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POPSSend a message to the US troops Xerox is sponsoring Let's Say Thanks. I clipped some messages from soldiers that have received the postcards. It is easy to do. Select a drawing, select a message (or write your own) and type in your name and city. I encourage every Clipper, regardless of personal politics, to send a message of thanks for the brave men and women that are away from their families right now. It takes 10 seconds. Thanks!
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POPSGives me hope Please go to the site and read the other entries about things that give people hope. The little girl at the end of the clipped stuff was only 6.
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POPSTauntaun sleeping bag HA! I can see how this would be fun to own. If you go to the site you can see even more pics of the Tauntaun in action. Not cheap at $99, and orders are limited to two Tauntauns per customer. Hurry! Printed internal intestines? Hahahaha!
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POPSSesame Street cake pops Wow! Bakerella has outdone herself. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to make these, but she has great instructions at the source. Look at the tiny little cookie in Cookie Monster's mouth!
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POPSPumpkin cranberry cornbread: recipe Can be made into muffins: Transfer to the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with a little sugar (I used raw sugar) on top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until edges just begin to color. Cool to room temperature. Makes approximately 12-13 muffins.
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POPSlemon green beans 5. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve. Note: add toasted almonds before serving.
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POPSRoasted baby beets I've never roasted beets before, but I've looked at about 20 recipes. This comes closest to what I wanted. If anyone has a magic roasted beet recipe, feel free to share. :)
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POPSScarecrow cookies So cute! What a great idea for any fall holiday parties going on at a school or a bake sale.
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POPSWelcome Home! What a nice idea. I'm going to try this. It is hard when you have little kids, because dinner time is always crazy time, but maybe if I get it done a little earlier...
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POPSWhich children's charity should I choose? The CCA website lets you check out more than 100 charities. You can even search by keywords to find a charity that matches your interest. You can also purchase gift certificates and let the recipient choose which charity they would like the donation to go toward.
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POPSThat's pretend, right? In the spirit of thankfulness and giving, I'd like to remind my fellow Clippers that they can offer hope and rescue to kids in peril. Find a charity that supports children abroad or at home, in a desperate country or in your own neighborhood. Find a cause and support it. It really is true that every single penny helps. It really is true that a single person can make a difference. It really is true that hope is the greatest gift you can give. Give some hope to a child. Thank you.
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POPSOwl in a box! Having trouble clipping the photos (I messed up my clipping tool somehow). But go look at the pictures. So great!
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POPS10,000 Miles, Mary Chapin Carpenter My daughter and I watched the movie Fly Away Home today. It is wonderful, if you haven't seen it. A little girl finds some orphaned goose eggs and teaches the geese to fly south for the winter. Makes me cry every time I watch it.
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POPSThankfulness Tree This is the second year we have had a Thankfulness Tree. I have some fake branches that I put in a big vase to hold the leaves. I went to a scrapbooking store and used their die cut machine to make many many leaves from paper. If you buy the paper there, you can use the machines for free. I punched holes in the leaves to hang on the branches without having to mess with string or glue or hangers of any sort. I place the leaves in a bowl with a pen so any guests that come during November can write something they are thankful for on a leaf and hang it up. On Thanksgiving we read the leaves and we give thanks for all the friends and family that have come to our house. Then I put the leaves in a bag and date it so we can read them in future years too. Yesterday, my daughter wrote that she was thankful for "being born" and for "being in this family." I am so thankful for those things too. Go, get your thankfulness on!
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POPSPistachio and Tart Cherry Chocolate Bark With tip of knife, swirl chocolates together for marbled look. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and cherries. Refrigerate bark 1 hour or until firm. Break bark into pieces. Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator up to 1 month.
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POPSS'mores icebox candy bars: recipe Let cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to solidify for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Wrap individually and store in the fridge.
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POPSPopcorn balls From the comments, I added one tsp. salt and 2 tsps. vanilla after the sugar mix came to a boil. Be careful because adding the vanilla will cause the sugar mixture to boil up and sputter. Also, I reduced the powdered sugar to 2 cups. It is plenty sweet. Also, keep the popcorn warm while making the sauce in a 200 degree F oven. I got 24 balls out of this and they taste FANTASTIC. Word from the comments is that the marshmallow keeps these from becoming rock hard like other popcorn balls. And, bonus, you do not need a candy thermometer. I will make again very soon. Easy and tasty.
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POPSLeave something beautiful On another blog, I read where a mom and her children would write lovely things on paper and leave them for strangers to find. They would tuck them into places where finding them would be a surprise as much as what was written on them.
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POPSWrite down your love What a terrific gift. Not only does the recipient get a list of things you love about him/her, but it also shows you thought a loving them about them every single day for a year. That is the real gift.