We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who donated their leftover (and excess) Halloween candy this year, you outdid yourselves!! We tipped the scales at more than 220 pounds of candy- 65 more pounds than we collected last year!

Wondering what happened to all that Halloween candy? Well, good news! We were able to reach out to several local organizations that were extremely appreciative of your donations.

Over 50 pounds of candy was donated to the Neighbor to Neighbor/Seeds of Hope Community Fair that was held on November 2nd.

• Over 500 youth were in attendance and Richelle from Neighbor to Neighbor said, "When I saw all the candy from SAS, I was AMAZED-wow!! You could not have bestowed it on more grateful recipients than our kids. Thank you."

The remaining 170 pounds of candy was donated to NC Packs 4 Patriots. The candy, along with other items such as holiday decorations, games, food, toiletries, etc, will be distributed to our deserving service men and women, both local and deployed.

• Barbara Whitehead and Keith Stallings said, "The donations you provided really wowed a group of folks from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and another group from Fort Bragg who were at the center. They were thrilled to see everything that we delivered on your behalf. The Halloween candy was a big hit!"

Once again, the SAS family has displayed a kindness that is very appropriate for the holiday season. Thank you for putting your candy to a good cause; Treat or Trade was yet again a huge success!!

Don’t Forget to Care for YOU This Holiday Season

With the holidays quickly approaching, most of us are busy with holiday parties, family gatherings, and last minute shopping trips. We are so focused on giving to others that we often forget to take time for ourselves. This holiday season, try to not abandon your own health goals, using our Holiday Eating Survival Tips to help you have a nourishing holiday with food that tastes good, feels good, and is good for you.

Take a Dip!

These unique and thoughtful ornaments make great gifts for your favorite host/hostess or for that person who has everything. They’re complete with all the herbs and spices needed to whip together a festive dip in seconds-great for those unexpected holiday guests!

Holiday Dip Mix Ornaments
From: Bubble Nature Creations

What You’ll Need
Small to medium glass ornaments from a local craft store (any shape you like!)
Clear tape
Aluminum Foil
Various herbs and spices for dip mixes

Directions

1. Remove tops and clean each ornament with warm, soapy water. Rinse well and let dry. Make sure the ornaments are completely dry before filling!

2. To ensure that ornaments won’t chip at the opening, secure a small piece of clear tape around the rim of the opening.

3. Mix spices, according to dip recipes. Click here for recipes to make Fiesta Dip Mix, Dill Dip Mix and Ranch Herb Dip and Dressing Mix or create your own mix! Recipes make approximately 2 tablespoons each (just the right amount of seasoning for a bowl of dip!).

4. Fill ornaments with spice mix using a funnel. NOTE: if you don’t have a funnel, place spice mix on a piece of parchment paper and fold to create a point (think the shape of an ice cream cone).

5. Wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around the opening of each ornament to help prevent the spices from spilling out.

6. Replace the ornament tops. The metal wires will puncture the foil, but should not create a hole big enough that the spices would come out. Shake each ornament to ensure everything stays in place. If not, repeat the foil process.

7. Place a card on each ornament with the dip mix name and directions on how to make each dip (ie: Add ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, etc). You can handwrite the cards or print them on the computer. I attached mine with a festive piece of curling ribbon.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of how to create Holiday Dip Mix Ornaments.