"Blessed is the home where each puts the other's happiness first."

 

ADVENT

Week 1 — Day 1 — Sunday, November 27

by Focus on the Family

Begin with God's Word: Romans 1:20
Activity:

Lead your kids into a darkened room to read Genesis 1:1-26. (You may need a small flashlight.) When you arrive at verse 3, turn on the lights. As you read through the remaining verses, pass around items that offer glimpses of God's Creation — a leaf from a plant, magazine photos of fish and wildlife. You can challenge your older kids to research short videos online. Images of the planets and wildlife can be very inspirational. Explain that the Bible says we can see God's power and know He is real by all the things He has made.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. 

Peppermint Eggnog

Serve kids eggnog, jazzed up with peppermint extract, in candy-rimmed mugs.

Martha Stewart Kids

• Yield Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons more sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups whole milk
• 12 peppermint candy canes, broken into pieces
• 3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Peppermint sticks, for garnish

Directions

1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and the extracts in large saucepan over medium-low heat until combined. Pour in milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking until fully incorporated. Raise heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Pour milk mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath; let mixture cool completely. Transfer custard to an airtight container, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
3. Process candy canes in a food processor until finely crushed. Sift in a strainer to discard dust. Transfer to a shallow dish.
4. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool 5 minutes. Dip rim of each cup into melted chocolate, then crushed peppermint. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove custard from refrigerator; set aside. Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cold custard until combined. Fill cups with eggnog. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint, and garnish with peppermint sticks; serve.