Lunchi's - Little Utterances Neatly Condensed Helping Impact Little Souls- A CONTEST!

A couple of months back I was inspired to focus on prayer in my life.  It was uncomfortable at first but as I did it more the 'fear' was lifted.   Prayer now has become a daily ritual in our families life.  


When I asked GOD to work through me so I may better serve others, I had the idea for http://www.lunchi.org.  


Lunchi's is an acronym for little utterances neatly condensed helping impact little souls. Parents can print them out and put thoughtful notes, bible verses, and jokes in their child's lunch.  They cost $2 and every penny will benefit the following charities as well as a child's mind, body, and soul.


EXPAND THEIR MINDS
School Supply Drive by DoSomething.org
One way to help a child achieve better results in school is by ensuring they own school supplies to complete the work.  This summer, Staples and DoSomething.org are hosting their third annual Do Something 101 School Supply Drive! You can help right now by holding school supply drives in your school and community or by purchasing a Lunchi.


NOURISH THEIR BODIES
Jaime Olivers Food Revolution by America Gives Back
Every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious food. A diet of processed food is undermining the nation’s health and essential cooking skills are being lost. If you care about your country and the health of your children please support Jamie’s Food Revolution with a donation. Your funding will help his campaign to change the way America eats and ensure the health of future generations.  


ENRICH THEIR SOULS
Children's Ministries at Crossroads 
In Kids House at Crossroads Christian Church it is our desire for children to fall deeply in love with Jesus and His Word which proclaims HIM.  It is my goal to use the money raised to donate to Crossroads so they may purchase bibles for children across the world.

PAY IT FORWARD
You can make a difference for people with Lunchinotes. 
Personalize them to fit the occasion.  I left a note for the people at church who count the money. I purchased the coffee for the person behind me in the drive thru and left this note.  (someone had done it for me awhile back so I wanted to pay it forward.)
Or just print out the following verses and stick it in your wallet when the server or cashier is doing great at their job.




ALSO ON THE WEBSITE...
We feature 30 fabulous lunch choices to pack for the kids.  I had a bad habit of packing the same thing every day.  That is not inspiring at all.  Browse through the album on the 30daysof facebook fan page to get inspiration on fabulous lunch's to nourish your child's body. Or you can view Laptop Lunch Ideas in their photo gallery.  There are over 30 different lunch's to choose from.

LAPTOP LUNCH
includes case, silverware, book,
and box with separators. $40 values

CONTEST
From now until October 1st, the 30daysof...blog will be giving away  a laptop lunchbox (similar to the one shown here) to a randomly selected comment answering the following question.  *If you purchase and download a lunchi from now until October 1st, 2010, you will also be entered to win.  


HOW DO YOU INSPIRE YOUR KIDS TO GIVE BACK?  
Leave your comment below or underneath this image on the 30daysof...facebook fan page HERE!

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Orange Chicken Dinner and Gratitude Fortune Cookies

Looking for an orange chicken dish that you can make yourself, without all the MSG? Your search ends in the freezer section at Trader Joe's. The Mandarin Orange Chicken is a family favorite of ours. I garnish it with green onions before serving and accompany it with fried rice, a recipe made with brown rice (also from Trader Joe's) mixed with mushrooms, onions, and egg.

For dessert, fortune cookies go perfect with this meal. Try this classic recipe but insert messages of gratitude inside as part of the gratitude challenge. Take the pledge and download the 21-day calendar.

Gratitude fortune cookies would make a great girl scout or brownie project.

Fortune Cookie Ingredients (via FoodNetwork.com)

• Nonstick spray
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• Pinch salt
• Fortunes written on strips of colored paper
• Special equipment: silpat

Directions

Cook's Note: using a silpat makes it easier to remove the cookies from the sheet tray.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

On a half sheet tray, spray a silpat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until foamy. Add the flour, sugar, almond extract, water, and salt to the egg whites and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour or spoon 1 tablespoon of batter onto prepared silpat and spread with the back of a spoon into a very thin 4-inch circle. Repeat on the other half of the sheet, making only 2 cookies per sheet tray. Bake the cookies on middle rack of oven until golden brown around edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and working very quickly, with an offset spatula, remove cookie from baking sheet and place a fortune in the center of the round. Fold to create a half circle. Bend pointed edges of cookie toward each. This should be done quickly since the cookie will become hard and brittle within 10 seconds. Let cool.

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Crockpot Chili

Crockpot Chili

2 can of Chili Beans

1 large can of Kidney Beans

1 large can of diced tomatoes

2 packets of Lawry's CHILI seasoning (follow directions on packet)

2 pounds of cooked ground beef

1 onion cooked with ground beef (optional)

Add 1 cup of water if needed.

Cook meat with 1 seasoning packet

(and onions if desired.)

Mix all the cooked and canned ingredients together in a crockpot. Add the 2nd seasoning packet.

Cook on high for 1 hour.

SET UP THE GARNISH BAR w/

Cheese Its
Grated cheddar cheese

Green onions, fried onions or diced onions

Jalapeños 

Sour cream

Baked Potatoes or Hot Dogs

Great Charity idea: Every school or church has a can food drive:  Buy an extra can of each and donate with a copy of this recipe.  

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A DING DONG CAKE CONTEST

Inspired by 30daysof...Resolutions #8, we hosted a neighborhood block party this week. Neighbors brought a dish to share and we roasted hot dogs and homemade Crockpot Chili. Neighbors brought a side dish or dessert. While the adults mingled and played TABLE TOPICS, the kids ran a lemonade stand and all proceeds were donated to CHOC.

We got the lemonade stand from Sunkist Lemonade Stands.  (Website features recipes and how-to tips for kids) They also run a program called TAKE A STAND. (join group on Facebook).

The biggest hit of the block party was the DING DONG cake.  I used 83 DING DONGS for the version above.  When making the cake I had the idea to have a contest.  For the next 30 days ending October 17th, upload a picture of your DING DONG cake to the 30daysof fan page we just started.  If your cake is the winner, you will receive a $100 donation to the charity of your choice and the TABLETOPICS conversation game to play with your neighbors.  

Of course all the ding dongs were not eaten (as most cakes aren't).  Our solution, we froze the uneaten ding dongs and now play ding-dong ditch with the neighbors who didn't attend.  We ring the doorbell, leave the dingdong and run!  So fun...and the kids love it.

Send in your pics of your ding dong cake to the 30daysof... Group on Facebook.

 

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Resolution New You #4 - Be Charitable

Performing acts of kindness for others develops a positive reaction in yourself and brings you closer to a new you - or an even better you! One of my favorite messages on the act of charity was from the movie, Pay it Forward.  It is the story of a little boy who wanted to make a difference by choosing 3 people to help in life.  His vision was, If he helped three people, then those three people would help 3 people, and those three people would help 3 people, and the goodwill would spread throughout the world.  

Our world is filled with people who selflessly dedicate their time to others in less fortunate countries than ours.  Some people donate money to a charity that is close to their heart.  Many of us dream of doing something "grand" for others but forget, it is the little things that matter most and can make a world of difference for someone.  So don't wait until you can do something big...do something now.  In 2009, take the time at the beginning of each day, to think about how are you going to make someone else's life better? 

Find one charity that you believe in and dedicate your time, money, or support to it at least 4 times a year.  Consider two of the causes below. 

For those of you who love children and cake, give your charity to Let's Eat Cake which benefits St. Jude Children's Hospital.  The details on the event (February 17th) which show how you can make a difference are posted here.  (for bloggers, if you mention the event in a blog before Jan. 31st, $1 will be donated to the cause... so blog it forward.)

And a charity that is personal to me is the National MPS Society.  Student and director, Jonathan Formica produced the film, Courage.  "Courage” is the documentary which tells the poignant story of Sharon Browne and her strength in raising two children with the rare and fatal disorder, Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). The film was started as a small school project and has since gained attention by affected families around the world. Show your support by attending the movie this Saturday night January 10th, or donate here.

And remember, sometimes the little things, such as putting the shopping cart back in it's spot, can make a world of difference for you, others, and your car.  Be kind and pay it forward.

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Walk for Health in Corona California

Finally a walk that is close to us.  Come join us for the 10th annual Walk for Health in Corona - THIS WEEKEND. Proceeds and Contributions from the event benefit Breast Cancer Research. Visit the website at www.ourlocalfight.org for more details.

See you there!

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