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Growing up of me was not easy. We didn’t have much. I am from a very rural county and there aren’t a lot of jobs available. Often times children were required to cut their education short and drop out of high school to work and provide for the family at home or to help out on the farm full time. Lack of education perpetuates a cycle that is difficult to be broken.
I can remember times being very lean, and while we always had something to eat, there were many times that something was very little. Around the holidays I knew that we could look forward to getting a donation box. These donation boxes were common in our area. I always knew we could count on some type of meat and canned goods. It was just enough to help supplement and get us through the holidays and some of the coldest days of the year. I was grateful for those boxes.
When you have nothing you can make something out of nothing pretty easily because its what you have to do. I think one of the most versatile things that you can do that with is milk. Milk can be used in a myriad of ways to create meals. You can make breakfast, lunch or dinner really. But I know that also milk was sometimes a luxury we couldn’t afford. I grew up being very cognoscente of that luxury. We DID NOT waste milk in our house. If you ate cereal, you drank the milk afterwards, milk was a commodity and I knew it.
Milk is a wonderful ingredients and nutritional additions, because it is chock full of protein and vitamins and minerals that growing bodies need, and Moms and Dad need to keep going. But its the one thing that never came in our box. Oddly enough as I began researching Food Drives this year I read over and over again, how Milk was the one item families requested most, but that was donated the least. I never knew that you could donate Milk. I guess I always assumed that because it was perishable that it shouldn’t be donated. I never really questioned why milk never showed up in our box.
Reading that info about milk and that families in need request the milk, but the food banks don’t get it enough to give it on a consistent basis, got me to thinking. What can I do to help families in need get one of the most basic food items? Thats when I found out about pourmilklove.com. For a small donation the Great American Milk Drive will deliver a gallon of Milk to a family in need in your local area. How awesome is that? I know that as it gets colder, and bills rise, families already on the brink of struggling start to feel the pinch even more. That small donation to have a gallon of milk delivered can be difference of helping one family make their dollars stretch just a little further. As the holidays begin to draw near, consider giving a gallon of milk and all its essential nutrients to a family in need.
Speaking of the holidays, do you have your recipes all lined up? We are setting a Holiday Party just a little early. I put the Christmas tree up early every year, I think my favorite part of the holidays is getting together with the family. So I try and do that as often as possible. This year I wanted to throw a pre-holiday party and test out some recipes on my unsuspecting family, and of course I wanted to make sure that it was fully decorated as well.
Right now you can enter to win a Kitchen Aid mixer to help with all your holiday baking! Just vote for your favorite photo by clicking the link below and you will be entered for a chance to win.
These recipes are designed to be SUPER EASY. Some will use the fun Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Cake Mix, while others use a variety of M&M’s® including some seasonal varieties like:
- M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate
- M&M’s® White Peppermint
- M&M’s® Hot Chocolate
- M&M’s® Holiday Peanut
- M&M’s® Holiday Peanut Butter
Each recipe also has a video that will walk you through how to make it. By picking up everything at Walmart, my life is a lot less stressed and Walmart’s Great Value milk is a fantastic option. Here are the recipe and instructions for each dish! Enjoy and Merry Christmas! For more holiday recipe ideas click here!
Click here for a coupon to help get you started on your Holiday creating.
M&M Hot Chocolate
- 8 oz M&M’s® (we used Hot Chocolate Seasonal M&M’s® but any kind will work)
- 2 cups Whole milk (Great Value)
- 1 cup of half and half
- 1 tbsp of corn starch
- 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
Slowly bring your milk to a light boil.
Soften your the M&M’s® in the microwave for 30 seconds then add into the mixture.
Add cocoa powder and corn starch as well as the half and half.
Ensure all of the chocolate is melted and serve warm.
Peppermint Butter Cake (or Ooey Gooey Cake)
Cake
- 1 box of Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Holiday Cake Mix
- 1 egg
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 package cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 16 oz of powdered sugar
- 1 cup of M&M’s® White Peppermint
- 1/2 tsp of Peppermint Extract
- ½ cup of m&ms we used seasonal peppermint M&M’s®
- pinch of red food coloring
Instructions:
Combine cake batter and pressing into 9×13″ pan.
Crush peppermints.
Combine all ingredients except M&Ms®.
Add M&Ms® to the pan, then place the ooey mixture on top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.
5-Minute Peppermint Fudge
Gooey Mixture
- 1 package cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 16 oz of powdered sugar
- 1 cup of M&M’s® White Peppermint
- 1/2 tsp of Peppermint Extract
- ½ cup of m&ms we used seasonal peppermint M&M’s®
- pinch of red food coloring
To make this recipe, watch the video:
Cake Mix Waffles
Make cake mix normally. Add M&M’s®, bam. Done.
I like those waffles, can have different toppings to go with them.