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Thanksgiving Shopping: Are you being hypocritical?

Let me first start by saying that I have been drafting this in my head all morning, but the typing of this will go rather quick because I have my own family to get back to. Second, let me make it clear that when stores first started opening early Thanksgiving evening I was not a fan and now that it is done on purpose at many stores I am definitely not a fan.

How did we get to be this way? How did we let this happen in our society? Because we are greedy, we give in to earthly wants, and we don't stand up for or stand up against these things, instead we allow them to be done and even become a contributing factor. We ignore the small changes and then suddenly they are changes across the whole society. I promise this change didn't just suddenly happen this year, but it has been years in the making. One store here, another store there.

Now for all who are posting and tweeting that they won't support shopping on Thanksgiving and they would like to unfriend anyone who does, are you being true to what you claim you believe? Are you possibly being a little hypocritical?

Some things I want you to think about as you choose to pass judgement.

• Do you watch football on Thanksgiving Day? Do you go to the games? 
• As you are cooking, have you ever hoped beyond hope that the store around the corner might be open for that one thing you forgot?
• Are you boarding a plane to start your Thanksgiving weekend or to head back home?
• Do you need to stop and fill up your vehicle with gas?
• Do you know someone who maybe, just maybe, doesn't have any place to celebrate? Is someone who gets depressed during the holidays and work is the only thing that keeps them going?
• Do you know or have you been that single mom who just wants to be able to provide for her children and as much as you want to spend the entire day with your loved ones, you have the option to work on a holiday which means holiday pay regardless of whether you are a full time or a part time employee?
• What about that college student who really wants to be with family, but knows that he is on his own when it comes to paying for college tuition or for the books to use in his classes? Holiday pay really helps. 
• Do you ever meet up with your family at a local restaurant because it is "easier"?
• Do you turn on the news or the radio so you can enjoy some tunes or find out what is going on in the world?
• Have you ever needed medical care? Been in need of local law enforcement? The fire department? 
• What about the children's homes? Someone has to be there to take care of them....even on days like Thanksgiving.
• What about the person working to defend this country you are blessed to live in?

I know I have probably missed a few examples, but I really had to stop and assess where I stand with this business of stores being open on Thanksgiving. No I don't like it, but as a society we have allowed this to happen gradually over the past few years. Are you a contributor and you didn't even know it?

I personally will not be shopping any of these crazy sales on Thanksgiving Day....or even on Friday, but I would be hypocritical if I judged you because I am getting ready to get 5 children dressed so we can travel a couple hours to a restaurant that is open until mid-afternoon to be with extended family we only see (sadly) once a year. So I ask that before you unfriend, stop following, or judge another, please take a look in the mirror. Then I ask that you pray. Pray for your family and friends, the stranger down the street, the cashier having to work and be away from family, and yes even the people who dash out madly to save a couple of dollars. Remember that although there is an official set aside holiday for us to give thanks, we should really take the time to give thanks to God every day for the blessings and trials of our life.

Psalm 95:2-3

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

Raspberry Bars

Our life with food allergies not only means being creative with ideas for enjoyable desserts, but also being knowledgeable and creative enough to modify regular recipes to suit our needs. I found the original recipe for this at http://mommysmenu.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/blueberry-raspberry-bars-with-a-cinnamon-stresual/. The recipe below is my adaptation to meet the needs of avoiding our top 9 foods to avoid in our house: wheat, yeast, milk, egg, peanut, corn, banana, pork, and beef.

Altered Recipe:

Crust:
6 gluten free sugar cones
Handful of Crunchmasters Grammy Crisps
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grind sugar cones, Grammy Crisps, and sugar together. Add butter a tablespoon or two at a time and mix well. Spread mixture into bottom of 12 x 8 greased pan. Place in oven for about 5-8 minutes.

 Mixture ready to spread

 In the oven

 Crust is ready

Filling:
12 oz. package frozen raspberries (fresh berries or another kind of berry will work too)
2 tablespoons sugar
dash of lemon juice

Mix together ingredients for filling. Pour onto prebaked crust.

 Raspberries on crust

Topping: 

3/4 cup Betty Crocker's Rice Flour Mix 

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, softened

Blend together all ingredients. Mix may be powdery, but when you crumble over the raspberries, it will clump together. Crumble topping over raspberries. 

 Topping is crumbled over and ready for the oven.

Place in oven for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Ready to serve!

Chocolate Fudge

I've tried many times, and unsuccessfully I might add, to make chocolate fudge. It always turns out dry and crumbly, but not today!!!!! I just want to keep sneaking bites of this creamy fudge. The best part is I am able to make this fudge so that my kiddos with allergies can enjoy it as well.

Easy Chocolate Fudge
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix sugar and cocoa in medium saucepan.

 Sugar and cocoa ready to mix.

 Sugar/cocoa mixed

Add milk and mix. Bring mix to a boil.

 Pre-boiling state. Make sure no sugar crystals/mixture remain on the sides of the pan. Wipe down.

Once boiling DO NOT stir. Add candy thermometer and turn heat down slightly so mixture can simmer. Once candy thermometer reaches approximately 238 degrees F, remove from heat. Mine didn't get that high (maybe I'm not patient enough), but the candy thermometer itself indicates fudge to be a range of about 210-250 so I was fine with the temperature only reaching about 230 degrees. 

 Boiling

Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to about 150 degrees F. 

 Cooling down

Once cool, beat in butter and vanilla until fudge loses its sheen. (To be quite honest, I do more by feel than by look so mine didn't quite lose its sheen, but I could tell it was ready). Pour into greased pan and let cool and set. 

 Cooling and setting

Cut into squares and enjoy!!!