Creative Christmas Collaboration Cheers Families + Chicken Soup Recipe

COVID restrictions meant Mesa County DHS, businesses, churches and Project 1.27 staff had to get creative for the 2020 Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Family Christmas Party! Working together, they pulled off a Progressive Christmas Party that drew rave reviews from the 76 families - 220 children and 161 adults- who participated in the holiday fun. 

Children received books from the NEWLA Book Drive (in honor Nuala Lewis), craft supplies, Bombas Socks,  new gloves, cookies, Pringles, Sprite, candy and treat-filled  stockings. Adults were blessed with frozen meals, gloves and other goodies! Families enjoyed caroling, a live nativity and beautiful holiday decorations at each stop along with participating in a Christmas Car Scavenger Hunt. 

Thank you to Mesa County Department of Human Services, Famous Footwear, Ticket to Dream Foundation, Appleton Christian Church, Connection Church, First Baptist Church, River City Church, First Presbyterian Church, Jubilee Family Church, Central Orchard Mesa Church,  Katie Peterson of NEWLA Book Drive and Project 1.27 staff (and their families) for supporting and loving every family and child!

Hey there.Thank you for the love and hard work you all put into this. It was definitely a different but fun experience. You guys are wonderful.  Thank you. - Amanda 

​Hey there! I was wondering if you could help me with something. :). Would it be possible to get the recipes for the chicken and rice soup that came from the church on East Orchard Mesa? It has been the biggest food hit with my daughter and she is PICKY. - Jenn Marie

​12 Days of Christmas Stops!

• Day 1 - River City Church gave out “Sprite” soda and poem to every person along with 65 frozen meals 
• Day 2 - First Baptist Church provided a nativity activity and 90 frozen meals
• Day 3 - NEWLA Book Drive delivered 253 books to kids in memory or organizer Katie Peterson’s mom, Nuala Lewis
• Day 4 & 5 - Connection Church gave out ornaments and candy to everyone
• Day 6 & 7 - Central Orchard Mesa provided “Pringles to make the holidays jingle”, socks for Mistle Toes and 81 frozen meals
• Day 8 - Jubilee Family Church gave out cookies and caroled from the church steps
• Day 9 - First Presbyterian Church provided new gloves for everyone
• Day 10 - Mesa County Department of Human Services gave filled stockings to every family
• Day 11 & 12 - Appleton Christian Church held a live nativity, hosted a dancing Santa with caroling, crafts and snacks for every one

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
Author Mavis Butterfield (With Lisa McGinnet’s exclusions/additions)
 
Ingredients
8 Pounds Chicken , cooked and shredded
4 Cups Frozen Corn
8 Heaping tablespoons Concentrated Chicken Stock Base
4 Cups Brown Rice {uncooked}
8 teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons ground pepper
4 teaspoons salt
8 1 gallon sized freezer bags

Instructions
Fill each bag with the following:
1 Pound Chicken, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup Frozen Corn
1 Heaping tablespoon Concentrated Chicken Stock Base
1/2 cup Jasmine Rice {uncooked}
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
After filling the bags, label, date and zip them closed before tossing them into the freezer.
Empty contents of the chicken soup mix into a crock pot or into a stock pot, add 5 cups of water and cook on low until the soup is warm and the rice is soft. {About 2 hours in the crock pot or 30 minutes on the stove top}.