Sherry Robbin's Broccoli-Strawberry Salad

Millions of people will gather during the holidays to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner. We reached out to our volunteers to get some of their favorite recipes to share with you. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, check out these Red Cross fire safety steps: https://rdcrss.org/41hXvgS

Here’s a recipe for broccoli-strawberry salad from Sherry Robbins, who has been a Red Crosser for more than 30 years:

BROCCOLI-STRAWBERRY SALAD

6 cups Fresh Broccoli Florets 

2 cups Fresh Strawberries

¾ cups Dry Roasted Peanuts

1 cup Carrots (julienne style)

½ cup Diced Red Onion

1 cup Golden Raisins

Dressing:

1 cup Mayo

½ cup Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

Mix mayo, powdered sugar and vinegar until sugar is dissolved.  Mix all other ingredients into a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over and mix all together right before serving.   (I like to double the dressing just to make sure I have enough.)

NOTE:  There are many variations to this recipe…you can use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar, grapes instead of raisins, red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, cashews or pine nuts instead of peanuts.  If you are watching sugar-intake or someone is diabetic, you can substitute Splenda.

Julia McNeal's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Millions of people will gather during the holidays to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner. We reached out to our volunteers to get some of their favorite recipes to share with you. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, check out these Red Cross fire safety steps: https://rdcrss.org/41hXvgS

Thanks to Julia McNeal for her chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe. See details here: 

Chocolate chip pumpkin bread

- 2 c granulated sugar

- ½ c butter, softened

- 3 large eggs

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 15 oz canned pumpkin

- 2 ¾ c all-purpose flour

- ½ tsp baking powder

- 1 ½ tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- ¾ tsp cinnamon

- ¼ tsp ground cloves

- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

- ½ c milk

- 12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans* with a piece of parchment paper. Spray all over with cooking spray.

Add the sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Alternately add flour mixture, then milk to pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in chocolate chips at the end.

Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.

Mini loaves will bake for around 25-35 minutes.

Stacey Biggs' Chocolate Chip Pie and Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

 Millions of people will gather during the holidays to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner. We reached out to our volunteers to get some of their favorite recipes to share with you. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, check out these Red Cross fire safety steps: https://rdcrss.org/41hXvgS

Thank you to Stacey Biggs for two delicious and mouth-watering desserts, a chocolate chip pie and chewy peppermint crinkle cookies!

Chocolate Chip Pie

½ c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

½ c. softened butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. milk chocolate chips

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans

1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell and bake for 30 minutes. Cover the edges with foil to prevent burning and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes until the top of the pie is set and golden brown.

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Chewy Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

10 candy canes, unwrapped

 2 cups granulated sugar

 1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

 2 large eggs, room temperature

 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350°F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.

Double bag 2 (resealable) 1-gallon plastic bags. Place candy canes inside and seal. Crush candy canes with a rolling pin until pieces are smaller than a pea. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or an electric mixer combine sugar and butter, cream until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until combined. Scrape sides down as needed. Add salt, powder, soda and flour. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary. Add crushed candy canes (powder and all).

Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Scoop 1 tablespoon portions of dough and roll into a ball. Roll in powdered sugar until coated. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. I made 12 per sheet, but you could easily fit 18.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Mona Huff's Rum Bars

Millions of people will gather during the holidays to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner. We reached out to our volunteers to get some of their favorite recipes to share with you. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, check out these Red Cross fire safety steps: https://rdcrss.org/41hXvgS

Thank you to Mona Huff for sharing her rum bars recipe!

Rum Bars

Ingredients

· 4 cups chopped pecans, divided

· 1 cup butter, softened

· 2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar

· 4 large eggs, room temperature

· 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· 2-1/4 cups red candied cherries

· 1-1/2 cups chopped candied pineapple

· 1/2 cup chopped candied citron

· 1/3 cup rum

Directions

Sprinkle 3 cups pecans over a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour to creamed mixture, beating well. Spread batter into prepared pan. Combine candied fruit and the remaining pecans. Spread fruit and pecans evenly over creamed mixture; press gently to help mixtures adhere. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Sprinkle rum over the top; cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Jacqueline Hunt's Candied Pecans

Millions of people will gather during the holidays to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner. We reached out to our volunteers to get some of their favorite recipes to share with you. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, check out these Red Cross fire safety steps: https://rdcrss.org/41hXvgS

Here is one of Jacqueline Hunt’s favorite holiday recipes to share, candied pecans. “You can get cute, inexpensive holiday tins at the dollar store to fill with these pecans and people love them. I usually make about 6 pounds of candied pecans each Christmas to leave as small gifts.” 


CANDIED PECANS 

This simple recipe for candied nuts only calls for 7 ingredients. They are perfect for topping various salads, entrees, and desserts. And they also make a delicious gift!

PREP TIME: 10 MIN
COOK TIME: 40 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4 cups (12 ounces) pecans halves, unsalted
1 egg white, whisked

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne to a large bowl or ziplock bag. Toss or whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, add pecans and egg whites, and gently toss until combined and the pecans are evenly coated. Add in the sugar mixture and toss until combined.

4. Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If your baking sheet is not that large, you may need to split the batch onto two baking sheets.) Bake for about 40 minutes, removing the nuts and giving them a stir every 20 minutes, until the pecans are fragrant, and the sugar coating is cooked. (The sugar will harden more once the pecans are out of the oven.)

5. Remove from the oven and let the baking sheet cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature. Transfer them to a sealed container and store until ready to use.

Student Blood Donor Encourages Others to Give Back

The University of Louisville has a rising star among their freshman class in Keegan Merrifield. Keegan started helping with the Jeffersonville High School blood drives during his freshman year. “I had this one teacher I had known since 7th grade. She was hosting the blood drives at school, and I started asking her questions about it… She offered for me to work and sign people in,” said Keegan. “And she said, you can donate too.”

Keegan at his graduation

Jeffersonville High School has a student led blood drive program through their InterACT club. The club is designed for the students to serve their school and community and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Clark County, IN. The club has over 100 active students engaging in recycling, food donations and leadership opportunities.

The first time Keegan donated blood, he was understandably nervous. “The Red Cross nurses were incredibly kind. All the nurses I have met have been,” said Keegan. “I sat there on my phone for about five minutes. It amazed me. I thought ‘this small thing is going to help 3 people.” He went on to say how easy and quick it was, and how it’s a form of community service.

“This is community service but it’s a different type. For this, you give your time and your body. It’s something you can’t make. Ever since then, it has stuck with me. I’ve been advocating to my family and friends saying, ‘you all have to do this,” said Keegan. Throughout his high school career, he volunteered at the blood drives checking donors in and greeting them. He also made it his personal goal to hit 1 gallon of blood donated before high school graduation.

Keegan achieved his goal of donating 1 gallon and is now looking forward to his future. He is a UofL Speed School Engineering student. One of his criteria for choosing a school was knowing the institution had a partnership with Red Cross. We were able to speak with Keegan’s mom, Crystal Merrifield, about her son and his servant’s heart.

“He’s always just made us proud. He’s always been a kindhearted and giving type of individual… [Red Cross] has become part of who he is. He takes me with him to donate blood. I don’t always have the iron levels to give, but when I can, he cheers me on… He’s known for a long time he wants to be an engineer- but this is his heart passion,” said Crystal. She went on to say that she loves that he has found his passion at such a young age.

In high school, Keegan was part of the National Honor Society and a member of marching and pep band. He plays the trumpet and is now a member of the UofL pep band. “It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s sad I [had to] leave high school, but I know things will only get better at UofL. I will meet new people; it will be a new environment. I will grow,” said Keegan.

Keegan and his family

Join Keegan this holiday season by giving blood at our Holiday Hero Donorama Blood Drive blood drive Dec. 26-27 at the UAW Local 862 Union Hall in Louisville. Your donation may give patients more time – and more holidays – with loved ones. Make your appointment by visiting rcblood.org/2RfRf7r, downloading the Blood Donor App or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Fort Knox service members bring holiday cheer and toys to Santa’s Workshop

By Kevin Sandell, Red Cross volunteer

Soldiers and families participate in ruck march

Much like Santa hauling his sack of toys to children every Christmas, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Fort Knox donned their ruck sacks full of new, donated toys and marched to the Santa’s Workshop toy drive on post, in mid-November. For the units involved, participating in the toy donation ruck march was a way to give back to an organization that has contributed to the welfare of service members and their families. 

“As one of the main tenant units on Ft. Knox … it is vitally important to show support within the Ft. Knox community,” said Sgt. 1st Class Derek Koth, with First Army Division East who led a team of soldiers on the march. “Places like the [American] Red Cross and Santa’s Workshop do so much for the soldiers and civilians on post that are in need. More importantly, around the holidays when families are stretched thin and some struggle, this ruck march and giving back to them is the least we can do.”

Santa’s Workshop is a program through Service to the Armed Forces to provide new, unwrapped gifts to military families who are financially insecure during the holidays. Operated entirely by Red Cross volunteers, Santa’s Workshop is a need-based program that allows active and reserve military families at Fort Knox to receive presents for their children through the generosity of donors. In 2022, over 280 children received presents, a nearly 20% increase from 2021.  

“The American Red Cross Fort Knox Office is incredible and the best that I have come across in my career,” said Maj. Tony Ibrahim, commander of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command headquarters company. “Anytime that a HRC soldier or family required assistance, the Red Cross [at Fort Knox] immediately jumped into action to lend a hand.” 

This year, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and First Army Division East were just two of several units, including U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the 19th Engineer Battalion, that conducted ruck marches to support Santa’s Workshop. In 2022, 15 units at Fort Knox voluntarily conducted ruck marches with soldiers, family members, and even their pets to donate toys. Military families from 21 units at Fort Knox were supported by the Santa’s Workshop in 2022. 

U.S. Army soldiers place toys in collection bins 

Both Ibrahim and Koth said their units had participated in the annual toy drive ruck march since at least 2021. They also credited abundant volunteerism and selfless service among their soldiers’ qualities and said the soldiers are “committed to service excellence both at work and outside of work.” Supporting financially-insecure soldiers and their families during the holidays was a top priority for both units, they said. 

Military families can apply for the Santa’s Workshop program through an online application. Families can “shop for” presents from Dec. 4-8, 2023, at the Santa’s Workshop location at the Red Cross Warrior Warehouse on post. Those looking for more information or interested in donating toys, gift cards, or money can contact the Red Cross at 502-624-2163. 

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About the Author: Kevin Sandell is an active-duty soldier at Fort Knox who serves as a communications volunteer with the American Red Cross South Central Kentucky Chapter. He has served in the U.S. Army since 2007 and has also served in Kentucky, New York, Texas, South Carolina, and the Pentagon. He has deployed three times to Afghanistan and Kosovo and is married with four children.