The Simply Beauty & Joys of Easter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



An Easter Treat :: Chocolate Bunnies and Peanut Butter Filled Eggs

 Chocolate bunnies are synonymous with Easter. Children’s baskets will be filled with these adorable little hoppers come Easter morning. By lunchtime, they may be missing their ears! So, why not make your own?

Each year, I invite friends over to participate in making Easter treats for their children and for others. This year, we made bunnies, frogs, fireflies, owls, medallions, and even a few peanut butter filled eggs.

For the bunnies, you’ll need a rabbit candy mold, 1 package of candy melts (in your favorite flavor or color), cellophane bags with ties, and either a Wilton Chocolate Pro Melting pot or a handful of icing bags.

Let’s begin:

1. Melt the candy melts. There are several ways to do this. You can melt them in a low-temperature candy melting pot, like the Wilton Chocolate Pro Melt; or you can use and icing bag filled with 8 to 10 melts and heated in the microwave (on defrost) according to the candy melt directions. I have used both ways and prefer the melting pot.

 

 

2. Once melted, either gently pour from the melting pot into your mold or snip the tip of the bag and lightly squeeze the chocolate into the mold. Fill your mold to the brim and ensure overall even distribution of chocolate throughout you mold. Clean off any excess chocolate on the mold.

 

3. Place in the fridge or freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on which works best for you. My freezer did the trick this afternoon. Be careful not to leave the chocolate in the cold too long as it will begin to condense. You can tell the chocolate has set when it is firm to the touch and the chocolate appears to have pulled away from the mold. The cavity will also appear slightly grey.

4. Gently turn the mold over and lightly press down. Slowly! The chocolate bunny should release. If it does not, return the mold to the fridge for a few more minutes.

 

5. Take the chocolate bunny and place it into a cellophane bag. Then make a place for it in the Easter basket! Make sure the chocolate bunny is not exposed to direct sunlight or heat, as it will melt.

{To make a hollow chocolate egg that you can fill with candies or trinkets, simply fill both sides of a small egg mold to the brim. Allow them to cool for approximately one minute. Then promptly remove them and “dump” the softer chocolate back into the melting pot. Then return the molds into the fridge to completely cool. Gently remove the chocolate shells from the molds. Fill with whatever you please (below is a peanute butter filling recipe). Take a royal icing, in any color, and seal the two halves together. You can decorate them any way you choose! }

 

 

Recipe for Peanut Butter Filling:

1 1/2 T. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. powdered sugar, shifted

Melt butter in a small pot. Add peanut butter and stir until creamy. Gently add powdered sugar. Combine until almost solid; add more powdered sugar if necessary. Allow to cool for 1 hour prior to use.

 

Your little ones (and even big ones) will love knowing YOU made their chocolate bunny this year! Happy Easter!

 

Note: Don’t wash your candy molds in soapy water. Simply rinse them out and let them dry. Otherwise, the soap will adhere to your molds and make your future chocolate creations taste odd. Also, if you make any other sugar art (like sugar eggs), do not use these molds for that purpose, as sugar scratches your molds and will change the chocolate texture.

I get my candy molds from Wine & Cake Hobbies in Norfolk, Virginia.

Simple Living :: Taking Time to Live in the Moment

We oftentimes find ourselves busy in the daily routine, with work or household chores. We catch ourselves missing out on the splendor of God's creation, the simple things and watching life unfold around us. We fail to take time to smell the roses, to walk in the rain, and even to feed the birds.

Today, we took time.

 How can you take the time to live in the moment?
 

 

Savor the little things - No matter how small, it is the little things that make us the happiest. Feeding the birds was one of the simplest, yet most rewarding experiences we've had in weeks.
 

 

Enjoy what you are doing, when you are doing it - Don't think about everything else while you are engaged in the present. All those other things can simply wait. Be in the moment.
 

 

If you love it, make time for it - Those things which make us happiest - family, hobbies, etc. - should be top priority. Yes, work/school/chores are important, but let's face it, they certainly don't equate to the fulfillment we get from those things which we love.
 

 

Just let go - Life is full of lemons and making lemonade can be tiresome. So, when you end up with a crate of lemons, throw them out and enjoy what you have left.
 

How do you make time for what really matters?

Gardening Tip :: Protecting Spring Plants from a Freeze

 

For most of the areas located in North or East Texas, the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning this morning. We may expect temperatures to dip for the next couple of nights and they could impact your newly planted flowers, vegetables or herbs.

Last week, the Junior Master Gardeners and I planted our Spring garden - tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, potatoes, herbs and more. Not wanting to see our newly planted garden freeze, we went out to cover each plant with a glass jar, otherwise known as a cloche.

A cloche is traditionally a bell-shaped glass jar, but any mason jar will do. You can even use milk jugs or buckets. For taller plants, a pillowcase may be used.

Whichever protectant covering you choose, make sure to have it secured from strong winds and in place prior to temperatures dropping. In the early morning, each cloche must be removed as plants can quickly become over heated. If there are several nights of potential freezing weather, the cloches must be replaced before temperatures fall and removed the following morning.

The Butterfly Garden :: A Dandelion Moms Article



Head on over to Dandelion Moms and read all about creating a Butterfly Garden, the third article in my Gardening Styles series!

- Michelle

Experimental Recipes :: Bacon Artichoke Bruschetta

 

 

Ingredients:

8 slices of cooked bacon (can be cooked in oven @ 350 degrees for
15 minutes)

1 can of Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough

4 green onions

1 jar (14.75 oz.) marinated artichokes, drained and patted dry

¾ cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. Duke's Mayonnaise

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 pkg (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese

¾ tsp. ground black pepper

½ cup grape tomatoes (diced)

 

Let's begin!

Preheat oven 450°. On a non-stick pan, roll out pizza dough.

Using a food processor, blend artichoke hearts and onions together.

In a separate bowl, whisk cream cheese, egg whites, mayo, mustard, and garlic until smooth. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the Swiss cheese, artichoke mixture and pepper.

Spread cheese mixture evenly over pizza dough. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Top with tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and extra cheese.

Serve warm as an appetizer!

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine did!

Freebie :: Walgreens 8 x 10 Collage Print

 

Through Wednesday, March 20, 2013, you can get a free 8×10 Photo Collage print from Walgreens. Create your 8×10 collage and use coupon code COLLAGE4FREE at checkout. You can opt to pick it up at your local store instead of paying shipping charges, too.

Life Lessons :: The Constant Gardener



While headed to the park yesterday, my youngest son asked me a question that ended up being a life lesson. Have you ever had those?

Youngest: "Mom, can weeds grow into cars?"

Me: "What do you mean, sweetheart?"

Youngest: "You know, like when I saw a weed growing through a car on TV. Can that happen?"

Me: (Secretly smiling b/c he asked about the reality of things on TV!) "Yes, it can; especially if the car has been sitting in a pasture for a long time. The weeds can take over if we don't keep them under control."

Youngest: "Oh, OK. So, is that why we have to garden all the time? To keep the weeds out?"

Me: "Yes, we must be constant gardeners."

Youngest: "What do you mean?"

Me: "Well, sweetheart, we must always be vigilant in the garden. If we worked really hard one week to keep out all the weeds, but didn't work as hard the next three weeks weeds would be everywhere.  We would have wasted our time and effort. If we are constant gardeners then we can keep most of the weeds out."

Youngest: "Oh. I see."

Epiphany! Here's the life lesson, hold on!

Me: "Just like in the garden, we must be constant gardeners in our lives and in the lives of others. Moms and Dads are constantly gardening their children. We make sure you get all the good things you need and teach you how to keep the weeds out of your life - you know, the bad things. Just like a gardener, we lay your foundation, feed you with morals and values, and watch your grow into a well-rounded and beautiful person. As you get older, you get to be your own gardener or even someone else's gardener. We all have to work hard to make sure the ones we love are growing strong and well. And, when there are weeds, we have to help get rid of them."

Youngest: "That makes a lot of sense, Mom. So, weeds can grow in cars and in us. But, it's not hard to get rid of them; we may just need a little help at times."

I love being a Mom. I love pouring into my children and being their constant gardener.

Just in Time for Spring :: The Tale of Peter Rabbit Unit Study & Lapbook Printables

 

 

One of my children's favorite storybook characters is Peter Rabbit. Peter and the rest of Beatrix's creations are timeless classics. Currently, you can download this free unit study and lapbook printables from Homeschool Share. 

Simple Living :: Play is Where Life Lives

 



I'm often reminded how fortunate I am to spend each day with my boys. To have the opportunity watching them grow in all facets of their lives without missing a moment is sublime. Each day is full of endless possibilities. We work at school and daily chores; we help in our community; we run errands; but, above all, we play.

Life is full of seriousness, drudgery, labor and ado's, but with play, we can continue to smile through those things less enjoyable.

As a child, play is natural. It is how we learn; how we form our ideas; and it sets the stage for our futures. Play can be hands-on, imaginative, physical, spontaneous, deliberate or even contagious. It is the sculptor of our day.

As adolescents and teens, play transforms from a basic need to a hunted desire. A love of baseball or the theatre become our play. We find ourselves more engaged in perfecting it, ensuring our most desired needs are met.

Even when our focus shifts from play to work as adults, our human condition craves it; seeks it out. Play in not absent in adulthood. A gentleman fishing from a pier, a lady painting on canvas and a senior picking flowers while on a walk are all at play. Children are not the only ones privy to its art.

Looking at my boys at play today in their fortress of pines made me question my playfulness. How often do I play in the busyness of life? What activities do I engage in for enjoyment and recreation rather than for a serious or practical purpose?

Play is where life lives.