Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Jennifer White

Screen Shot 2022-01-05 at 11.32.05 PM Wonderful with hot chocolate, coffee or tea on a cold winter’s day…

  • 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats.
  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 six-ounce package sweetened dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

 

Preheat oven to 375. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together, in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets, or onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approx. 2-1/2 dozen cookies. Yum!

 


Kid's CraftScreen Shot 2022-01-05 at 11.34.10 PM

This is a fun craft for those long winter months! You can choose to do a snowman like the picture, or be creative and choose penguins, igloo, polar bear—the winter landscape options are endless! Enjoy crafting with your little ones, or even feel free to craft yourself! It’s fun for all ages!

Paper Plate Snow Globes:

Materials needed:

  • 2 white paper plates
  • 1 large Ziploc bag
  • Paper or felt of varying colors (white, green, red, brown, black, etc.)
  • Glitter or sparkles
  • Clear hair gel or gel hand sanitizer (optional -- but extra sensory fun!)
  • Scissors and glue/tape

Instructions:

  1. Cut center circle out of one of the paper plates
  2. Create your winter scene on the uncut plate using the paper and/or felt  and then glue or tape it down.
  3. Fill Ziploc bag with glitter or sparkles and add the gel if you choose for extra sensory- squishy fun! **Note: make sure your Ziploc is sealed tightly, you may even want to tape the flap down for extra security!
  4. Place Ziploc bag on top of your winter scene and glue the cut paper plate on top of everything
  5. Shake and enjoy your handmade paper plate snow globe!

 

 

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Allison Frassoni

 

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Recently I heard a sweet story from Nancy McGuire. Her granddaughter asked her about welcoming estranged relatives coming for a visit:

Granddaughter: Who are these people anyway?

Nancy: Well, they are our family whom we haven’t seen in a while.

Granddaughter: Oh, well then -- I guess I will just LOVE them!

 

“But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.” (Matthew 9:31)

My son’s preschool class had a Thanksgiving feast, and all of the children went around the table to say what they were thankful for. My son said, “I am thankful for God!” When he came home that day he told me this story, and then said, “You know Mommy, a lot of the kids don’t even know God! I have to tell them!”

 

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

As a parent of a small child, I am often encouraged by the simplicity and sweetness of the things that our little ones say and do. Frequently they show us how to love, and they remind us how God loves us! I have the privilege of volunteering in Sunday School, and I am getting to know some of our SLPC children. We are so blessed to have a community with so many little ones who encourage our faith regularly. If you have a sweet story or conversation that happened in your family -- I’d love to hear about it!

 

 

 

Family Winter Read / Book Idea

Iditarod Front rotated Kiana’s Iditarod… A story of courage and sacrifice

Take a wild, wintery ride with Kiana, a brave little husky heroine who steps up to the challenge of leading her dog sled team to Iditarod victory. Follow their paw prints over 1,000 miles of rugged Alaskan landscape as Kiana’s team reenacts the 1925 race against time and disease that delivered the life saving vaccine to the village of Nome, Alaska - where hundreds of children were sick with diphtheria.

Then talk together about the great distance and sacrifice God made to save the whole world from sin and death by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross. Why did he do it?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 

COMMON THREADS winter 2022