We've enough and then some!

Welcome to the wonderful holiday season!  

The season many of us think of as a season of family, friends, food and gratitude.  We have just passed Thanksgiving, which is my absolute favorite holiday because family hangs out together without all the pressure of gifts.  I do like giving gifts, I just don't like so much focus on the gift giving.  As I sit here, my youngest daughter cuddling on one side, my oldest daughter and husband on the couch chatting across the room, I am profoundly thankful for the gifts I've already received this year. 

I am trying to raise grateful children,

 children who understand we have all that we need and are incredibly blessed.  Many in our community certainly have more than we do but certainly many have less as well. 

So, I want to be honest with all of you. 

 I am overwhelmed by the amount of hording that is going on in our country right now.  Of course there is Black Friday for those seeking great sales, and it would probably be fun to get those deals if it weren't for dealing with rude and aggressive individuals when we are supposed to be getting into the "giving" spirit.  A time when we place material goods above the value of people in a highly advertised and visible way.  I personally do not participate in that shopping adventure, but my husband has, and we have indeed gotten some cheap socks!  On TV  is a show that glorifies those people who cut thousands of coupons and save thousands of dollars on gigantic shopping sprees and I just don't understand it.  I understand a desire to save money especially when you are a one income family as my family currently is.  What I don't understand is why the people must buy so many items of one product simply to put this stuff on a shelf.  One person said they had enough cake mixes to make a cake a day for the next 5 years or something like that.  I ask, why?  Why does one family need that kind of quantity?  On my professional blog, I'll be speaking about living in scarcity or abundance, but here on my fun food blog, I want to suggest that these people go ahead and share some of this.  Take half of what you've accumulated to a food bank or homeless shelter.  How long would it take for your family to use 1500 rolls of toilet paper or 100 tubs of hand soap?  Maybe there is a rule I do not understand about coupons, like you can not just get 2 or 3 cans of soup with this coupon but you must get 4 cases. 

Please do not get me started on the fact that many of these fantastic shopping sprees do not include any kind of fresh vegetable or fruit (I realize coupons are scarce for products such as these), which makes me wonder how healthy people are eating with this coupon deal.  I mean, 400 bags of ramen soup may be a good deal at .01 a piece but seriously, how many should you be eating?
Maybe I'm hyper sensitive, but I know there are people in need.  In so much need even the coupons will not help, and the food could certainly do more good for them than gathering dust in a garage or a second bedroom that has now been renovated for storage.  I've no doubt some of these people do just exactly this, and for those who do, Thank you!  Am I just making a deal out of nothing?  Either way, when you see a "buy one get one" deal and you don't necessarily need the "get one" product, think about donating it to the food bank.  Helps them and costs you nada.  We have enough food in this country that no one should be hungry...yet they are.  I wish you all great blessings and faith in the abundance that is all around you (even without coupons!!)
@dawnchef