Raffles
Each family member brings an item to donate and tickets are sold for a dollar each. Numbers are then drawn, and when your ticket number is called you get to pick an item from the table. Some families have two categories: one for adults and one for children. "Each child is guaranteed a prize," states Kelly, a home daycare provider and mother of two from Michigan. "The money from the raffle goes towards the rental of the pavilion and the meat."
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Food for out-of-town reunions:
If you're attending a reunion this year and need a dish to pass that doesn't
require refrigeration (because you are staying in a hotel, motel, etc.) try
one of these ideas.
* Bread or rolls
* Cookies, candies, treats
* Caramel Corn
* Fruit Basket (apples, oranges, pears, & bananas)
* Box of crackers and jar of flavored peanut butter
* Volunteer to bring the paper plates, utensils and napkins
* Pick up a vegetable platter at a local grocer on the way to the reunion
If the majority of your attendees are staying in hotels, consider having
everyone pitch in to pay for one catered meal. Or, if your group isn't too
large, you could all go out to a restaurant for the main meal.
Reunion Bread
A hidden almond creates a fun tradition with this bread. Whoever finds the almond will organize next year's reunion, clean up this year, or be in charge of the bread next year! It's up to you what the almond means.
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
* * *
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1/4 cup pesto, purchased or homemade
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
In a large mixing bowl mix 2 cups of the all-purpose flour and the yeast.
In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, the 1/4 cup margarine or butter, and the salt till warm (120 to 130 F) and margarine almost melts.
Add milk mixture and whole eggs to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in whole wheat flour as you can.
On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough remaining all-purpose flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan cook onion in the 1 tablespoon of margarine or butter till tender; set aside. Combine pesto and walnuts; set aside. Combine cheese and mustard; set aside.
On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a 16X12-inch rectangle. Cut into three 16X4-inch strips.
Spread onion mixture down the center of one strip, leaving the edges clear of filling. Spread pesto mixture down the center of another strip. Spread cheese mixture down the center of remaining strip. Place one almond in the center of one strip.
Brush the edges of the strips with egg white. Fold each strip over, enclosing filling and forming a rope. Pinch edges to seal.
Shape one rope into a ring and place, seam side down, in the center of a lightly greased large baking sheet. Form the remaining 2 ropes into rings so they intertwine with the center ring, like the links of a chain, placing them seam side down. Seal ends well. Cover; let rise in a warm place till almost double (45 to 60 minutes).
Brush dough rings with beaten egg white. Sprinkle one ring with sesame seed, one with caraway seed, and one with poppy seed.
Bake in a 375 F oven about 25 minutes or till golden, covering with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool on a wire rack. To freeze, wrap the loaf in freezer wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in package for 1 hour or heat in a 300 F oven about 20 minutes. Makes 1 large loaf (30 servings).
Reunion Snacks
1 stick melted margarine
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 package graham crackers
Carefully separate crackers and place on a large cookie sheet or biscuit pan. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. Use a teaspoon and spoon hot mixture over crackers. Spread evenly. Broil 5 minutes, watching carefullynot to let burn. When cold, store in cookie can. Keeps well.
Auctions
Similar to a raffle, this activity also includes donated items brought by family members. Instead of picking numbers, family members bid on each item and out-bid each other. "We generally end up with enough money to pay for postage, the rental of the picnic area, and sodas for everyone to have a couple," notes Bonnie, a homemaker and mother of three from Pennsylvania. Some of the money raised also goes towards purchasing prizes for the kids' games.
Carnivals
Have each family bring a card table and set up "booths" for various carnival-type activities. Face painting, Ring Toss, Sink-the-Putt, and Fishpond are just a few ideas - be creative! Party supply stores and mail order companies offer inexpensive games and prizes for you to choose from.
KIDS' ACTIVITIES
What to do with all those children? They'll only sit still for so long before they get fidgety, so you better be prepared with some activities for them. Here are a few suggestions that have worked for others:
Kids' Table
A table set up with activities for children can be staffed by teens. "We're still trying to find ways to make it more enjoyable for all age groups," says Dianne, a commercial banker and mother of one from New Jersey. One thing they tried was having the children write essays. Each child then reads their essay aloud and receives a prize for writing it. Other popular activities for the Kids' Table include: creating a personal family tree; crafting a dream catcher; word puzzles using family names; guess-the-number games using candy pieces or marbles in glass jars; and scavenger hunt lists with plastic bags.
Sawdust Game
"[The sawdust game] is the most famous part of the reunion" according to Jeannie, an Executive Assistant and mother of two from California. One person is in charge of bringing a truckload of sawdust that is dumped out on a big tarp on the ground. Small treats like wrapped candy, coins and small party-favor-type items are then mixed into the pile. Everyone then gathers around and they take turns (youngest to oldest) digging through the sawdust for treasure. "Sometimes there would still be people digging through the sawdust hours after the main dig," she said.
Moving Games
A game that keeps the kids moving is a sure winner at any reunion, especially if it helps them to sit still later for the meal. Bonnie was in charge of buying prizes for the kids' games for more then ten years. Favorite games that her extended family enjoys playing are Duck, Duck, Goose; Pop the Balloon; Peanut Scramble; and Simon Says. "Anything so that all the kids get a prize," she said.
ADULT GAMES & ACTIVITIES
Kids aren't the only ones who enjoy a good game and a good laugh. Many families use these activities to keep the adults entertained:
Talent Show
Jeannie's family really enjoys participating in these shows. Kids sing songs they've learned over the past year, cousins perform dances, and uncles sing silly songs in opera-style voices. Everybody who wants to can get their fifteen minutes of fame.
Sing-along
Another tradition for Jeannie's family is the Saturday night sing-along. "After dinner we gather around the campfire and sing all kinds of campfire songs," both silly and sentimental. "It was such a wonderful tradition," she added.
Sports Competitions
Softball tops the list for games, but there's also horseshoes, volleyball, badminton, Frisbee, tennis and golf. Even horseback riding, boating and skiing are popular according to Deanna.
About the Author: Kelly Huckaby is the
HOMEWriter. This Christian/Wife/Mother/Writer lives in WI with her
husband of 13 years and their five always-homeschooled children. She is
active in her local homeschooling support group, is the moderator for four
homeschooling and two writing e-mail lists, and has a web page that offers
support for families using The Weaver Curriculum. Her goal as a writer is to
be an encouragement to other mothers. You can visit Kelly at her Unofficial Weaver Pages.
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