Fruited Chicken Curry and a Cause

Can you tell that I am on break this week?  I've actually cooked something!!! LOL!  This is fruited chicken curry.  I'd like to take credit for it, but really I got all the goods for it from Healthy Habits Kitchen.  Apricots, prunes, jasmine rice-mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Healthy Habits Kitchen is pretty awesome because they put all the ingredients together (organic and local when possible), give all the cooking directions, and I can pick everything up at the local (well 20 minutes away) winter farmers market.  I've used other versions of places like this (like the chain Dream Dinners) in the past and for us it's totally worth it.  We can try foods we might not have tried, like cherry burgers, or fish tacos with lime cilantro sauce (which is helping me with my resolutions) and I don't have to buy all those expensive spice jars.  DH and I haven't ever cooked curry so this was fun and much less intimidating. :)  We both gave the fruited chicken curry 2 thumbs way up!

On Presidents Day I thought I would send another shout out to link up to Operation Pay-It-Forward.  Show Bella and me your creations to send to Operation Write Home.  This is a great cause that can bring a ray of sunshine to soldiers stationed abroad.  Many members of our armed forces are very young men & women for whom this is their first time so far from home.  In the past OWH has even collected cards to share with Polish soldiers for Name Day (read the letter from the Polish General).  So join the inspiration fest! :)
Happy Presidents Day!

Operation Pay-it-forward!

So this was supposed to get posted yesterday, but there was this big bright thing in the sky (I've heard it's called the sun!) and I was enjoying time with friends who I haven't seen since before Christmas because of all the snowstorms we've had.  Well, better late than never. LOL!

 

Last weekend I taught a card making class where the cards don't go home with the makers.  They are being donated to Operation Write Home.  Bella, from Bella Before and After, and I thought it would be fun to get all of you involved in this fun pay-it-forward organization.

OWH is looking for birthday cards AND....

Spring/Summer holiday cards like Father's Day, Mother's Day, and Easter.  The tut for this card can be found here.

Join our linky party and post a card (or hopefully cards!) to send to Operation Write Home!

Skipping Around the Calendar

My husband and I were talking at dinner last night about all the veterans we are lucky enough to know.  We were both surprised at the number!  Neither of us think of ourselves as coming from military families, but really we have lots of relatives and friends who are veterans. 

To mark this holiday devoted to our brave servicemen and servicewomen, I have put together a package of cards for the OWH angels.  They are always in need of birthday, miss you, and blank cards for writing notes home.

So why am I posting a valentine card in November?  A valentine in honor of Veteran's Day?!? Did I forget and skip over Thanksgiving and Christmas?  No worries, I haven't completely flaked out (yet hee-hee).  OWH has stopped collecting cards for Thanksgiving and Christmas until the summer/fall of 2011.  If you like making holiday cards, they are currently looking for Valentine cards and are collecting them until January 7th. :)  Gosh time is flying by!

I went through my stash and made sure to pick cards without glitter (find out why here).  I have a few cards for birthday, blank, anniversary, and thank you.  When I realized I had missed the Christmas deadline (whoops!) I went back to see what I had in the way of valentine cards.  Lucky me, I had a few already made. (Of course they were probably the cards I was supposed to send to family last Valentine's Day. LOL!) 

I just saw this on the OWH blog!  Find out how your handmade cards could get cookies for our soldiers abroad!

How are you remembering your veteran's today?

Cards from Kids

As promised, the cards my students made last week!

The kids did a great job in spite of the terrible heat we had last week.  I didn't take photo's of the letters they wrote because their names are included, but the letters are precious.

All the kids had to read the "How to Make a Card" as part of the process of creating their card front.  After my first group I realized that they shouldn't put bows and buttons on their cards until after they wrote their letter because they needed the whole inside of the card to write their letter!  It was a good learning experience.

After the cards were done (sorta) each group had a chance to write a letter of thanks to a soldier.  Regardless of anyone's feelings about fighting, or having troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, it's important for our men and women to know that people back home care about them. 


The kids wrote some wonderful things to the soldiers thanking them for being brave and asking them cute questions like "what's your favorite snack", "where were you born", and "do you like sports". 


Hopefully these cards with bring a little sunshine to deployed troops.  If you'd like to have your kids write a letter, or you yourself would like to send a note from home, please go to Operation Write Home to get all the details.  This is a great cause and it's a great way to put your creative talents to use in pay-it-forward style!

***Please leave comments for the kids about their cards.  They will be so excited to hear what all of you have to say.