to slather with Hellman's mayo and enjoy for a week after. Our turkey comes out of the freezer today to thaw in the refrigerator until thanksgiving, and Kathy is going to make her pie crusts and freeze them until Wednesday when she will make her pies. She is also making a cheesecake. I am getting pumped up for a great dinner of turkey, bread stuffing made from my grandmother's recipe, squash from the garden, green bean casserole that the neighbor is bringing, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and a relish tray, followed by coffee and conversation while that all settles enough to eat dessert. I am thankful for all that we have been blessed with. Thankful for each other, for family and for friends, and thankful for all that the good Lord has allowed us to enjoy over the past year. Have a great day all. I have to get moving and take the boxes to my sister's house for her to deliver. Have a great day. You & Kathy have a heart of gold, Clipper. Tis the season of giving. Whenever I pass by a Red Kettle I always drop a couple bucks in & whatever change I have. The SA is one of few charities where donations actually go to help people instead of outfits like the United Way where the CEO gets a 6 figure salary that would make your head spin. I'll also drop a check in the mail for a few bucks to Catholic Charities. I'm pretty sure CC & SA give out meal boxes to the needy. We're not hurting here either. We ain't rich by any means but we do ok. We have a roof, food in the fridge & freezer & heat. I didn't have much when I was young, so i know what it's like to want but have to go without. It was a way of life for myself & my siblings. But that's in the past & a few bucks now to feed a family in need & maybe a couple toys for some kid won't break us. And Happy Thanksgiving! |
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Post by Clipper on Nov 22, 2019 18:08:43 GMT -5
"I didn't have much when I was young, so I know what it's like to want and to have to go without."
We have that much in common BHU. We always had enough to eat, and clothes on our backs, but my parents were far from wealthy. When Christmas rolled around we usually were given one larger gift several small, inexpensive gifts, as well as a couple of new outfits for school. I will never forget that my dad worked overtime and that mom and dad saved and did without things for themselves to give us a good Christmas. When I was about 13 or 14 stereo record players were just coming into popularity. Mom and dad put a small portable stereo record player on layaway at WT Grant. It was a turntable with no record changer, and the speakers were attached to the sides and folded out. It had a carry handle like a suitcase. It wasn't high dollar but I enjoyed that stereo until I was 17 when I bought a bigger and better table model stereo with a record changer, better cabinet, and much better sound. That little stereo that they bought me played a lot of records over the ensuing years and the only difference between that and a more expensive unit was that I had to get off my ass and change the records. Another much appreciated gift was a transistor radio. It was a GE pocket sized 9 transistor AM radio. I carried that thing everywhere and often spent the better part of my allowance on batteries, haha. I walked miles with that little radio held up to my ear. When my mom died in 2004 we came across that little radio in one of her dresser drawers. It brought tears to my eyes to see it again. It had long since corroded because the batteries were never taken out of it.
Being brought up he way we were BHU made us the benevolent people we are today. Watching our parents struggle to give us the life that they gave us tends to leave a person wanting to help parents that struggle today. Parents who struggle more than ours did, and kids that sometimes go without a good meal and proper serviceable clothing. I don't know about you but I enjoy thinking about those folks that are eating the meal we provided almost as much as I enjoy the turkey dinner that WE enjoy. I remember when cookies and milk was 3 Oreos and a half a glass of milk was our snack before bed and we thought it was a great treat. I also remember when my dad was laid off and out of work, we drank a mixture of powdered milk and whole milk. We always had all the milk we wanted, but it was a quart of whole milk mixed half and half with Carnation instant milk during that period of time when he was out of work. We also had a Carnation powdered chocolate milk beverage that we loved. We also ate a lot of hot dogs, ate a lot of Kraft Dinner, and macaroni goulash. We drank a lot of Kool-Aid and soda was a special treat we only had on special occasions or on picnics.
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Post by BHU on Nov 22, 2019 20:16:35 GMT -5
Exactly. And you haven't lived until the only heat in the house was a gas oven when the temp outside was -10 or lower. I remember those transistor radios. I cherished mine & took care of it because if i broke it I was out of luck. LOL. To this day i still take care of my "stuff".
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2019 20:37:53 GMT -5
Nice to read all this. I bought a 3 pound Turkey Breast ( a fresh one at that ) at Walmart today. I think is was a little over $8.00. That and a salad will do me fine....... I'm not to big over these celebrations anymore but for those who are have fun.
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Post by Clipper on Nov 22, 2019 22:38:42 GMT -5
Turkey breast and a nice salad is probably much healthier than the normal traditional feast that leaves a person in a tryptophan coma, flopped in a recliner burping and snoring. LOL. There are usually a wide array of different dishes and we have to have a dab of this and a dab of that, gorging ourselves gluttons until we can hardly waddle to the living room. Then there are all the leftovers to be wrapped and put in the refrigerator to be eaten for a week after the holiday, until we can hardly stand the sight of another turkey sandwich or warmed up stuffing with turkey gravy.
Kathy and I like to roast a turkey breast with the idea in mind that we will get a nice dinner, left over meat for sandwiches and the option to cook the bones down for turkey noodle soup. As a rule we don't buy deli sliced cold cuts. We buy turkey breast or ham and cook it ourselves, slice it and vacuum seal packages of it for sandwiches. The only exception is that I buy a German bologna that I love. I don't buy that in the deli either. It comes in a chub and I buy the chub of store brand and have the meat department slice it for me. I pay about $3 a pound and the deli department carries Boar's Head and charges about $8 a pound or more for their lunch meats. I actually like the store brand label better than the expensive stuff.
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Post by Clipper on Nov 23, 2019 0:21:09 GMT -5
BHU, when I was 6 or 7 yrs old we lived in a house in Barneveld that had a propane gas range in the kitchen with a kerosene heater on one end. My brother and I slept in a bedroom directly above the kitchen and there was a large register about 2 feet square in the ceiling that allowed the heat to come up into our room. Sometimes in the morning when we got out of bed we would stand over that register to get warm. It was also our spying station. When mom and dad would have my aunt and uncle over to play cards drink coffee and visit, we would lay on the floor and eves drop and watch from the register. I remember mom setting up wooden clothes bars next to the stove to dry the laundry that she washed in a wringer type machine in the kitchen. Our mittens, boots, and coats also dried there. There was also a propane heating stove in the dining room that heated the rest of the house. There was no heat source in the upstairs so all the heat in the bedrooms depended on the floor registers and convection heat from downstairs. I remember that mom always turned on a portable electric space heater for a while in the bathroom and shut the door to warm the bathroom for us to take out baths.
When we lived on Keyes Rd in N Utica we lived in a prefab National Home with a gas force air furnace in the hallway that heated the whole house. We had to leave our bedroom door open for the heat to come in. There was vents to direct the heat down the hall toward the bedrooms, out toward the living room and there was a register that blew heat out under the kitchen cabinet kick plate to heat the kitchen.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2019 10:19:53 GMT -5
I never heard of a pre fab National Home so I googled it and from what I saw they are very nice.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 23, 2019 12:24:45 GMT -5
The house where we lived in Jamestown ND had radiators which were low and wide. They made perfect benches to warm up after being outside in winter.
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Post by BHU on Nov 23, 2019 13:36:27 GMT -5
BHU, when I was 6 or 7 yrs old we lived in a house in Barneveld that had a propane gas range in the kitchen with a kerosene heater on one end. My brother and I slept in a bedroom directly above the kitchen and there was a large register about 2 feet square in the ceiling that allowed the heat to come up into our room. Sometimes in the morning when we got out of bed we would stand over that register to get warm. It was also our spying station. When mom and dad would have my aunt and uncle over to play cards drink coffee and visit, we would lay on the floor and eves drop and watch from the register. I remember mom setting up wooden clothes bars next to the stove to dry the laundry that she washed in a wringer type machine in the kitchen. Our mittens, boots, and coats also dried there. There was also a propane heating stove in the dining room that heated the rest of the house. There was no heat source in the upstairs so all the heat in the bedrooms depended on the floor registers and convection heat from downstairs. I remember that mom always turned on a portable electric space heater for a while in the bathroom and shut the door to warm the bathroom for us to take out baths. When we lived on Keyes Rd in N Utica we lived in a prefab National Home with a gas force air furnace in the hallway that heated the whole house. We had to leave our bedroom door open for the heat to come in. There was vents to direct the heat down the hall toward the bedrooms, out toward the living room and there was a register that blew heat out under the kitchen cabinet kick plate to heat the kitchen. My Mom had one of those wringer washers. Never forget it. She'd pull the clothes out of the tub & have to run them thru the wringers a couple times to get the water out. Then she'd hang them on the clothes line to dry. Back breaking work for sure & she never complained. I finally told my old man if he didn't buy her an automatic washer I'd take an axe to that damn wringer machine. I was in h.s. full of piss & vinegar but he broke down & bought one. Yesiree. |
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Post by BHU on Nov 23, 2019 13:42:13 GMT -5
Nice to read all this. I bought a 3 pound Turkey Breast ( a fresh one at that ) at Walmart today. I think is was a little over $8.00. That and a salad will do me fine....... I'm not to big over these celebrations anymore but for those who are have fun. I didn't know Walmart carried fresh turkey. But that's not a bad price. Enjoy! |
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 23, 2019 13:52:41 GMT -5
I remember my Mom using a wringer washer when we a family of 6 kids, two of them were in diapers. My Dad had to persuade her to switch. I was oldest so I learned to iron my own clothes first. I loved it when permanent press came out.
My little brother put his hand in the wringer once, Mom hit the release very quickly.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2019 16:16:33 GMT -5
Nice to read all this. I bought a 3 pound Turkey Breast ( a fresh one at that ) at Walmart today. I think is was a little over $8.00. That and a salad will do me fine....... I'm not to big over these celebrations anymore but for those who are have fun. I didn't know Walmart carried fresh turkey. But that's not a bad price. Enjoy! They were just breasts and I noticed some were frozen and some thawed in the cooler I took it out from. I bought a frozen one to be safe what with my luck. Perdue Fresh Turkey Breasts. |
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Post by BHU on Nov 23, 2019 17:40:42 GMT -5
I didn't know Walmart carried fresh turkey. But that's not a bad price. Enjoy! They were just breasts and I noticed some were frozen and some thawed in the cooler I took it out from. I bought a frozen one to be safe what with my luck. Perdue Fresh Turkey Breasts. IDK, I'd be wary of that thawed one. What was a thawed breast doing in the cooler with frozen ones? Don't sound right. |
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