For this week’s Fave 5, The Morning Thing co-hosts share stories about their favorite Christmas gifts.
The Morning Thing Fave 5 – our favorite Christmas presents.
10 ways that you can share Christmas love with others this year. The Morning Thing 12/2/16
We have all heard the saying, “it is better to give than to receive”. Have we put this idea into practice in our own life? Let’s use this Christmas to reach out to others and share the love of Christ.
We found 10 ways to share Christmas love from www.imom.com
Check out the list! Click HERE to read the full article.
1. Ho-Ho-Ho, Surprise!
Let your children choose one of these easy gifts for kids to make and then secretly surprise someone by leaving the gift at their doorstep. Or, take the gifts with you and give to people you encounter during the day – the worker at the dry cleaners, the cashier in the drive-through, or the librarian.
2. Give and Get.
This giving and receiving printable is great because your kids get to first focus on giving to others, and then they get to think about what they would like themselves. The giving options includes gifts of services, gifts to make, and gifts to buy.
3. Operation Christmas Child
I love this one for kids and grownups! Our team at iMOM and Family First did this last year, and we are doing it again this season because it was such a great giving to others outreach for us. All you do is fill a shoebox with items for needy children. Then, you drop off your filled box to a location in your area, and it will reach a child in need. You will need to get started on this idea a little early as the drop-off week is November 16 – November 23.
4. Prayer Jar.
Cut slips of paper big enough for you and your children to write the names of those you know who need prayer. Put the slips in a jar and pull out three or four each day. Pray for them and also use one of the other ideas on this list to share Christmas love with that person.
5. Help the Helpless.
Your children will learn the most about true giving when they give to those who can’t easily give back. Prepare goodie bags for the elderly, the homeless, or for families staying with their children at local hospitals. Include holiday items like sweets, but also practical items like travel-sized toothpaste, mints, and mouthwash.
6. Secret Sweet Attack!
Buy or bake some goodies, get some candy canes or other holiday treats and secretly leave them for your neighbors, the dry cleaner, or the librarian.
7. Drive-Through Dash.
Load your kids in the car and head for a fast food drive-through. After you pay for your own order, tell the cashier you’d like to pay for the orders of the two cars behind you. Next, drive just far enough away where you can’t be seen, but you can still watch the reaction of the people you’ve surprised.
8. Tag it!
Whatever goodies or gifts you decide to hand out as you’re giving to others this year, tag them with love! Our “Christmas Love For You” gift tags makes it easy.
9. Hot Chocolate on a Cold Day.
Buy some disposable coffee cups with lids, a multi-cup carrier, and make some hot chocolate. Deliver it to folks working outside or to anyone else who needs to feel the warmth of the season.
10. Share the Love.
Share the love and the story of Christmas with your children’s friends with our adorable Christmas Story printable. Let your children cut them out and put them and the story printable in a bag. Finish with our “Christmas Love for You” gift tagsand add some cookies or candy canes too.
(Picture from of http://www.imom.com)
The Fredericktown Christmas Walk is FUN for You and your family!
The Fredericktown Christmas Walk is this Saturday from 3-7pm. This will be a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
Marcy Rinehart of The Morning Thing talked with Cecilia McClelland about the 2016 Fredericktown Christmas Walk. There are SO many fun activities for families. The best part is that all proceeds benefit the Knox County Food for the Hungry drive.
Click HERE https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/the-fredericktown-christmas-walk-supports-food-for-the-hungry to hear their conversation.
Join WNZR in downtown Fredericktown this Saturday, December 3rd for the 16th Annual Fredericktown Christmas Walk. The Christmas Walk is on a NEW day and time – Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Come experience the spirit of what Christmas is all about!
The Walk Committee invites everyone to attend and mark the beginning of the Christmas season, while supporting local charities that provide food and financial services to area residents. All activities will support Food for the Hungry! All donations will help the work of Interchurch Social Services and the Salvation Army and all donations will stay in Fredericktown!
There is SO much to do and SO much to see:
- Ice Sculpture Demonstrations
- Central Ohio Draft Horse Association Wagon Rides around the Christmas light display at Sockman Park
- Crafts, Food and Specialty Vendors will be at the Presbyterian Church (located behind the Gazebo)
- Fredericktown Firefighters Association is excited to be selling beautiful poinsettias at the Masonic Lodge
- Santa’s Toy Shop, Hot Food and Beverages at the Masonic Lodge next door to the Village Office
- Crafts for Kids and the WNZR Photo Booth at the Baptist Church
- Pictures with Santa at First Knox National Bank
- Visit the Historical Society
- Sophia’s Petting Zoo
- Live Musical Groups traveling up and down Main Street, plus performances at the Gazebo
- Mary Elder will be playing her harp in the Presbyterian parlor at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. There will also be poetry programs to accompany the harpist.
- The annual Food For The Hungry Charity Auction at 3 p.m. in the Senior Citizen Building
- You can also purchase a collectable ornament at the Presbyterian Church. Our ornament this year will honor the Fredericktown FFA, designed by local artisans, Jim and Scarlett Crane. The FFA jacket, worn nationally, was adopted in 1933 and designed by Fredericktown’s own: Gus Litner.
- Look for Big Blue in front of the Village Office
Don’t miss this FUN event for families on Saturday, December 3rd from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. in Fredericktown.
Stop by to register to win a great family prize basket!
The “Clean Up, Dress Up and Batter Up” prize basket includes:
- An entire house cleaning from Carefree Cleaning Company. Amy Kessler gives you 4 hours of house cleaning! (Valued at $100)!
- TWO – 1 month individual batting cage memberships at SportPro Physical Therapy and Baseball/Softball Clinic (located at 7084 Newark Road in Mount Vernon). This one month batting cage membership entitles an individual to unlimited tokens during business hours for an entire month. You can use one membership for you AND bless someone else with a wonderful gift. (Valued at $78)
- $25 gift certificate for Premier Designs Jewelry with Amberly Frye
- Plus WNZR goodies including chip clips, hand fans, cups, Frisbees, guitar flyswatters and more!
The prize package is valued at over $200.00!
The winner will be drawn at 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas this Saturday with WNZR in Fredericktown!
How can you be a Man of God? Look to the bible for instructions.
Today was a day for Men on The Morning Thing.
How can you be a Man of God? What does that life look like? We found 2 wonderful articles that dove into scripture – the perfect plan for daily living.
Watermark Church in Texas posted a wonderful blog with 5 characteristics of a Godly man. The blog has 44 different bible verses to help you in this effort.
Click HERE to read the entire blog.
- STEP UP: Lead. Initiate. Be a man of action. Assume it is your job and your moment. Hate apathy. Reject passivity.
When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men…”Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” -2 Samuel 10:7,12
“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30
Other Scripture: Psalm 101, Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 20:6, Jeremiah 5:1, Ezekiel 22:23-31, John 10:11-13, James 1:23-25
- SPEAK OUT: Silence in the midst of sin is a sin. Be courageous. Fear God not man. Speak the truth in love.
Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. – Proverbs 27:5-6
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. – Proverbs 31:8-9
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. – 1 Peter 3:15
Other Scripture: Proverbs 14:25, Proverbs 15:1-2, Proverbs 24:11-12, Isaiah 8:11-13, Jeremiah 1:17, Romans 1:16
- STAND STRONG: Don’t give in when you are challenged, attacked or criticized.
“Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 1:18-19
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. – I Corinthians 15:58
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. – 1 Peter 5:8-9
Other Scripture: 2 Chron. 16:9, Prov. 24:10, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 12:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 1:10, Philippians 1:27-28
- STAY HUMBLE: Be vigilant against pride. Get the log out of your eye. Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less.
Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, for still my prayer is against their wicked deeds. – Psalm 141:5
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:5-7
Other Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 12:1, Isaiah 66:2, Micah 6:8, John 15:5, Philippians 2:3-5
- SERVE THE KING: Seek first His Kingdom, His glory, His righteousness. Hope in the eternal. Live for a greater reward.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 ”
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
We also shared 5 ways to be the husband God wants you to be from www.crosswalk.com
Click HERE to read the entire article from Stormie Omartian, Author of The Power of a Praying Husband.
In the Bible, God commands, “All of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Paying heed to these five directives can change your life and your marriage and make you the man and husband God wants you to be. It’s definitely something well worth praying about.
1. Be of One Mind
It’s horrible to have strife in a marriage. It makes us miserable. It affects every area of our lives. And it’s probably the closest thing to hell we’ll ever know on earth. If it goes on long enough, it can destroy everything. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25). Those are frightening predictions. But prayer is the key by which unity in the marriage relationship can be maintained.
2. Be Compassionate
Have you ever seen your wife suffering, but you don’t know what to do about it? Some men become impatient with that. Others feel so at a loss or overwhelmed by it that it causes them to withdraw. If you recognize that happening to you, ask God to give you a heart of compassion. To be compassionate toward your wife is to have a deep sympathy for any area in which she suffers and to have a strong desire to alleviate that suffering.
Part of being compassionate has to do with simply listening. That means being able to listen without having that faraway look in your eyes that says, “I have more important things to do. Let’s get this over with quickly.” Your wife is not expecting you to fix everything. She just needs to know that you hear her heart and care about how she feels.
3. Be Loving
Jesus loves us with fidelity, purity, constancy, and passion no matter how imperfect we are. If a man doesn’t love his wife in that same way, he will abuse his authority and his headship and as a result will abuse her. Because you are one with your wife, you must treat her the way you would your own body. You wouldn’t do anything to deliberately hurt or destroy it. You love it and care for it. “Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself” (Ephesians 5:33).
4. Be Tenderhearted
Is there anything about your wife that bothers you? Is there something that she does or says, or doesn’t do or say, that irritates you? Do you find yourself wanting to change something about her? What happens when you try to make those changes occur? How does she respond when you show your irritation? Have you ever just given up and said, “It’s no use. She’s never going to be any different”?
The truth is, we all have a hard time changing. Try as we may, we can’t change ourselves in any significant way. Only God can make changes in us that last. Only His power can transform us. That’s why prayer is a more tender and more certain way to see changes happen in your wife.
5. Be Courteous
Do you ever talk to your wife in a way that would be considered rude if you were speaking to a friend or business associate? Are you kind to everyone all day at work, but then you take out your frustration, exhaustion, and anger on your wife when you get home? Do you ever allow criticism of your wife to come out of your mouth in front of other people? If so, as a sister in the Lord who deeply cares about both you and your wife, allow me to give you your first serious assignment in this book:
STOP THAT!
Marriage is hard enough without one of the parties being rude, cruel, or inconsiderate. Nothing makes a marriage feel more like hell on earth. Nothing is more upsetting, defeating, tormenting, suffocating, or emotion-provoking, nothing does more to bring out the worst in us, than a marriage where one of the partners is lacking in common courtesy. I have heard of more marriages dissolving because the wife had been treated rudely for so long that she felt herself becoming resentful, angry, bitter, and hopeless. In other words, she was turning into the kind of person she never wanted to be. We have to care enough about our mates to stop doing things that hurt or upset them.
(Picture from www.crosswalk.com)
Got any leftovers from Thanksgiving? Check out these yummy recipes. The Morning Thing 11/28/16
Leftovers can be the best part of the big Thanksgiving meal.
We found 20 great recipes from www.seriouseats.com
Click HERE to check out one of these 20 creative recipes, from quesadillas to soups to stuffing waffles.
What recipes do you use for your leftovers? Let us know through email, wnzr@mvnu.edu
The Morning Thing Fave 5 – We are VERY thankful!
The Morning Thing Fave 5 focuses on thankfulness this week!
In honor of Thanksgiving, The Morning Thing hosts share what they are most thankful for this season.
Jenna Potts – https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/morning-thing-fave-5-jenna-potts-1
Dan Monnin – https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/morning-thing-fave-5-dan-monnin
Andy Krolik – https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/morning-thing-fave-5-andykrolik
(Guest Co-Host) Rachel Rinehart – https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/morning-thing-fave-5-rachel-rinehart
Marcy Rinehart – https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/morning-thing-fave-5-marcy-rinehart
10 things to do the day after Thanksgiving other than shopping! The Morning Thing 11/25/16
It is Black Friday – the biggest shopping day of the year. Millions of people will fight the crowds, their sleepiness and the long lines just to find that very special deal.
If you are NOT one of the brave shoppers, we found a list of 10 things that you can do today instead of shopping. We think that you will love this list and the pictures that are included in the article.
Kaylee Collier wrote this list for www.theodysseyonline.com
Click HERE for the full article.
1. Sleep in.
Thanksgiving dinner is usually the biggest meal of the year. We stuff our faces with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and all the pie on the face of the Earth. With our bellies this full, you don’t want to be jostled around too much. Rather than wake up at 3 a.m. to fight your way through Walmart, why not just sleep in and let that feast digest? You don’t have to get up early for class, so take full advantage of the sleep opportunities you get over this break before you go back to face finals week.
2. Go get your Christmas tree.
While many people have already decorated their houses for Christmas, I prefer to wait until after Turkey Day to let Thanksgiving have all of its glory. The day after is the official start of Christmas time in our house. We are serious about Christmas trees in my family. We even name them. We will spend the day searching for The One. The Only. The most glorious of all trees to ever exist. We head to the tree farm and search for the tree that is prophesied by Clark Griswold in “Christmas Vacation,” cut it down and take it home. Just remember to check for squirrels. And bring a saw.
3. Watch Christmas movies.
One of the rules in my family is that we are not allowed to watch Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving. We want to make sure we cherish Thanksgiving just as much as Christmas. Plus you get pretty sick of all things Christmas if you spend two months gearing up for it. But after the fourth Thursday of November, it’s game time for Christmas movie season. The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to binge watch your favorite holiday titles like “Elf,” “Christmas Vacation,” “The Santa Clause,” and many, many more. Why fight the crowds when you can experience way more seasonal joy from your couch?
4. Clean.
I know this isn’t the most enjoyable option, but if you host Thanksgiving at your home this year, your house will probably need a good cleaning afterward. Even if you didn’t have your family at your house, it would still be a nice gesture to offer to clean the house of whoever did host your family’s feast. Think of it this way: the quicker you clean up from Thanksgiving, the sooner you can decorate for Christmas.
5. Put up Christmas decorations.
Once Thanksgiving has passed, I officially stop judging people for having their Christmas decorations up too early. Again, no offense to those who do put them up right after Halloween, but I like to take things one holiday at a time. It helps to savor the season. And the turkey.
6. Eat Leftovers
The feeding frenzy doesn’t have to end just because it isn’t Thursday anymore. One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is that the leftovers of the feast usually last several days after the actual holiday. Turkey sandwiches with leftover stuffing and mac ‘n cheese is a personal favorite Black Friday lunch for me. And I don’t even have to wait in line for it.
7. Make a list. Check it twice.
Unless you’ve accomplished a miracle by getting all of your holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving, it’s a good idea to spend the day after making a list of gifts that you are planning on getting for your friends and family. You can plan out your budget, along with what locations you need to hit and when in order to shop in the most efficient way possible. You can also see if any of the gifts you’re planning on giving are available to buy online (spoiler: they all are) so you don’t have to brave the storm of holiday shoppers any day of the season. Make sure to remember to make out a list of gifts you’d like to receive as well and distribute it to your family as well. They can’t read your mind.
8. Spend time with family members.
They probably already saw you the day before, but chances are they may not have gotten a chance to speak with you one-on-one with a house full of people feeding their faces. Take time to spend some quality time with the people in your family that you haven’t gotten to talk to in a while, especially if you’ve been away at college. I’m sure your mom would love to go get coffee with you. Your dad would enjoy sitting back and watching the game together. And for the love of all that is holy, let your grandma bake you something. It’s the little things that make holiday breaks special.
9. Work out.
Once the food has settled, it’s a good idea to try to exercise off some of those calories you demolished the day before. It could be as simple as a walk around your block or some jumping jacks. Go prancercise. Just try to move in some way to get back on a somewhat healthy track, even though we all know how hard that is to do around the holidays.
10. Study.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Thanksgiving break doesn’t mean you’re done with schoolwork. For me, it actually means the opposite. With finals just a few weeks away, those end of the semester projects I’ve procrastinated on for three months are now due. Work hard now so you can relax later. It’ll be worth it when you come home with a nice, healthy GPA when the semester is over.
Happy Thanksgiving from The Morning Thing!
Today is a wonderful day – a day to celebrate what we are thankful for!
The history of the Thanksgiving holiday dates back to 1621.
(From http://www.history.com) In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
Click HERE to see a cute video about the history of Thanksgiving.
Kids History: The First Thanksgiving (4 min) TV-PG
A group of children explain what happened on the first Thanksgiving.
(Picture from http://www.history.com)
To celebrate Thanksgiving, The Morning Thing and the WNZR staff shared their favorite family traditions.
Click HERE to hear our DJs share about the fun they have on this holiday.
We also have some special messages to share with YOU and your family today.
Click HERE to hear the WNZR staff members wish YOU a Happy Thanksgiving.
Food For The Hungry celebrates 35 years of giving in Knox County!
2016 marks the 35th Anniversary of Food for the Hungry. This is the annual drive to collect food and funds to benefit Interchurch Social Services and The Salvation Army of Knox County. The calendar is full of events and special collections planned to support the annual drive.
Click HERE to read the history of how this drive started in 1982.
(Mount Vernon News article from 1982!)
Click HERE to read more about who we help. You can also find information at this link about our 2016 grant available to non-profit organizations with food initiatives. The deadline for the grant application is Monday, 11/28/16.
Click HERE to see the complete calendar of Food for the Hungry events in 2016.
WNZR is bringing you information about all events and collections connected to Food for the Hungry. The Morning Thing has been featuring conversations with committee members about these exciting events.
Click HERE to hear a conversation with Lisa Mazzari, Food For The Hungry Coordinator and Joy Harris, Executive Director of Interchurch Social Services of Knox County. Marcy Rinehart of The Morning Thing talks with the ladies about the power of this collection and the impact these donations make on the Knox County community.
Marcy also had a chance to talk with Lieutenants Gigi and Brandon Gonzalez-Cottrell of the Mount Vernon Salvation Army about how Food for the Hungry helps their ministry. Click HERE to hear this powerful conversation.
There are SO many organizations and individuals working to collect food and funds to support this outreach.
Psi Iota Xi and Delta Kappa Gamma sororities are working with the elementary students in our county. The incredible ladies from these two organizations have been working hard to encourage that ALL children in Knox County participate in Food for the Hungry.
Elementary schools across the county held collections the week of 11/14 – 11/18. So far, we are seeing GREAT results from those collections! Over 14 pallets of food were picked up from Mount Vernon elementary schools on Monday 11/21! That is amazing!
Click HERE to hear how Food for the Hungry representatives responded to the news of this amazing collection.
So how can YOU get involved?
#1 – Exercise!
Get up early and get some exercise on Thanksgiving morning. Come to the 6th annual Turkey Trot! Click HERE for more details from Scott Burgess from “We Run MV”.
Sign-in starts at 8:00AM on race day at the MVNU Chapel with the race to start at
9:00AM.
(2015 Turkey Trot at MVNU)
#2 – Shop in an auction!
The Knox County Career Center is hosting TWO auctions to benefit Food for the Hungry. The online auction features gift certificates from labs at the Career Center. Go to www.knoxcountycareercenter.yolasite.com to place your bid. There is a safe and easy form to fill out at the bottom of the website.
Bidding ends at 5pm on Friday, 12/9. The winning bidders will be announced at the Food For The Hungry broadcast at 12:30pm on Saturday, 12/10.
The Knox County Career Center is also hosting a LIVE Auction of amazing gift baskets! This will take place at around 12:45pm during the Food For The Hungry broadcast.
There are 6 baskets ranging in value from $356 to $1277!
Tune in to Time Warner Cable channel 9 or to WMVO 1300AM and 100.9FM on Saturday at 12:30pm and place your bid! You can also place an advanced bid by calling John Feltman at 740-507-5386.
SEE the baskets and complete contents at www.knoxcountycareercenterbaskets.yolasite.com
You can also SEE the baskets THIS SUNDAY (11/27) at the Mount Vernon Christmas Walk. Stop by Hunter Hall (where Happy Bean is located) and see the baskets on display in the conference room. You can also go ahead and place a silent bid for your favorite basket.
Click HERE to hear Marcy’s conversation with KCCC Student Services Principal, John Feltman about the Career Center’s involvement with Food for the Hungry. We are SO proud of these amazing young people.
(Vacation Basket valued at over $1,300!)
#3 – Get dressed up, go to dinner and support FFTH!
Kenyon College is hosting the 6th annual Snowflake Gala Dinner Auction to benefit Food for the Hungry on Friday, December 2nd in Gund Commons. Enjoy dinner prepared by the talented chefs of AVI Food Systems. This year’s dinner will feature a buffet of locally sourced foods, with both non-vegetarian (beef and pork) and vegetarian options. Reservations accepted NO LATER than THIS FRIDAY, November 25, 2016.
Click HERE to hear Marcy’s conversation with Matt Starr of I-Conn Video Production about the event details, this year’s honorees and how you can donate through the “Fund-a-Cause” live auction.
The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m.. Individual tickets are priced at $100 per person. To reserve your place, call 740-427-5111. Online registration and payment options are available at www.foodforthehungrycares.org, click the Auctions Tab and then Kenyon Gala Dinner and Auction. Proceeds from this annual gala benefit needy families and individuals in our own county. If you or your company would like to sponsor a table ($1,000 for eight people) or support the gala in some other way, please contact Kathryn Brechler Lake at 740-427-5111.
(Kenyon Gala pictures from previous years)
Is that all that is happening? NO!
There are MANY MANY events happening to support Food for the Hungry.
Keep checking back to this blog and listening to The Morning Thing weekdays from
6-9am. We will keep you up to date on how you get you and your family plugged into an event.
Right now you can click HERE to see a full calendar of upcoming events.
Click HERE for information on how you can volunteer!
Join WNZR at the 35th annual Food for the Hungry drive, Saturday, December 10th. We will broadcast from City Hall from 9am to 5pm providing updates on the total and all activities. The Big Blue Crew wants YOUR help in supporting Interchurch Social Services and the Salvation Army.
For more information, log on to www.FoodForTheHungryCares.org.
Food For The Hungry – Working together to care for our neighbors.
Try a new recipe for this Thanksgiving! The Morning Thing 11/23/16
Looking for something NEW for your Thanksgiving table?
Check out these recipes from www.fearlessfresh.com
Chef Stephanie Stiavetti shares some exciting new twists on some of our favorite Turkey Day dishes. Let us know if you try any of these. They look YUMMY!
THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY DISH: BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE IN A PUMPKIN
Click HERE for the complete recipe and directions.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 sugar pumpkin, or other sweet variety (not a carving pumpkin), about 5 pounds
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 pound mild Italian pork sausage
- 4 ounces elbow macaroni
- 5 ounces Fontina, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 ounces Gruyère, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 3 scallions, diced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Cut a circle from the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle, the way you would cut open a pumpkin to make a jack-o’-lantern, and set aside.
- Scoop out the seeds and strings as best you can. Generously salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin, pop the top back on it, place it on a rimmed baking dish (since the pumpkin may leak or weep a bit), and bake for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. If the sausages are in their casings, remove the meat and discard the casings. Crumble the sausage meat into small chunks and cook until lightly browned. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Discard the drippings, or save for gravy or what have you.
- Also while the pumpkin bakes, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- In a bowl, toss together the Fontina, Gruyère, sausage, pasta, scallions, and herbs.
- Once the pumpkin is done baking, take it out of the oven and fill it with the macaroni and cheese. Pour the cream over the filling. Place the top back on the pumpkin and bake for 1 hour, taking the top off for the last 15 minutes so the cheese on top of the filling can properly brown. If the top cream still seems a bit too wobbly and liquid, give it another 10 minutes in the oven. The cream may bubble over a bit, which is fine.
- If the pumpkin splits while baking, as occasionally happens, be thankful you set it in a rimmed baking dish and continue to bake as normal.
- Allow the pumpkin to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Be careful moving the dish, as the pumpkin may be fragile. You can serve this dish two ways: Cut it into sections and serve them, or just scoop out the insides with scrapings of the pumpkin flesh for each serving. Either way is just dandy. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Alternative cheeses: Fontina and Gruyère are widely available and are best used for this recipe, but feel free to try your favorite cheese. We particularly like Valley Ford’s Estero Gold or its Highway 1 Fontina, as well as Roth Käse’s MezzaLuna Fontina. If you want to try something radical, a creamy blue cheese like Buttermilk Blue or Cambozola will do nicely too.
- Additional pairings for the cheese: apples, toasted walnuts, toasted hazelnuts
THE BEST THANKSGIVING STUFFING RECIPE WITH AUTUMN FRUIT AND NUTS
Click HERE for the complete recipe and instructions.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 loaf of dense, heavy bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (should yield about 5 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium-sized sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- One 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and diced
- 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped finely
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups stock (turkey, chicken, or vegetable)
- 4 fuyu persimmons, chopped coarsely
- 2 sweet red apples, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Spread bread cubes evenly on a large cookie sheet. Toast until until the bread cubes have browned gently, about 20 minutes, using a spatula to flip the cubes halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Raise oven heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat a large skillet over medium flame. Add pecans and toast for 4 minutes, agitating every 30 seconds to allow for even toasting and to prevent burning. Pecans are done when they have turned a darker shade of brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until they are translucent and slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, sage and rosemary, stirring constantly for 30 seconds, then add celery, sauteing for another 2 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and bread cubes and mix well. Drizzle in stock and remaining olive oil, mixing gently until bread cubes are coated. Remove from heat and allow to soak for 5 minutes, mixing every few minutes to allow for even absorption.
- Without smashing the bread cubes, gently fold in persimmons, apples and toasted pecans. Season to taste with a bit more salt and pepper, then pour the whole thing into a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
WINTERTIME SPICED CRANBERRY JAM
Click HERE for the complete recipe and instructions.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds cranberries, frozen or fresh
- 1 pound of sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup orange zest, from 5 large oranges
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 2 medium lemons
- 1/2 cup orange juice (or cranberry juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt (or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon butter
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make sure your jars are sterilized and ready to go. Defrost the cranberries, if using frozen berries. Wash and dry the cranberries, then chop them coarsely with a sharp knife.
- Sprinkle chopped berries with 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.
- While the cranberries are basking in their sugary bath, place a small plate in the freezer so you can test the jam for proper thickness later.
- Add the cranberries, orange zest, lemon juice, orange or cranberry juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times until the cranberries are chunky, maintaining a bit of texture.
- Pour the fruit into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Add brown sugar, butter, and remaining white sugar, stirring well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit begins to bubble and spit. Use a skimmer to skim off any foam that forms. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Begin testing the jam for doneness. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of cooked fruit on the cold plate and place it back in the freezer. Wait 30 seconds, then run your finger through the fruit. It should be thick enough to maintain a path when you ran your finger through it. If you’d like thicker jam, place the plate back in the freezer and cook the fruit for another 3 minutes and test again. Repeat until desired thickness is achieved, but be careful about cooking too long or you will alter the taste and texture of your jam.
- Remove pot from heat and use a spoon to skim any foam from the surface of the fruit. Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headroom, and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Unopened jars will keep at room temperature for up to 6 months. Opened jam should be refrigerated and will last two weeks.
Rise and Shine 