With my hubby traveling and my boys still on campus, preparing for our first Christmas Caroling Food Drive this week kept me nice and busy. Before I knew it, Mike was on his way home and both Nathaniel and Alexander were back for Christmas break Thursday evening. Accompanying the boys home were some of their friends from Campbell University. Everyone knew I was cooking, but they didn’t know that I had a surprise in store for them. Holidays can be a stressful time for many, but for struggling families without enough food, there’s no greater worry than wondering where a family’s next meal is coming from. With Christmas, the season of giving, here I thought it was the perfect time to make a joyful noise and help others less fortunate. I thought it would be nice to organize a Christmas Caroling Food Drive in our neighborhood. I also invited our dear friends, The Bradley family, my new friend, Nancy Stolfo-Corti, who has an amazing voice and heart and our neighbors to join us for an evening of food, fun and fellowship.

All of our neighbors received a bright red or green flyer and an email announcing the Christmas Caroling Food Drive.

My friend Mary Jane offered her trailer. Her husband Mike placed several bales of hay inside and Mary Jane rigged the outside of the trailer with colorful Christmas lights. I printed out the Christmas carol lyrics and got all our fleece blankets ready for the unaware carolers on their way!

Just before the students and our other friends arrived I made sure all of the Christmas lights and decorations were lit. I felt like a kid and I wanted to give everyone a warm and festive welcome! Our family and friends would enter to the sights and sounds of Christmastime and to the smell of the BIG pot of Chilli con Carne bubbling away!

They would see the Pumpkin Cornbread with Maple Butter

and assorted Christmas cookies baked just for them! All of my Christmas cookies were placed on my three-tiered tray reserved only for special occasions.

And the stars of the evening were some of our favorites:

Fudgy Bonbons

Biscotti

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

and last, but certainly not least, my favorite, Ginger Cookies!

Our son Nathaniel’s lovely lady friend, Amanda, made the most delicious Pumpkin and also Chocolate Mint cupcakes, too!

Everyone began arriving. My heart swelled as each person gasped as they saw the food prepared just for them. Once our bellies were full, we practiced a few of the songs we were about to sing. I thought Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Carol of the Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas were the perfect songs for carolers and everyone sounded great!

Thankful for our loving friends we were all eager to get outside and sing in an effort to help others! Our bellies were now full of eggnog, chili and cornbread, and so we headed outside with our coats, scarves and gloves.

As always, many of our neighbors were very generous and left out bags of non-perishable items for our friends at With Love From Jesus, the local organization we would be bringing the food to. We sang through our entire neighborhood, and also stopped at some of the homes. One home in particular brought us great joy! As we drove throughout our neighborhood singing Christmas carols, laughing and just being merry we noticed two little children looking out of their front door as we drove on up the road. We got out of the trailer and walked up to the door. The entire family, dad, mom, brother and sister came out to greet and sing along with us.

When we returned to the warmth of our home, we all enjoyed the Christmas cookies, cupcakes, eggnog and hot cocoa with Peppermint Whipped Cream.

Before everyone left, our friend David drew a name out of the gingerbread tin. Leah won the Gingerbread Man kit! Congratulations and have fun, Leah!

Everyone got to take home a little goodie bag with a honey bear and a honey stick from local company, Bee Blessed, either a Chai or peppermint teabag, a candy cane, and a little note that said,

Love isn’t love till you give it away
Love isn’t love till it’s free
The love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay
Oh love isn’t love till you give it away

If you have never been out Christmas caroling or it’s been a while, I’d recommend doing so this year. Nursing homes are also great places to visit and sing Christmas carols at also! Merry, Merry Christmas Everyone!