Joyous Easter

Easter is my favorite holiday!

A time of love and hope,

Believing that all our sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood!

He died on the cross for all!

Oh, how our hearts are full of thankfulness!

Here are but just a few precious words from a few of my favorite hymns:

"Easter is our day of great festivity,

When the Lamb was offered for our sins to free

Through His precious blood which flowed on Calvary,

Clothing us with righteousness and purity.

Dearest Jesus, Praises

sing my tongue and soul to Thee,

Sing, Hosanna, Amen."

"My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;

My gracious Redeemer, My Saviour art Thou,

If ever I loved Thee, My Jesus 'tis now.

I Love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow.

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now."

~May you all have a blessed Easter, knowing our Dear Saviour, Jesus Christ died for you and that all sins are forgiven in His Name and Precious Blood!

Oh, what a joyous time!

Things To Do This Spring

It's exciting to have a new season, especially one that is getting warmer and brighter after a long, dark winter.

Here are some simple things to do to make Spring fun and special.

1. Read "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. One of the best books I have ever read. It is wonderful to read it a little at a time to children, but just as good reading on your own.

It is a story about hope and friendship and when you are finished reading it, you will want a 'bit of earth' of your own.

2. Plant a garden. If you have never planted a garden, do not be afraid to start one this Spring! "The Square Foot Gardening" book by Mel Bartholomew is absolutely for everyone, whether you are a beginner or an ol' pro! You can visit the website at http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
I was overwhelmed just thinking about a garden, though I always wanted one, and this was the book that set me free.

We have 8-4 feet by 4 feet squares-1 for each of the children and the point was to have each take care of their own square.
You can make as many squares as you need.
You can have a square full of wonderful food even if you have limited space.

3. Go Fishing! We have a young fisherman in the family so we always make a point to get to Kensington Metropark to go fishing!

4. Make or buy a Spring wreath for your door. I've done both, but last year I found a beautiful one from Wal-Mart!

5. Buy a Bird's nest and use it in your decorating. We have a real one that was abandoned last fall, but you can get one from the local craft store.
Buy a little fake bird and some eggs to put in it and then find a green sprig from your own
yard and stick it into the nest, too.
It makes a beautiful centerpiece or decoration for a shelf, mantel or a bedside table.

6. Put some lemons and limes in a clear glass bowl and leave on the counter to use for your water, tea and for cooking.

7. Buy new kites and fly them with a loved one.

8. Find some good Middle-Eastern recipes, like tabouli, falafels, non-leavened bread, etc and have someone special over for Palm Sunday, which is this coming Sunday.

9. Make a terrarium. See www.bhg.com/terrariums.

10. Visit the local public gardens and butterfly house. Usually the Universities have these.

11. Go on a picnic.

12. Visit the farm to see the baby animals.

Have fun!

Spring

We are so excited that Spring is here.

We saw 1 week old baby lambs at the farm the other day and knew Spring HAD to be here!

God's own sign to us that indeed it is SPRING!

A time of renewal!

A time of refreshment!

A time of hope!

Here, again, is another poem that my sweet mother found for me!

Though she is a poet herself, she did not write this one.

We do not even have a title for it.

Here it is:

In the heart of a bulb

Is a promise of Spring.

In a little blue egg

There's a bird that will sing.

In the soul of a seed

Is a hope of the sod.

In the heart of a child

Is the Kingdom of God.

~Anonymous

Enjoy your Spring!

PS. The artwork is from Allposters.com and is called Spring Flowers c. 1851 by George Smith

Smile

Really quick, I want to tell you what me and my 4 youngest children learned in our Sanchin Ryu karate class last week!

Our number one weapon to use against a bully is:

SMILE!

They will surely wonder what we know that they don't know!

LOVE IT!

This one little tip was well worth the price of the class!

And we all know

that we all come across bullies no matter what our age!

And if that number one rule should ever fail?

We go to the number 2 rule:

Ishi-punch with the first 2 top knuckles right into the solar plexus!

LOVE IT!

Carol's Carrot Muffins

My Dear neighbor, Carol, brought over these DELICIOUS whole-grain agave-sweetened carrot muffins and EVERYONE loved them!

Even the pickiest eaters!

Of course, I HAD to get the recipe!

Here it is:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

4+ carrots

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sucanat (natural sweetener from health food section)

1 t vanilla

1/2 c agave syrup (natural low-glycemic sweetener from health food section plus Costco is carrying it now at a great price!)

1/3 cup olive oil

Heat the oven to 375*F. Line or grease muffin cups and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Grate the carrots and stir together with the remaining ingredients. Stir the carrot mixture into the flour mixture. Divide the batter between the baking cups and bake until a skewer inserted into muffin center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Immediately remove muffins from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

12-16 muffins

163 calories, 5 grams of fat

Perfect for anytime of the day!

Very moist and tasty!

Where Are The Beans?

Sometimes I have to be quite sneaky in order to make sure our kids are eating a well rounded selection of foods.

I know some people who have to sneak in ways to get their husbands to eat good foods!

I've snuck in spinach & greens into spaghetti sauce and ground up nuts and seeds into bakery, etc.

I came across a great article by First magazine called "10 brilliant ways to use white beans."

White beans have a mild flavor and one of nature's best sources of slow-digesting soluble fiber and plant protein. They actually have the ability to block the body from turning carbs into sugar thus boosting weight loss!

They also give us tons of energy!

Some of these I have tried, others I will try very soon.

1. Lean & Juicy Burgers: Mix 1 cup of pureed beans into 1# of lean ground beef and shape into patties. Grill 10 min., turning once.

2. Mexican Pizza: Spread 2 cups of mashed beans on dough. top with queso blanco, cheddar, chorizo, olives, onions and jalapenos. Grill until cheese melts.

3. Sicilian-Style Pasta: Cook crumbled italian sausage 4 min. Stir in 1 cup of beans, a handful of spinach and a spoonful of capers. Toss with hot cooked pasta.

4. Mediterranean Dip: Puree 2 cups of beans, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and the juice of half a lemon. Serve with pita chips and crudites.

5. Tuscan Bean Toss: Combine 2 cups of beans with olive oil, minced garlic, chopped rosemary and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Serve with rustic bread.

6. Hearty Tuna Salad: Combine 1/2 cup of beans, canned tuna, diced tomatoes, minced red onions and chopped parsley. Serve on whole-wheat bread.

7. Rich Brownie Bites: Pruee 2 cups of beans and combine with 1 box of your favorited brownie mix. Bake according to package directions.

8. Chocolate-chip Cookies: Replace half the butter in your favorite chocolate-chip cookie recipe with the same amount of pureed beans. Bake as usual.

9. Bean Gratin: Heat oven to 400* F. Combine 2 cups of beans, garlic and 3/4 cup of broth in baking dish. Top with bread crumbs; dot with butter. Bake until bubbly.

10. Southern Succotash: Saute chopped onions, garlic and bell peppers in butter until soft. Stir in corn and 1 cup of beans; cook 3 min. Season with black pepper.

Spring Fashion Update

I am loving the bright sunshine we have been having!

Spring is right around the corner!

We can start putting away our black clothes!

YAY!

I thought I would have a nice neat list of 2010 Top 10 Spring Fashions for you but, sigh, I can't seem to figure out exactly what is going on.

So I will just give you a list of all the trends I came across and you can just pick your favorites.

Here goes:

1. Bold colors (turqouise is the number one, followed by red, yellow and copper tones)

2. Pretty pastels (pink, coral, purple)

3. Beige and nude colors

4. Little white dresses

5. Tribal print dresses, tops, etc

6. Tie-dye and watercolor dresses, tops, etc

7. Pencil skirts

8. Big, bright floral blouses

9. Denim galore

10. Animal prints

11. Ballet flats (with a heel, perhaps?)

12. Colorful, oversized handbags

13. The Boyfriend jacket (roll up the cuffs?)

14. Ripped jeans (don't tell our teenagers!)

15. Sailor stripes

16. Bold jewelry

17. Sequins, beads, glitter and shine

18. Ruffles

19. Mismatched prints

20. Sleek sporty styles

21. Clogs with a modern heel.

Phew! I am tired just thinking about it!

I guess the sum of it all is to just

WEAR WHAT YOU WANT !

FORGET ABOUT WHAT IS IN STYLE!

JUST BE YOURSELF AND HAVE FUN!