Something to be thankful for
Next week is Thanksgiving and every year, someone asks, “What are you thankful for?”
It’s often a tough question because I have lots to appreciate in my life. Some are very personal, so I don’t always share those.
The one thing I’m always willing to tell people about is the birth – and survival – of my grandson.
Harley was born four months early and spent the first four and a half months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. There were many touch-and-go days where we didn’t know if he would make it.
After all, he only weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces at birth and was 12 inches long. That’s really tiny and very scary for parents and grandparents.
During that time, the Ronald McDonald House was a godsend. Harley’s mom spent most of the time there. His daddy (my son) went to Spokane on his days off from work.
We saw firsthand what wonderful things the house does for people in need. We met and talked with other parents who were staying there while their children were in the hospital.
Today, Harley is a rambunctious 6-year-old and we are so thankful for everyone who helped make that happen. From the doctors and nurses at the hospital to the folks at the Ronald McDonald House. That’s why we try to do things to pay them back for what they do.
Each October, we deliver Halloween baskets for the children who are staying at the house. These are items that provide hours of entertainment for kids whose siblings are hospitalized, including games, toys, activity books, crayons, pencils, etc.
Chris Dorow generously provides us with 25 plastic pumpkins for the items to be put in. We let the ladies at Ronald McDonald House put the baskets together, which they enjoy doing.
Another thing we do is help put together meals for the folks staying at the house. Several times a year, some of the employees at the Othello McDonald’s, Fernando Moreno (the owner), my husband and I travel to Spokane and feed a few dozen people there.
Our next trip is planned for Dec. 11 and we’ll be putting on a spaghetti feed.
It’s just another way to say thanks for all they do for families who find themselves in a desperate situation. We are so grateful and blessed to have this service available to folks in our area.
So, this Thanksgiving, take some time to think about what you can do for someone who goes out of their way to help others, be it an organization or an individual. Even just a card of thanks can go a long way.
It’s folks behind the scenes, like the good people at the Ronald McDonald House, who make this world just that much nicer for others.
This week’s recipe was provided by Darla, the design and layout person here at The Othello Outlook. She brought these for us to sample one day and they were really good.
Darla said all the ingredients can be found at our local Wal-Mart, so you don’t have to travel out of town to do your shopping.
I hope you’ll give them a try.
Pumpkin streusel cheesecake bars
Cookie base:
1 pouch (1 pound 1.5 ounce) Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix
½ cup crushed gingersnap cookies
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup cold butter or margarine
Filling: 2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 eggs
Toppings:
1/3 cup chocolate topping
1/3 cup caramel topping
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, crushed cookies and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 12-by-9 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour over warm cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
4. Before serving, drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings. Darla suggested you only drizzle the part you are going to serve so the bars don’t get soggy. For bars, cut into six rows by four rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
No comments:
Post a Comment