We have 2 missionaries out right now. One in Argentina and one in Tucson Arizona. I did find this idea about doing the 12 days of Christmas in a stocking. They have to read the scripture and try and figure out what is in the package before opening it.

Here are some ideas of scriptures…

Psalms 23:4 “thy rod and thy staff” – candy canes
Psalms 24:4 “clean hands” – soap
Matthew 15:11 “cometh out of the mouth” – mouthwash
1 Samuel 2:9 “keep the feet” – socks
Proverbs 10:7 “memory of the just” – writing tablet
D&C 89:16 “grain is good . . . fruit . . .” – granola bar, fruit rolls
Amos 4:6 “cleanness of teeth” – toothbrush
3 Nephi 28 “three Nephites” – 3 Musketeers bar
2 Nephi 3:12 “fruit” – fruit candy, fruit rolls
1 Nephi 8:26-27 “mocking” – Snickers bar
D&C 89:20 “run and not be weary” – nylons
1 Corinthians 13:11 “childish things” – yo-yo
Job 14:5 “his days are determined” – calendar
D&C 6:33 “ye sow” – needle & thread
D&C 9:8 “burn within you” – Rolaids or Tums
D&C 24:19 “prune my vineyard” – prunes or raisins
D&C 38:8 “let every man esteem his brother as himself” – picture of siblings
D&C 65:2 “gospel roll forth” – Tootsie roll
D&C 68:6 “be of good cheer” – Cheer detergent
D&C 84:79 “laborer is worthy of his hire” – Payday candy bar
D&C 84:88 “right hand and on your left” – hand lotion
D&C 88:124 “cease to sleep longer than is needful . . .” – Now & Later candy
D&C 89:16 “all grain” – granola bars, hot cereal packets
D&C 103:9 “saviors of men” – Life Savers
D&C 111:11 “wise as serpents” – gummy worms
Moses 1:22 “gnashing of teeth” – dental floss
1 Nephi 1:4 “commencement of the first year” – calendar
1 Nephi 19:16 “four quarters of the earth” – four quarters
2 Nephi 2:25 “that they might have joy” – Almond Joy
2 Nephi 18:1 “write in it with a man’s pen” – pen
2 Nephi 27:14 “words of the book” – journal, alphabet cereal or soup
2 Nephi 31:6-8 “like a dove . . .” – Dove soap
Mosiah 4:16 “succor those that stand in need” – suckers
Mosiah 14:5 “he was wounded” – Band-Aids
Alma 11:24 “puffed up in their hearts” – balloons
Alma 32:28 “a seed may be planted” – sunflower seeds
3 Nephi 14:5 “thou see clearly” – Murine, contact lens solutions
3 Nephi 17:21 “He wept” – Kleenex
Genesis 6:19 “two of every living creature” – animal crackers
Genesis 32:10 “for with my staff” – candy canes
1 Kings 10:18 “throne of ivory” – Ivory soap
Deuteronomy 8:4 “did thy foot swell” – socks, foot powder
Nehemiah 8:10 “eat the fat” – pork rinds
Job 34:31 “will not offend anymore” – certs or deodorant
Psalms 78:24 “corn of heaven” – candy corn or corn nuts
Proverbs 6:28 “hot coals” – red hots or suntan lotion
Proverbs 13:7 “yet hath great riches” – money or check
Proverbs 12:19 “lip of truth” – chapstick
Proverbs 25:25 “good news from afar” – stationery or stamps
Eccesiastis 3:1 “to every thing there is a season” – calendar or seasoning mix
Isaiah 48:21 “and they thirsted not”vcan or box of juice
Matthew 7:10 “or if he ask a fish” – tuna, Swedish fish, sardines
Luke 3:16 “not worthy to unloose” – shoelaces
Matthew 5:13 “salt of the earth” – salt shaker
1 Corinthians 10:3 “spiritual meat” – jerky
1 Corinthians 15:20 “first fruits” – fruit leather, can of fruit, etc.
2 Timothy 4:3 “having itching ears” – Q-tips

I know I just posted about a Christmas tree kit, but you have to admit, this is pretty awesome. Plus, boys (of all ages) are obsessed with legos. This would make a winning gift!

Order it here.

This idea comes from Nissen at PinchingYourPennies, and looks like a fun present for anyone abroad. I investigated a little, reading the reviews and such, and it seems like it really is as good as it sounds. No need for scissors or glue, either. The only downside is the extra shipping time (for the product to be shipped to YOU, then having to ship it to your missionary). But it’s so cute, I’d be willing to work around that schedule!

Find it on amazon here: Christmas Tree in a Box

Ranger Cookies (Find the recipe here.), Vacuum Packed

“In my opinion, this one tasted the best.  It was also the best texture I thought. They were still in very good condition (not broken or cracked) because they were softer. These were the softest and the freshest too.  They did not taste or feel stale at all and were the best of the batch.”

Ranger Cookies, NOT Vacuum Packed

“These ones were the second best.  They were still pretty soft, but not as fresh tasting as the vacuum sealed ones.  The bags made them look cuter, but they were a little bit broken when I opened the bag. They seemed a little stale, but still somewhat soft and still had an edible texture. ”

Snickerdoodles (Find the recipe here.), Vacuum Packed

“The snickerdoodles did not hold up very well in the packaging and did not taste very good either, as well as texture goes.  They were harder and more stale than the other too.  They were very broken and crumbly when I opened the bag and did not taste as fresh as the other two samples.”

So there you have it. The results of the sweetest science experiment ever. I love the scientific method.

In review:

1. Choosing the right cookies to mail makes a big difference. Picking cookies with chewy textures (as opposed to crispy/crumbly) will allow the cookies to arrive without breaking.

2. Vacuum sealing makes a difference! This is definitely an inexpensive option for keeping cookies fresher, longer.

I’m also please to announce the winner of my first giveaway here at MissionaryIdeas. Congratulations to Liz M.! Send me an email at meganrichey at gmail dot com to claim your prize, a Reynolds 00590 Handi-Vac Vacuum-Sealing Starter Kit, which we now know will keep your cookies fresh!

Happy cookie-mailing, everyone. Stay tuned for more cookie experiments, and more ideas for sending your missionary love.

“These are your favorite?” I gasped. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? I’d make them all the time!”

He shrugged, sadly. “I thought you knew.”

LESSONS IN MARITAL COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE!

And Hubby’s not the only one who likes these cookies:

I’ve tried to find the exact recipe on-line, but I can’t. Here’s the one I use:

1 Cup butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

Cream above ingredients together

2.5 eggs, added one at a time (I know, I know. Two and a half??? The original recipe is double this amount, but it makes about 6 dozen cookies, so…)

1 tsp vanilla

2 Cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Then, add the goodies:

2 cups quick oats (go easy on this…the dough can get too hearty, and the cookies won’t spread when you bake them)

1   12-oz package chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate)

6 oz coconut

1 Cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

1 Cup raisins

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.

I used butter instead of shortening, and you really only need one tsp of cinnamon, not two, and if you’re going to dye the cookies, like I did, I wouldn’t use cinnamon at all, just sugar. Oh, and do you see any purple or green cookies in the picture? No? That’s because I tried those colors, and it was a disaster. If you plan on trying green and purple, I’d research your food coloring amounts, and really mix the dye in well. Just sayin’….

And tune in soon — I’ve got another post coming about how I chose to ship the cookies. We’ll see which method works best.

In the meantime, be sure to enter my giveaway! For details on entering the contest, see my post on Cookie Mailing Month!

Mouth-watering, no?

The day before I was going to write a blog post about it, my brother emailed me, saying he’d received the tin of toffee. Here is a picture of how it arrived:

In my brother’s own words: “megan’s toffee, huddled, hiding in the corner of the tin”

Needless to say, the toffee didn’t make the blog (although my brother ate it anyway). Since then, I’ve brooded over which is the best method for sending homemade treats. Do certain baked goods hold up better than others? Is there a type of packaging that is best for protecting the goodies over which we’ve slaved? What do they really look like when they arrive?

In this spirit, I’m declaring October “Cookie-Mailing Month” here at Missionary Ideas. In addition to regular Halloween-themed posts, I’ll be testing recipes, as well as packing & shipping methods. Hopefully, I can get to the bottom of this.

It is also my pleasure to announce this blog’s very first giveaway. Going along with our cookie-mailing theme, one winner will receive a Reynolds 00590 Handi-Vac Vacuum-Sealing Starter Kit, which I will be testing this month as well. Just in time for packaging and sending Christmas cookies to your missionary!

To enter the drawing, you have several options: 1. Get my new button for your blog,  2. Make a comment with a question or suggestion about sending homemade treats, or 3. Announce this giveaway (and include the link) in your Facebook or Twitter status. Each contestant can get up to three entries; just let me know how you’ve entered in your comment below!

Let the Month of Cookie-Mailing begin!

Okay, so I know I’m a teensy bit obsessed with treat bags, but before you get mad at me, just LOOK at these cuties from Jana’s Eubank’s Blog “From My Feathered Nest”:

Seriously, how fun & festive would it be to get this in the mail? Jana gives brief instructions on her blog, but even if you don’t have the same tools that she uses, you can still create something similar, using the photo as inspiration. Hit up Michael’s, and then fill your bag with a spoonful of your missionary’s favorite non-meltable treats, like jelly bellies, skittles, or sour patch kids.

Oh my word, love me some Bath&Body Works! So many festive scents to choose from this season. When I heard they had come out with a candy-corn-scented product, I worried about whether I could be trusted not to eat it. Try your luck with this little product. It comes in a 1-oz container. Perfect for your missionary to tuck inside his or her bag on the go, and very handy, in my opinion. But remember: when shipping, be sure to choose packaging that won’t compress, and be sure to put the little bottle inside a zip-lock bag, just in case it opens during transit. That would be one deliciously-scented mess. And while you’re on the B&BW site, check out their other cute Halloween products.