The Great ADVENT-ure

Christmas Day

2010-12-19T12:54:00.001-08:00

DISCLAIMER: This is still rough. The Bible verses aren't listed...some of the info may not be clear. But in case you wanted to try just Christmas Day, I wanted to have what we do. We just made it up. You could make up your own. The point is that we can fill a day with fun and focus on the Nativity story. We tweak this every year. It is not what it was 5 years ago. But it is fun.
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First, we have a little opening statement, to explain what we are planning to do.

"The purpose of the day is to review the Christmas story in a fun and interactive way. During the day we will play games and do activities as they pertain to the story. Some of the activities are individual, and some require teams. Teams are assigned, no trading spots. Throughout, points will be awarded for participation/success in the activities. At the end prizes will be distributed based on the final point totals."

Then we start the story...we use The Message because it is more fluid for us to read and easy to understand for most ages...

(Preparation for the game "Simon Says")

"During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God."

SIMON SAYS (2011 addiiton-This year we are going to try Bop-It...I'll let you know...;-))

Rules

One person (over 10) from each team agrees to be Simon. The Simons all get one point for being Simon, and if they lose at the end of the day by one point, they may not point out that if they had been a player instead of Simon, they might have won.

Each time someone is out, the next Simon takes a turn until only one player remains. That player (the winner) will get 2 points.

Those ages 7-9 get 1 do-over.

Those ages 3-6 get 2 do-overs

Those ages 1-2 stay in the game the whole way, but will not win.

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Preparation for the game "Charades"

We use Charades for Kids, because it has some card with a picture on it and the kids can do it completely on their own. But regular charades is fine, too. In this version, the cards say things like "rowing a boat"

But Zachariah and Elizabeth were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment; it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering.
Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God.
"He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God."
Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."
But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time."
Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people.

CHARADES
Following the Charades for Kids game. Winner of this game will get one point.
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(preparation for "the hidden prize")

When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said.

HIDDEN PRIZE
Those searching for the hidden prize will be under the age of 13. They may ask 3 yes/no questions each for a clue but may only be as specific as a certain room. The person who finds the hidden prize receives 2 points.

The hidden prize for us is always a box of Whitman's chocolates and we eat them for lunch dessert.
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(preparation for PS2 Jungle Book Dance-a -rama)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:

Good morning!
You're beautiful with God's beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

He will be great,
be called 'Son of the Highest.'
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob's house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom."
Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."
The angel answered,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.
"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
And Mary said,

Yes, I see it all now:
I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.
Then the angel left her.
Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She (Elizabeth) was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,

You're so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!
And Mary said,

I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.

JUNGLE BOOK DANCE
In the Jungle Book Dance segment, everyone gets a point who participates. Those who have never played before and inexperienced play on easy, those with minimal experience normal, those who are good at it play on hard. Those who are supportive of others and generally show good sportsmanship will get two points. The winner gets 1 point (max 4 points for the winner, but everyone could get 3 points if they tried at all)

If you do not have PS2 Jungle Book, you can come up with some other kind of jumping activity or game. This is just what we have. Generally this is when the womenfolk get the lunch together after their turns. That is just what happens in our family...
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At this point we generally have lunch. The easiest thing for us has been homemade vegetable soup (chicken noodle for those who don't like that) and a cheeseball and crackers. and the hidden prize. Just do something that is easily assembled.
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(preparation for the decorating of gingerbread houses)

Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.)

Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined break the engagement quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.
She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us"). (Isaiah 7:14)
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.

DECORATE GINGERBREAD HOUSES
Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Teams will decorate a gingerbread house together. When the house is completed, all team members still liking one another will receive one point.

As a side note, these can be purchased fairly cheaply after Christmas. We always do buy the kits then and keep for the next year. We don't eat them anyway. Generally we have between 9-12 people, so we have 3 teams. for any team event.

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(preparation for Yahtzee)

About that time, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be counted

YAHTZEE

Everyone will participate in a rousing game of Yahtzee. It is a fairly simple game and those who are not familiar can rely on assistance from other members of the group to help them to get the maximum points.

Persons with the highest score per group will receive one point, and the overall highest score will receive one additional point.
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(preparation for the car puzzle)

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

CAR PUZZLE

All teams will construct a route that can be traveled with a vehicle from a minimum of 6 pieces. The first team to complete will get two points. Other teams will get one point for completion. Anyone with a good attitude during the entire event will receive one point. Here is a site to buy the puzzles if you want, or you can just figure out something you could use for this story. We have 3 sets of pieces for our 12 people. These are pretty fun.
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(preparation for blanket making)

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.

BLANKET
Each team will assemble a fleece-knotted blanket for charity. Completion of this project will result in one point per member. Please do not tie the knots too tightly or the results will be disappointing. For each team, you will need about 2 yards of two coordinating colors of fleece or a pattern and a solid. Here is a site that will show you how to do it. We usually try to have it where the fringe is cut and ready to be tied. I pin the two together before we start tying to keep them straight. Everyone ties a side. Do not let this overwhelm you. If you get all the steps done to the tying, it is not hard to do with a group. Use sharp scissors to cut the fleece.

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(preparation for the Christmas Quiz or game...the point is having accurate knowledge or being able to relay facts accurately)
There were sheepherders (shepherds) camping in the neighborhood.
They had set night watches over their sheep.

Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified.

The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic host, praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us."
They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing! They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

There are several quizzes online (here's another one...might need to be tweaked) for Nativity Christmas that you could print out for your group. I have also used a silly one with Christmas Carols where you figure out which one they are talking about. The idea is to give correct information. This year I am toying with the idea of using a game that one of our pastors plays with his family, which is the pictoral equivalent of the Telephone Game.
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Tally the points....the winner can win a silly prize that you bought ahead of time. Or they can be the first in line for dinner. Or some years we have had "presents" that have to do with prophecies about Jesus. Anyway, you could let people choose from those based on their scores.

Possible Prophecy Gifts

Vinegar, sponge
Psalms 69:21...Given vinegar in thirst...Matthew 27:34

Guideposts
Psalms 78:1.2...He would teach in parables...Matthew 13:34-35

The Farmer’s Almanac
Isaiah 9:6...The Counselor, ...Matthew 13:54

Amaryllis
Isaiah 11:1...Out of the root of Jesse-Son of Jesse...Luke 3:23,32

Operation Game
Isaiah 53:4a...He would have a healing ministry... Luke 6:17-19

Chapstick
Isaiah 53:9c...No deceit in his mouth... John 18:38

Dominoes
Jeremiah 31:15…Triggered massacre of baby boys…Matthew 2:16-18

Silver Dollar
Zechariah 11:12-13a...Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver... Matthew 26:14-15

Sewing Kit
Zechariah 12:10a...The Messiah's body would be pierced... John 19:34-37

Kleenex
Isaiah 53:3c...Great sorrow and grief... Luke 19:41-42

Toss Up Dice Game
Psalm 22:18 They cast lots for His clothing. Matthew 27:35

Bandaids
Psalm 34:20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. John 19:33; 36a

Then we eat dinner. And watch Charlie Brown Christmas. Or the Nativity Movie. By the end of all that, everyone is usually exhausted.
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Food for Christmas

Whatever you think is delicious for Christmas is great of course. I don't have anything symbolic or spiritual for this part. We do make this cake, and it is very festive. This year I will try to take a picture of it so you can see it.

The Christmas Cake
We use the cake, the frosting and the shortbread angels on our cake. This recipe was in Southern Living.
Chocolate Truffle Angel Cake

From
You can freeze the cake layers and cookies weeks ahead, then assemble the cake (except adding the angel cookies) a day or two before your party. Add the cookies and ribbon up to 6 hours before serving.

1 recipe Chocolate Cake
1 recipe Chocolate-Praline Truffles
1 recipe White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 recipe Angel Shortbread Cookies
24 inches (1 1/2-inch-wide) wired fabric ribbon
1 (4-ounce) white chocolate bar, shaved

Prepare Chocolate Cake batter, and pour into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.

Spoon reserved frosting into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal bag, and snip a 1/4-inch hole in 1 corner of bag. Pipe frosting around base of cake, creating a ruffle. Pipe about 1 teaspoon frosting on back of each Angel Shortbread Cookie. Press cookies against sides of cake, spacing evenly. (Wingtips should be about1/2 inch apart.)

Cut ribbon into 6 (4-inch) lengths; crumple slightly. Place each piece loosely against side of cake between each pair of angel cookies, inserting ends under angel waists. Sprinkle shaved white chocolate on top of cake. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days without cookies, up to 6 hours with cookies (which will soften if chilled longer). Remove up to 2 hours before serving; serve at room temperature.

Yield: 1 (3-layer) cake

Chocolate Cake

From
This recipe goes with Chocolate Truffle Angel Cake, Miniature Chocolate Truffle Tree Cakes

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Follow baking directions for Chocolate Truffle Angel Cake or Miniature Chocolate Truffle Tree Cakes.

Yield: enough batter for 3 (8-inch) layers or 1 (15- x 10-inch) layer

Southern Living, DECEMBER 1997

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

From
This recipe goes with Chocolate Truffle Angel Cake, Miniature Chocolate Truffle Tree Cakes

1 (4-ounce) white chocolate bar, broken into pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream, divided
1 cup butter, softened
6 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Microwave chocolate pieces and 1/4 cup whipping cream in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute and 10 seconds. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. (Do not overheat mixture.)
Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add remaining 5 cups powdered sugar alternately with remaining 1/4 cup whipping cream, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Add white chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat at medium speed until spreading consistency.

Yield: about 4 1/2 cups

Southern Living, DECEMBER 1997

Angel Shortbread Cookies

From
These angels get their iridescent glow from sparkling sugar, sold at some gourmet grocers and at cake decorating and kitchen shops. You can order 8 ounces for $6 or 3.3 ounces for $4 from La Cuisine - The Cook's Resource in Alexandria, Virginia, at 1-800-521-1176.
This recipe goes with Chocolate Truffle Angel Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 (3.3-ounce) jars white sparkling sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
4 (2-ounce) vanilla candy coating squares

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat 1 minute or until yellow disappears.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Divide dough into 3 portions; shape each into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle parchment with flour, and unwrap each dough portion on a lightly floured surface. Roll each into a 9- x 6-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut dough using a angel-shaped cookie cutter. Reserve trimmings. Freeze angels on baking sheets 15 minutes; slide angels at least 3 inches apart.

Whisk together egg and whipping cream. Brush angel cookies lightly with mixture, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown; cool on pan 10 minutes. Transfer cookies with parchment paper to a wire rack to cool.

Press together reserved dough trimmings; roll out on a lightly floured parchment paper-lined baking sheet to 1/4-inch thickness; cut with a 1-inch star-shaped cutter. Remove and discard trimmings. Brush stars lightly with egg mixture, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar, reserving remaining sugar.

Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until stars are golden brown. Remove with parchment paper to a wire rack to cool.

Brush upper one-third of back of each angel lightly with corn syrup, and sprinkle with reserved sparkling sugar, if desired. Let dry.

Microwave candy coating in a 4-cup glass measuring cup at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. Pour into a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag, and drizzle a small amount onto backs of 6 stars (reserve extra stars for other uses). Attach 1 star to center of each angel.

Drizzle in desired design over wings. Make small dots with coating along upper edge of halos. Let stand until hard. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week, or freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 angel cookies and about 1 dozen star cookies

# 20 Christmas Eve and Mary

2010-12-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

There is not alot of planning to this day, really.

We get up and eat breakfast.

Then around 9:30, we go to Chuck E Cheese...because it's Jesus's birthday and He might have liked going there.

We play games for about an hour and a half and then eat pizza. Then we go to a store that carries Fontanini resin figurines. They are not cheap, but they are durable and beautiful. Children can play with them and they, for the most part, do not break or come apart. Here is a website that carries them if you are interested. Some gift stores also carry a limited supply.

(2011 addition-In a few years I think we will have all the Fontanini figures that we might want. And this year we actually ordered them online...they are here in the box waiting to be opened today. I was thinking, though, that if you didn't want to do this activity and were looking for something else, maybe making one of the Jesse Tree Ornaments every year would be good. Then when children grow up and move out, they would have their own set.)

This might be a good day to do some kind of service project. We haven't ever done that, but as the kids get older, everything does not take 3 hours to accomplish and there might be time for that. Maybe clean out a closet and donate some things?

Also, there is some preparation involved for Christmas Day that could be done.

That evening, we spotlight Mary. She was a teen, so the food we eat that night is kind of teen food. I usually do

hamburgers

french fries...or nachos, maybe.

pickles

Some teen dessert.... or angel food cake, because God highly favored her

(2011 addition...the hamburger thing didn't work out...so my teens suggested Subway. They love Subway. So we went there...and that may very well become the new Mary dinner. )

The ornament is a white lily artificial flower.

Here is the story of Mary or listen to it here...you'll need to listen through some earlier reading.

#19 Joseph

2010-12-18T08:27:00.001-08:00

Since we both have some German ancestry, I like to use this as an opportunity to have some German foods. Last year, we had this meal, and everyone liked it, so I think we will use it again.

Schnitzel

German Potato Salad (I am using this recipe this year and adding the bacon)

Saurkraut

Pumpernickel Bread

Applesauce

Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce

The ornament we use for Joseph is a ruler, since he was a carpenter.

Here is the story of Joseph. Or listen to it here.

#18 Elizabeth

2010-12-18T08:26:00.002-08:00

For Elizabeth, we eat things that take a long time or have a surprise in the middle, or have association with pregnancy.

So, we have

terreyaki steak, which is

steak strips or chunks marinated at least 8 hours in

1 cup sugar,

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ginger

and threaded onto skewers and grilled or broiled

baked potato with whatever you like in there

peas in a pod...or just peas...or sugar snap peas

rolls (bun in the oven)

tootsie pop (suprise inside) (2011 addition....my mother in law, Dorothy, makes a fun fondue type dessert from time to time. She takes canned biscuits and cuts them, maybe in quarters...then puts a treat inside of each one...chocolate chip. banana piece, raisin, peanut, apple...anything...then she sets all these doughballs on a plate. She heats oil in a fondue pot and gives everyone a fondue fork. We spear a doughball and put it into the hot oil. This is kind of fun and tastes good...just watch out for the oil...Anyway, we are going to have that for dessert this year.)

The story is here, here and here (partly a repeat of yesterday, but after all, they were married) Or hear the audio here.

If I get short on time because of Christmas programs, etc, I will combine days on Zacharias/ Elizabeth and Joseph/Mary...if that helps you.

The ornament is a grandma Polly Pocket-type with a baby Polly Pocket-type rubberbanded to her tummy. I know...some are better than others...:-)

#17 Zacharias

2010-12-18T08:26:00.001-08:00

This is the first day of New Testament readings and characters that we do. This was, of course, following the 400 Years of Darkness, in which people had not been spoken to by God directly. Here is the meal that we eat to celebrate Zacharias and his part in the coming of the Messiah.

Pigs in a blanket (to signify a baby) Little smokies wrapped in crescent roll dough and baked.

Cheez Its in the scrabble version (to signify written letters since he was unable to speak).

Some long thin pasta if you wanted, since they tied a rope around the priest's leg before he went into the Holy of Holies, in case he wasn't properly prepared to make the sacrifices and was killed. Optional...I have never done that, but just thought of it.

Blue, Purple and Red Jello...or Jigglers (to signify the ephod, which was a fancy breastplace the priest wore).

Laffy Taffy (to signify difficulty talking...also several colors) Or Now and Laters...or taffy

Here is the story...some of it will overlap with Elizabeth. Or listen to it here

#16 400 Years of Darkness & Hannukah

2010-12-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

This is the site where I got most of the information that we use to talk about the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments.

I am not a historical scholar or a Bible scholar or a scholar:-), but it is interesting.

We do Hannukah (a really simplified version, since it is just one night...more of a "These are the reasons that people celebrate Hannukah" rather than "We are reinacting the celebration of Hannukah".

So we eat

latkes,

a cheese plate (to celebrate the legend story of Judith, which is part of what is celebrated at this time), (2011 addition...this year, and I don't know why I didn't think of it before, we are going to have a cheese ball. I love this one...really easy and everyone likes it...)

Zippy Cheeseball (from Food Editors Favorites Cookbook)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz) brick of neufatel cheese (easier to mix than cream cheese)

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder...or 1 tablespoon recontstituted dehydrated onion

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix everything but the pecans and make a ball. Roll in the nuts. Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to serve. Serve with crackers or crudites.

potato chips (because we have some who do not like potatoes in our family but are OK with chips...go figure)

applesauce (usually eaten with latkes)

donuts (donuts and latkes are to refer to the oil in the Hannukah story).

The ornament for us is a large piece of black tuille (am I spelling that right? That net stuff that is sold in the fabric stores) that can nearly cover the tree. And no lights from now until Christmas. This is for the 400 years of darkness.

This year I may put out eight of those flameless candles so that there is some light, but it won't be the ones actually on the tree. Just a thought.

Because there is gift giving during this time, I usually get everyone a pair of slippers. Maybe a little more fun than socks and underwear. :-) (2011 addition...got everyone fleece pajama pants this year...we'll see how that goes...)

#15 Isaiah

2010-12-14T20:15:00.000-08:00

We do Isaiah because he has so many prophecies about Jesus. The story we use for him is the one about him lamenting the fact that he is a man of unclean lips. That is where the food hints come from, anyway.

So we eat

Sweet and Sour chicken...use frozen popcorn chicken pieces fried in the Fry Daddy (the sauce is orange...like the red hot coal.)

Sweet and Sour Sauce (2011 addition)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup pineapple juice drained from chunks

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 green pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares

1 carrot sliced in 1/4 inch rounds

In a 2 qt saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup and vinegar. Bring to a boil Add cornstarch mixed with water gradually to boiling sauce. Lower temperature, and simmer 1 minute until sauce is clear. Add pineapple, green pepper and carrot. Simmer 3-5 minutes until heated through. (I put green pepper in at the last minute)

Rice (for purity)

Hot Fudge Cake...just a mix from the baking aisle. (hot...you know...like the coals)

Here are some passages fortelling Jesus' birth (also here)

Here are some passages fortelling his death

Pretty amazing really...all that info about Jesus way back then.

For the ornament, we use (wait for it...;-)) a piece of coal partially painted orange.

# 14 The Fiery Furnace

2010-12-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

We love the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But I have never had a great meal for the story. I am still thinking about it, but for now, I think what we are going to have this year is...TV Dinners

They are a surprise.

They come from the fiery furnace.

It makes complete sense to me.

Soooo...TV dinners for everyone.

And for dessert....

Apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream... or popcorn. That kind of comes from a fiery furnace.

Here is the story (2011 addition audio Bible www.bible.is/ENGESV/Dan/3 Or you could watch Shad, Rack and Benny (the Veggietale movie). )

The ornament is a little film cannister with matches glued all around it vertically.

Day 13 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

2009-12-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

This is one of my personal favorite stories in the Bible.

Roast (can be whatever you like...we did a pork loin roast...I know it's not authentic...Elijah would have never used it) for the offering

Gravy (for the water)

Long greenbeans (look like wet wood)

Stuffing (for the muddy ground)

Haystacks (looks like a pile of wood)

Here is the story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal (2011 addition-audio Bible www.bible.is/ENGESV/1Kgs/18 )

The ornament is a homemade altar with wood on it.

Day 12 David

2008-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today the story is about David...only to the Goliath story

The dinner consists of:

Porcupine meatballs for the 5 smooth stones (I leave out the salt and poultry seasoning)

rice for the sandy dirt where David got the stones

biscuits, rolled out to about twice their size, dipped in melted butter and then dredged in Parmesan cheese for shields (like the one King Saul gave to David to wear) baked about 7 minutes, I think at 350(keep an eye on them)

asparagus for a spear

Rold Gold pretzels...the cheese ones...for praying hands

(2011 addition...in the spirit of full disclosure, I know we are not going to eat this this year. We have a field trip, then basketball practice and a Christmas recital. We aren't even going home all day. So...the dinner will be hamburger (shield) french fries (spear) and apple dippers that may get cut to be stones...bringing the dessert to eat in the car and the veggie tale to watch in the car. Love to have the real advent meal, but sometimes it's just not possible. Next year:-))

For the dessert (and remember some are better than others...) we are using

Pepperidge Farm gingerbread men for Goliath

Gummy Bears for David, the Philistines, the Israelites or whoever you want...

and m&ms for the stones...

The story of David and Goliath can be found here. Or if you have it, you could watch VeggieTales Dave and the Giant Pickle.We made a little sling (rubber band) with a stone a few years back for our ornament. You could just use 5 stones...whatever would represent the story to your family. (2011 addition or listen to it here www.bible.is/ENGESV/1Sam/17 )

Day 11 Samuel

2008-12-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today we are celebrating Samuel the prophet.

The foods we used are

Cheesesteak sandwich-the meat which Eli's sons wanted to be cooked improperly.

fried onions-Hannah's crying because she wanted a baby

mashed potatoes, applesauce-baby food

turnovers (whatever flavor you like) for a pillow (Samuel was sleeping when he heard God calling). Or a Klondike ice cream square. We did that one year and everyone liked it.

Our ornament is a bed made of Legos.

Here is the story... (2011 addition Audio Bible www.bible.is/ENGESV/1Sam/1 listen through Chapter 3)

Day 10 Joshua

2008-12-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

Joshua and the Wall of Jericho...

For the food we have

Chicken-because he was afraid. (2011 addition-This year we are going to make chicken and noodles in the crock pot. Chicken because he was afraid and noodles for the flax they hid under:-))

hashbrowns-for the flax that the spies hid under

Cornbread (the wall)-This is the simplist recipe for the old Tippins Cornbread copycat and if you like cornbread that is kind of sweet and not too grainy, try this:

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread

1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

The other things that would make those (I think it will be 3 eggs, some milk and some water...just put whatever it says on the back of the box.

Mix it all together, pour into a 9x13 greased pan. Wait about 15 minutes (I think the cornbread box says to do that) Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Keep an eye on it and when it is golden brown take it out of the oven. It is a little crumbly, but really good for the amount of work you just did. This makes a big amount and you CAN use 1 box cornbread mix and 1/2 the cake mix, 2 eggs and half the water and milk, but it is more crumbly...give it a try.

Pomegranite for the red cord Rahab put out the window.

Fudge-I always get the little kit on the baking aisle...Eaglebrand I think, and make the cubes into a wall. A little red hot stuck in somewhere...

The ornament is a ram horn that we made from Sculpey, but I think another great one would be just a red cloth strip tied to a branch of the tree.

We have a video of this story (Greatest Heroes of the Bible-Hannah Barbara) that we will probably watch. Veggietales Josh and the Big Wall.... There is also an arch book called Jericho's Tumbling Walls that is pretty good. Or just read it out of a children's Bible story book.The actual Bible story is found here... (2011 addition www.bible.is/ENGESV/Josh/6 )

My kids love this one...the story and the fudge.:-)

Day 9 Moses

2008-12-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

1. blood-raspberry sauce to go around the brownie

2. frogs -chicken wings without the wingtip (we did our buffalo style, and with just butter and salt after frying for the kids) (2011 addition-This year we are going to make heroin wings--I hate that name---because we have some kind of weird time constraints and these are supposedly good the next day (and I have had them and they ARE fabulous) so I can just heat them with the crescent rolls...here is the link, but you can find recipes for it all over the internet:-) Heroin (ugh) Wings

3. gnats-couscous

4. flies - raisins (thanks Don:-))

5. animals dying-cook a hot dog (beef;-)). Cut into 1 inch pieces. Set one on each plate like a little tower. Before eating the meal, tell everyone to knock it down (symbolic of animals dying)

6. boils (wanted to use those butter mints you get at a wedding, but didn't think of it soon enough...used M&Ms instead or a reese's peanut butter cup.)

7. locusts/crops decimated-used sugar snap peas...I thought they looked kind of locust-ish, but Darth said that it was the crops....works for me.

8. darkness-brownies

9. hail-little scoop of ice cream.

10. death-crescent rolls unrolled...keep the two triangles together to form a rectangle. Bake for about 5 minutes at 375. We said this was a shroud.You can get 4 of these out of a tube...they are pretty big.

Arrange all but the raspberry sauce, brownie, pb cup and ice cream on a dinner plate.

Put the raspberry sauce on a plate, stick the brownie on top and put a little scoop of ice cream. Garnish with pb cup.

The story is Exodus 7-12. Usually we watch the movie "The Prince of Egypt". (2011 addition audio Bible http://bible.is/ENGESV/Exod/7 )

For the ornament, we made little tablets and just put the Roman Numerals of 1-10 on there...that's kind of funny now that I think of it since Moses wasn't a Roman.

Day 8 Joseph

2008-12-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight we are having

spaghetti (for the bowing grain) in Joseph's dream.

meatballs (for the dream cows that ate each other)

corn (for the dream corn) in Pharoah's dream.

breadsticks (for the grain that Joseph kept track of)

multi-colored cake...I have used tinted icing, tinted cake, and this year I am going to use the recipe at the bottom of this post and substitute baking m&ms for the chocolate chips

For the Jesse Tree ornament, we have some wheat that I bought a few years ago at Hobby Lobby in the floral section that has some rainbow colored fabric tied around it. We kind of just stick it in the tree.

The story can be found in the Bible:-)orPaul's Bible stories. (2011 addition-audio Bible www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/37 (skip chapter 38 and continue through chapter 45)

A few years ago I got a copy of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond. It has some kind of naughty moments with Potipher's wife and what I believe is a prostitute with Jacob and the brothers and is not completely accurate all around, but it's fun and the kids know the real story so they usually point out the wrong parts...the racy parts have passed over my kids up to now, but if it starts to be a problem, we will stop watching it...

packable chocolate chip cake

Day 7 Jacob

2008-12-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

We are doing Jacob today.

(2011 addition The ornament is a ladder. We made it from drinking straws, but I am sure there are several ways to do it. Can't believe I forgot to put the ornament.)

The first year we did it, the only food related thing we had was candybars which I carefully (painstakingly) took from their wrappers and mixed up so that when everyone chose they were tricked.

Another year we are opened them but left the correct ones...tricky, huh?

(2011 addition: This year a friend suggested we use all the tiny candies; m&m's, reeses pieces, boston baked beans, etc, and change out the boxes, so that is what we are going to do...shshsh!)

This year we are also having

chicken fried steak (as the meat that was specially prepared for Isaac)

baked beans (for the soup that Esau traded his birthright for)

mashed potatoes in a ball for the rock he laid his head on.

carrots (good for your eyes...Isaac was blind ya know...work with me here)

grapes (like eyeballs...I know that is gross, but some here aren't carrot fans)

The story is here (Paul's version) and here (the Bible). (2011 addition: Here is the audio Bible version: www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/27 and www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/29

Day 6 Issac

2008-12-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Sooo...Isaac today!:-)

Ram ornament...I actually made this out of Sculpey a couple of years ago. You could just buy one that is plastic or whatever... This is the story where Abraham is willing to follow the Lord by sacrificing his son.

*blackened chicken (Paul Prudhome's seasoning, fried it butter)
*french fries (looks kind of like wood, right?)
*pickles (they were kind of in a pickle)
*smores

For the Isaac story...Paul's story or the Bible (2011 update...here is the link to the Audio Bible if you want it. www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/22)

Day 5 Abraham

2008-12-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today we are doing Abraham...the promise of lots of descendants, all that.

The menu will be

Roast (the calf) (just in the crockpot with Cavendars Greek Seasoning, a packet of onion soup mix and about 1/3 cup water on low all day)

Rhodes rolls for the bread.

green beans

tiny pasta that I found in the Latino part of Buy for Less.

star shaped cookies (dough in the chub) that we will frost (with canned frosting and maybe some sprinkles) tonight.

Here and here are Paul's pages for Abraham if you want to use them...there are some in between, but this is the part we will do.or this if you want to use the Bible (update 2011 This is the audio Bible link. You can use (well, you can use whatever you want, but I am going to use) Genesis 15 which talks about the stars or Genesis 15 and 16 which also talk about Hagar and Ishmael. http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/15 )

Our ornament is a long (maybe 2 1/2 feet X 6 inches) dark piece of paper covered with stick on gold and silver stars. We just kind of set it in the branches. The effect is kind of dramatic looking...

Day 4-Tower of Babel

2008-12-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

My kids have always liked this story...one year we took it out and boy did I hear about it. So we just pick a bunch of foods from different places...

Foods-
Polish Sausage (we like to cut it in disks and put BBQ sauce on it or dip it in mustard) (Poland...maybe)
Fettucine Alfredo (Italy) (with Classico Alfredo sauce)
Sugar Snap Peas (Japan?) (frozen foods)
Matzo Bread (Jewish) (bought) or sourdough bread with balsalmic vinegar and olive oil
Cheesecake(French) (bought)

Our ornament is just a piece of paper with Hello in about 12 languages. You can get this on the internet. Then I kind of changed some of the fonts to make it all look different.

Here is the Bible story of the Tower of Babel.

(2011-Here is the audio version if you want it. Just verses 1-9 http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/11

Day 3-Noah

2008-12-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

Building on the introduction of sin, we move to the story of Noah.

popcorn shrimp or fish sticks (or fish if you like that...2011 sushi? talapia? salmon?Truth moment: I have one in my family that does not like fish at ALL. Have done popcorn chicken in the past, but this year I am going to use those little dinosaurs shaprf chicken, which opens a whole new theological discussion...)

potato boats (2011 you could also use sweet potatoes and fix them up, marshmallows, butter, brown sugar)

broccoli swimming in cheese sauce

animal crackers (2011 there are several kinds, so look around and find one your family would like)

blue jello (2011 toying with using the whipped cream in a can from Thanksgiving for foam)

Potato Boats

7 potatoes (we have 7 people at our house)
shortening
butter
sour cream
cheese and bacon bits

Preheat oven to 400. Grease potatoes with shortening, then put in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Some people poke them with a fork to keep them from bursting. I have never had that happen with this method. There may be smoke.

After they are soft, take them out and let cool for 10 minutes or so. cut in half, scoop out the insides and put in a bowl. Add butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits to taste. I have also taken the butter and sauteed onions in it and added those...not a big fave with the kids, but I liked it:-)

Spoon back into the halves...usually I only use half of the halves. If you want, you can make potato skins out of the others or just smear butter on them and eat them in the kitchen...put a little more cheese on the "boats" and stick in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Our ornament is a cardboard rainbow that the kids colored and a fake dove I bought at Hobby Lobby one year, hot glued on.

The story is actually this in the Bible, but if you use Paul's stuff, you may want to start with this one and follow through the flood (ending with a Rainbow and a Promise) . Sometimes we watch a cartoon Noah movie, or listen to it on the audio Bible. (2011-here is the audio on the computer, beginning at Genesis 6. Listen through Genesis 8. You could go a little further, but that gets into kind of a weird story and I think Genesis 8 is enough for our little family group.:-) http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/6

Day 2 Sin

2008-12-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

Dinner-
*Stromboli (when it is whole, it could kind of look like a snake...)

*broccoli-trees (Tree of Life, Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil)

*Fried Apples (fruit...forbidden fruit?)

*Cowtails-snake

*gummy worms-snake

*nerds ropes-snake

Stromboli
*2 loaves of frozen bread, thawed and risen or two pizza-dough-in-a-refrigerator-tube.
*jar pizza sauce
*2 8 oz bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
*pizza fixins...we use browned sausage and pepperoni, but my kids like it with just cheese)
*Parmesan cheese
*garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350

On a cookie sheet, smoosh out bread dough or pizza dough into a 15 inch by 4 inch rectangle (more or less). In the center, spoon a line down the middle of the dough from one long end to the other, leaving about 1.5 inches on either long end.

Sprinkle about 1/3 -1/2 of a bag from one long end to the other, leaving the very ends empty. Do the same with the pizza toppings and sprinkle with cheese again (about half of whatever you have left)

Fold up the ends about 1 1/2 inches, then bring sides together all the way up. Pinch them together firmly...you should have a long tube-ish looking thing.

Turn it over carefully, curve slightly to make it fit on the pan. Cut some slits in the top to vent so that the whole thing doesn't explode the cheese all over when you bake it. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt.

Repeat with other dough and ingredients.

Bake about 30 minutes...it should be browned and hollow sounding if you tap it.

Take out of the oven and let cool about 10 minutes....cut into slices and serve, but if you want the kids to see the snake, kind of leave it that shape or show them before you cut it.

We just cook the broccoli in the microwave to crisp tender and put butter on it.

Tonight I sauteed the apples in butter and put in some brown sugar. My kids won't eat that, so I will give them some apple slices.

Apples can go with the meal or for dessert...Cowtails, gummy worms, or nerds rope are the dessert as well. Just one of them...sometimes they can be hard to find. (2011 update) May try fried apples for the dessert for people who want them there with the cowtail kind of placed on top and slightly melted...kind of like a caramel apple. Open to suggestions here...

We will read Genesis 3...actually we will listen to it in the Faith Comes By Hearing Audio Bible, but you can read it yourself...or go to Paul's site and read it there. (2011 update Here is the Bible.is audio of Genesis 3 http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/3 )

The ornament is a fruit with a snake on it...however you want to do it. So the tree at this point at our house has the world and the fruit/snake thing...

Day 1 Creation

2008-12-01T11:46:00.001-08:00

Today we are going to celebrate the Creation account. Usually I don't tell the kids what the topic is, and I try to have them guess...the older ones get it quick, so they know not to say anything until the youngest has had a shot at it.

For dinner, we will have

ribs (I have always done this on day 2, but that is the sin day, and why should Eve have to wait for that? She did have some good times before the Fall, I think:-)) We just get take out ribs.

Used refrigerated tube breadsticks to make a "man". One for the head and arms. One for the torso and legs. Kind of stuck together. Bake as directed.

grapes....we just like grapes at our house. Actually, as I am reading the creation account, I am not sure there were even vegetables to be had...maybe that was an after the Fall invention?

Corn on the cob...just in case there were vegetables, we will have this...my husband says it counts as a green vegetable, but I think that only works if you eat the husks and these are frozen and already ready, so we'll never know.

Rice Krispie worlds...make rice krispie "dough" as per the directions and split into two bowls. Color one with green food coloring and one with blue. Then take some from each bowl and form into a ball. This is the world, and it is our first advent dessert. Wrap in plastic wrap until dinner.

(added 2011) This year, because we had one in braces, I made cake balls...This is the recipe. Get a box of cake mix and a can of frosting that go together in your taste. Mix them together in a bowl. Make golf ball size balls out of the dough. I like to refrigerate the balls overnight. Place 2 squares vanilla almond bark in a coffee cup and squeeze some blue in there. Microwave about a minute. Stir. Really...don't microwave anymore. Take the balls out of the refrigerator. Dip, using a spoon, one ball in the mixture. Kind of wipe it off, not letting it sit too thick on the cakeball. Place on wax paper. Repeat 5 more times. Then melt more almond bark. Repeat until all balls are covered. Then I melted a couple more squares tinted green. Put a little blob of green on the balls. Put in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Be careful not to put the wax papered cookie sheet into the refrigerator at an angle. Flat is what you want.

We have a world that we make from a grapevine ball-looking thing years ago...painted it partly green a partly blue. After we read the creation account, we just kind of stick a branch of the tree through the grapevine stuff. Anything would be fine, really...whatever is fun and easy to do...just something worldly (did I say that?)

For the story, you can read the creation account in the Bible, use a Bible storybook (like Arch) watch a cartoon video of the creation account, use an audio Bible, color a picture with creation segments in it. As far as we are concerned, there is no hard and fast rule here...

This is kind of fun reading if you are looking for something a little fun...

http://www.essex1.com/people/paul/beginprolog.html

This is a very cool thing, too and we actually have the Mp3 of the whole Bible from these guys...it's almost like listening to radio programs in the old days (I guess...I wasn't really around then). I think it says you can download the New Testament onto your computer, but it is absolutely worth getting the whole thing.

http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/youve-got-time

(added 2011) We used this some last year and I liked it because it was easier to manipulate and it is still dramatized. Here is the link if you want a dramatized Bible story. Just audio.

http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Gen/1

So for tomorrow...

Frozen bread dough, pizza sauce, mozzerella cheese, pepperoni or cooked sausage

Fruit or brocolli

Apples

Cowtails (if you can get them...) or gummy worms

and some sin ornament...we have a pomegranate with a plastic snake twisted around it...that gets some interesting reactions from people who are looking at the Christmas tree;-)

If you want to look ahead, you can go to my old website

beinberean.blogspot.com

to get a week's worth, but be advised that I am tweaking this as I go.

Happy Advent Day 1!

Angela :-)

Gearing Up for Advent

2008-11-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I have done a number of blogs and always they fall to the wayside. Too much time, not a good focus, etc etc. So I am trying again, with a definite start and end date and purpose in mind.

This blog exists solely for the purpose of Advent and Christmas the way our family celebrates it. We decided when our oldest child was 4 years old that if we were going to change the way we did Christmas, we needed to start it before he was able to remember anything else...that way, no guff (hopefully).

We wanted to steer away from presents for Christmas Day, but also make a big celebration of it..hopefully make the whole thing so much fun, no one would even miss the presents. Then on New Year's Day, we would do the presents thing...new year, new things, nothing connected with the birth of Jesus.

This is our 8th year of adventing and our 3rd year of having a cohesive plan for Christmas Day.

We used to start advent the day after Thanksgiving, but since it moves, we always had different amounts of days for advent. I finally decided there was no reason to do that to myself, and for the last few years have started our advent season on December first, which is tomorrow:-).

(I listed our advent stuff in my original blog, Bein' Berean, but I felt like it got kind of buried there, so that is why I am redoing it here on the ADVENT-ure blog).

So,

set up the Christmas tree today with lights
figure out some kind of globe or world ornament
and get these things for your ADVENT Day Dinner:

Ribs from your favorite rib place (we like Swadleys)
Whatever vegetables or fruit you might like (we'll probably have corn on the cob and grapes...that's what my kids like)
Rhodes Rolls, thawed out (you can create whatever you like with this, but it will need to be done about 2 hours before dinner....this is a new part for us and I will probably have the kids help with it)
Rice Krispie Treat stuff (cereal, butter, marshmallows)
green food coloring
blue food coloring

Glad you came to visit...