Tie Dye Easter Eggs - Pinterest Buster

Soak the hard boiled egg for a few minutes in vinegar to ready the shell to take up as much dye as possible. Wrap the egg in a paper towel securing it with a twist tie.

Put a few drops of food coloring randomly on the paper towel.

Spritz with a spray bottle set on mist to make the colors bleed.

Leaving the eggs in the paper towel, set them in front of a fan until the towel is dry.

Open them up and if they aren't completely dry leave them in front of the fan for a few more minutes.

These turned out stunning!

They have a sort of night time, celestial sky look to them.

Dying Easter Eggs with Cool Whip - Pinterest Buster

This was so simple I wish I had known about this when my kids were little.  

Put a container of Cool Whip in a cake pan.  Dot with several different colors of food coloring.  Swirl the color around with a tooth pick, not too much though or it turns laundry lint grey.  We wore gloves for easy clean up.

Roll the hard boiled eggs in the Cool Whip until they are completely covered.  Let sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the eggs out and gingerly rinse them in a bowl of water so as not to disturb the color.  Allow to dry and they are good to go.

Give the leftover Cool Whip to your chickens.

Easter Bunny Origami - Pinterest Busters

A Tale of Two Bunnies

  The first one had over 20 steps to make this little bunny basket that will hold small trinkets.  Cute on the web site, but didn't work for us.  

Dancer would say this pin is busted.  Maybe if you are skilled in the art of origami, but for the beginner this is not a winner.

Second bunny had only nine folds and we successfully made a whole fluffle of bunnies.  The bunny stands up and you can brighten up your Easter table by using them as name place cards.  We have to say that this pin is winner, winner, bunny dinner.

Cinnamon Roll Easter Bunny - Pinterest Busters

Pinterest - the little corner of the world where everything is beautiful and perfect. One of the things our homeschool co-op likes to do is see if all that perfection is real or a ruse.  This week we tackled a few Easter pins. 

Since our co-op is three boys, we tend to navigate towards food pins and tried the cinnamon roll Easter bunnies.  The boys bravely opened the cans of premade cinnamon rolls.  Those things scare the crap out of me, but they didn't even flinch.

They spread out the rolls for the head and cut one roll apart to have dough for the ears.  The directions stated to leave a space in the middle of the ear to allow for the dough to grow.  Pop them in the oven following the baking directions on the can if you haven't already thrown the can away.

After frosting we added a couple chocolate chips for eyes and a nose.  They turned out pretty cute and delicious.

We would call this pin a success because, even if you make the ears to short, you have cinnamon roll bears.

Easter Fellowship and Two Pretzel Reipces

 We are normally Saturday night church goers, however, this week Spark insisted that we go on Sunday since it was Easter.  The last weekend of the month is also our fellowship weekend where we bring treats and stay to chat, these are the two foods that we brought.

Soft Pretzels

 

• 1 and 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 packet active yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour + more for the counter surface to knead
• 1 large egg
• course sea salt or cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

 

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add salt and sugar; stir until fairly combined. Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time.  Continue to add more flour until dough is no longer sticky.

 

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and shape into a ball. With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into 1/3 cup sections for large pretzels or less for small pretzels.

 

Roll the dough into a rope with an even diameter. Form into pretzels shapes.

 

In a small bowl, beat the egg and pour into a shallow dish. Dunk the shaped pretzel into the egg wash. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt or cinnamon and sugar.

 

Bake for 10 minutes at 425F degrees. Turn the oven to broil for the last 5 minutes to brown the tops. Watch closely to avoid burning.

 

Pretzel Nests

 

 

These are even easier.  Lay out a bag of little waffle pretzels on wax paper, eat the broken pretzels.  Drop on a small spoon of almond bark and plop an egg on top.  These were a huge hit, people were just standing by the bowl popping them in their mouths. 

 

Easter Weekend

Dad worked this weekend so I was sort of dreading the whole Easter thing.  While Dad working every other holiday is a fact of life that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Our church meets on Saturday nights, but they have been feeling lead that there are people in the community that would come on the traditional Sunday morning as well.  The Sunday services were going to start this weekend to coincide with Easter Sunday.  Every second Saturday Dad and I are greeters/ushers and Dancer works in the nursery every second and fourth weekend. 

Since Sunday is the official second weekend of the month the pastor's wife called to see if we would be able to do our jobs on both Saturday and Sunday.  Sure we can, we have no plans.  Actually I was sort of glad because it would give us something to do and make the weekend seem a little different.  When we got there Saturday night the pastor's family asked if we wanted to go out to lunch on Easter because they didn't have any formal plans either.  Of course we could, who doesn't want to go out to lunch?

By Sunday after church another couple and a woman, who was attending for the time, joined us.  It was so fun!  Only sorry that Dad couldn't join us.  Spark was even sad last night that the weekend was going to end.

I am still not keen on attending church on Sundays, but have volunteered to do our jobs twice a month for at least three months.  At first I was inclined to say a hearty no, I never have trouble saying no, but then remembered a story about a missionary family.  This family was on the mission field and one day found a huge snake coiled up in their grill.  I thought, okay God, if someone can serve you with a snake in their grill - which would have had me on the next plane home - we can help on Sundays.

I also must say that I like hearing the sermon twice.  It was good to hear it Saturday night, have time to think about it in the evening and then hear it again in the morning. 

All in all, we had a very happy Easter :)  Oh, and the Easter bunny came.  I was a little worried because I made rabbit and dumpling soup for supper on Saturday night.  After I made it I thought maybe it wasn't the best choice to eat one of his comrades right before he was to arrive.  Would that be equal to eating venison on Christmas Eve?

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

These are a lot like a name brand egg you can buy at the store.  They are also easy-peasy. 

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup (4 ounces) melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 lb chocolate almond bark

In the mixer put all ingredients and  mix it up until it make a soft dough.  If the dough is crumbly add a tad bit more butter.

Put dough the freezer while melting the almond bark. 

Divide dough into 20 pieces and shape into an egg.  Dip into almond bark and let sit on wax paper.  Dancer put a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs on the top of each one.  

Yes, they are as good as they look!

He Has Risen! Resurrection Rolls

These simple and delicious rolls tell the story of Jesus in the tomb and his resurrection.  Supplies needed are regular sized marshmallows, crescent rolls, butter, sugar and cinnamon. 

If you are making these as part of a lesson read John 19 while the oven is heating. 

The white marshmallow symbolizes Jesus because He is pure and white without sin.

Roll the marshmallow in butter that symbolizes the embalming oils.

Rolls the marshmallow in cinnamon and sugar to symbolize the spices used to prepare His body for burial.

Lay the marshmallow on a roll and wrap it up.  This symbolizes, at this stage, the wrapping of the burial shroud around His body.

Wrap these up well and pinch the edges so that the marshmallow doesn't leak out like ours did. 

Put them in the oven for about 11 - 13 minutes at 375 degrees or whatever the instructions are on the crescent roll package.    While the rolls are baking read John 20:1-18.

Wait a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven for the next part because the melted marshmallow is hot.  To roll away the rock at the front of the tomb break off a little chunk of the roll.  It is empty!

Jesus has risen!!!

While you are eating them read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. Jesus is coming again!

Easter Bunny Pancakes

Scientific And Natural Area

For Easter afternoon we thought it would be a good time to check out a Scientific And Natural Area we have been wanting to explore.  These areas are part of the state Department of Natural Resources.  They are usually out of the way spots of land that have remained completely untouched by humans for the most part.  The one that we went to doesn't even have a parking area, you just pull off to the side of the road and park part way down in the ditch so passing cars don't hit your car while you are off hiking in the woods.  There are no trails, or other facilities, so you just wander about enjoying what it would have been like it you were going through here on horseback or covered wagon.

It is nice to do these things now because it is finally warming up but the mosquitoes haven't come out yet, just the ticks.  It was really cool in here, it reminded me of a movie set.

A red mushroom fungus thing, these were so pretty popping up among the brown leaves.

I look back and Dad is laying on the ground behind a log.  I call back to Spark if Dad has had a heart attack.  Nope, he is just taking a picture.  You really should tell someone what you are doing before falling down on the ground like that.

Moss, I love how it makes it's own miniature world.

All the animals trails..... 

lead to the watering hole.  It was really muddy in here I don't think they will have this water source for much longer. 

The trees were so, so tall.

We did see one bit of wildlife, a snake.  He is the horizontal striped line right behind the branch.  I don't like snakes and everyone always tells me that they are more scared of me than I am of them.  I don't think so but thankfully he slithered in one direction as I ran in the other.  Dad, who is not petrified of snakes, ran after him like paparazzi to get his picture.

A few spring flower are starting to pop up.

Captain Barbosa was looking out of the tree.  No sign of the Black Pearl.

Everything is working hard to break out of it's winter covering of leaves.  Soon, soon spring will be upon us.

Good Friday Weather

It has been dark, dreary, cold and raining all day.  It seems so appropriate for Good Friday.  Dancer said "I think it is tears coming from heaven for Christ today."  I think she is right.

Easter Day

This is Dad's weekend to work so our Easter was enhanced by him getting put on call last night and therefore being able to spend most of the day with us. I am not good at making the holidays very exciting when it is just me and the kids when Dad works. I know I should because it is a fact of life for us that he will work every other holiday. I know that mobs of single parents are able to do it, I just am not.

The kids got up this morning and found a ton of eggs that were hidden around the house. I still don't know if they found them all. We got the kids the cutest Peter Rabbit chocolate bunnies. They are so cute it will be a shame to eat them.

We went to church where we had a fantastic sermon. A bonus was the Dad and Spark were ushers. Spark was so excited about this that he talked about it all week. When they were taking the offering he was smiling so big. They are ushers next week too and he says it will be even better because now he is all trained in.

Thinking that Dad would be working I didn't make any meal plans. When he gets up before work he isn't very hungry so it doesn't make much sense to make a big dinner, have him not eat much and put most of it back into the fridge. We went to lunch at a supper club in a little town near us. Without reservations (when you are the only supper club for miles you are successful even if your club is located in a town that has three streets) we didn't know if we could get in but they had a table available near the bar area. The hostess asked if we minded sitting at a tall table and Spark pumps his arm down and says "YES!!!" I guess we didn't mind. They serve a buffet like you would have at a wedding and it was very good. Very good that I didn't have to cook or clean up.

The afternoon was so nice that we were outside for most of it. I clean a few flowers in the flower beds and gave them a splash of water, it has been really dry that I thought they need a boost. The kids played catch to prepare for homeschool baseball that starts Wednesday.

Dad went to bed and Dancer and I made stuffed peppers for supper. After Dad left for work we walked up to the neighbors to check on their dog. They are gone for the week and we are suppose to feed it. I wanted to go up and talk with it in it's kennel once before we let it out tomorrow. I am nervous about it not coming back once we let it out. They said don't worry if it won't go in it's kennel but I know I will. I would hate for anything to happen to it on our watch.

Tonight we are watching Sound of Music. Spark says "this movie is so good that you can just start watching it at any time and it is still good." It probably helps that we have seen it so many times.

Only thing left to do is chores but we will wait until it is dark out to put the goats in the barn.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Easter Tree

We aren't ones to decorate for all the holidays. I like all the decorations I just never feel inclined to put them up in our house. I do enjoy an Easter tree, maybe because it is a little blip of color when the earth is still so brown.

This year we made ours out of Pussy Willows, any kind of a branch would work just as well. I like the representation the blooms coming out like Christ from the grave. Dad went down to the swamp and cut a few branches for us.

Next step was to make the decorations. On the very top of a plastic egg, put a dolp of glue using a glue gun. Use a strand of ribbon to form a loop and attach to the top of the egg. You want the ribbons to be one the eggs securely if you are leaving your tree outside as we are going to.

Fill a large pot, we used a planter, with soil or sand. Attractively arrange branches in the soil and push way to the bottom so the branches don't tip over. Water the soil so that the pussy willows will pop out in the next few days. Hang the eggs all over the branches. So festive!

Easter Party

We were invited to friends house to have a little Easter party. We always have such a nice time with this family.

Dancer and her friend made a bunny house.

Eggs were painted.

They made these cute nests for snack. The nest part is chow mein noddles, made with marshmallows like rice krispy bars, pressed into a muffin cup.

When the nest are firm they are dipped in almond bark and then green colored coconut. Lastly, jelly beans are placed in nests for the eggs.

Everyone enjoying their yummy nests.