Many CHEERS for the 2nd Annual Christmas Cheer Chocolate Festival!

It was a day full of many sweet blessings as we shared our samples of chocolate treats made with vegetables and fruits (and eggs whites!) that we harvest in our garden. Egg white cookies, white chocolate blueberry bark, double chocolate zucchini nut cookies, pumpkin swirl brownies, sweet potato brownies, mint fudge, potato fudge, sweet potato brownies, strawberry/blueberry cupcakes, beet cupcakes, chocolate pecan toffee, apple chocolate cake, and the “cherry” on top was the chocolate dipped strawberries!

Many thanks to all the chocolate lovers that came out to support Christmas Cheer along with our bakers and chocolatiers for the Garden of Concord! One of the most asked about recipes was the Potato Fudge listed below with a few of the other favs to be shared shortly. Mark your calendar for the garden’s awakening on March 3 (and 10^th!). It WILL be SWEET!

Potato Fudge (De-lish..thanks Jenn!)

3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

4 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup mashed potatoes

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1lb powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter together. Add potatoes, salt and vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. As it gets harder to incorporate sugar with a spoon, butter hands and knead in the rest of the sugar by hand. Continue kneading until smooth and glossy. Spread into 8x8 square pan and Cut into squares when cool or roll into balls. Top with a nut if you'd like.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (thanks Cat and Betty Crocker!)

Go to: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pumpkin-swirl-brownies/a04602d7-4c6a-4008-9224-9c76a5ccd4f7

Blueberry Bark

1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
12 oz white chocolate morsels
Dried blueberries (Trader Joe's has some great ones)

Preheat oven to 350. Place crackers in one layer on parchment-lined baking sheet (with sides). Melt butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan stirring for 3 minutes constantly. Pour butter-sugar mixture over the crackers, spreading evenly and then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with white chocolate morsels. When they start to melt, spread evenly over entire layer of crackers. Sprinkle dried blueberries on top and re-spread chocolate a little bit to coat blueberries. Refrigerate 1 hour and then crack into pieces.

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes (Beets are the only vegetable that I truly dislike..but I LOVE these cupcakes! Thank you Shirley!)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine

1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 cups cooked beets, pureed (2 cans 15 oz each drained)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to375 degrees F. Soften butter. Cream together ¾ cup of the butter with the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Combine chocolate with remaining butter and melt in the microwave at15-second intervals. Allow to cool slightly and add to egg mixture. Add beets and vanilla and mix well. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add to large bowl and mix well. Pour into paper lined cupcake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar or top with your favorite frosting.

It WILLbe good!

It WILL be good!

Hi everyone.
I remember often the day I went to “just take notes” at a workshop on community gardening. I remember the trip that was planned to go visit my sister in VA that weekend and the recent death of a beloved Concord church member. I remember wishing I had been a member sooner so that I would have met Miriam Dean. I remember hearing all the heartwarming and wonderful stories about her from her family and church family. I remember hearing about the upcoming workshop and that a refund for attendance was submitted because our Pastor would be presiding at the funeral on that day. I remember this tugging of my heart wishing that I could somehow go to that workshop but not wanting to disappoint my family. Where was this feeling coming from? I didn’t know how to garden really…mostly weeding my husband’s garden..dabbled with some lettuce and marigolds. Organic growing? What was that all about? I remember the elation when the trip plans changed. I remember immediately emailing Pastor David to see if I could go in his place and “just take notes”. I remember the constant fluttering of my heart as I took LOTS of notes while touring Anatoth Community Garden and learning all the ways that we could reach out to many by sharing, working, and taking care of God’s creation. I think what I most remember though is an overwhelming feeling, a silent voice (wasn’t sure then, but I now know who the voice belonged to )that kept saying to me… “it WILL be good!”

As we begin our fourth year of The Garden of Concord, I am continually amazed at the love and support that our Concord UMC church family and the community of Eli Whitney have shown through prayers, donations, and time spent in the garden. God has blessed our community with the knowledge of how to be good stewards of His creation by sharing His love to many through the planting of seeds of faith and watching them grow. The fruits of the harvest have nurtured the hearts and health of many through learning organic growing practices, food awareness, and new friendships, along with connecting our food to our faith.

This year, we are excited to join together again in food and fellowship at our favorite gatherings to include our First Fruits Luncheon, Tomato Sandwich Supper, Harvest Celebration Dinner, and Final Fruits Luncheon. We also resume our weekly Kidz Thyme program, summer weekly water fun nights, and Garden Gritz. Our work nights are changing to Tues/Thurs 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 9-Noon.

We have lots of new ideas planted to include a brick pizza oven and picnic shelter (Eagle Scout projects!), Bed Blessing donations, First Fruit Fridays and Sample Saturdays, and also working on our next summer series. A Food and Faith three week Bible study is planned for April to be led by Daniel Corpening, our garden intern, which will culminate with our annual “Blessing of the Garden of Concord” joined by Crosswave! We will be providing more details for all of these plantings in succession!

We officially “Wake up the garden” on March 3 with an encore presentation (snooze alarm!) on 3/10th and have tentative plans to co-host a public movie screening of “Fresh the Movie” at the Saxapahaw Ballroom on March 9th. Again, more details to follow as these plantings grow!

As you can see, I am really excited at all the plans and plantings God has in store for us in our garden and community. I thank you again, Concord UMC for your many blessings. It WILL be good!
-Donna