Spring Planting

The sun has finally arrived in Victoria after what feels like the longest winter ever. So we've been outside in the yard getting the plants started and getting the yard ready for what will hopefully be a very productive veggie garden. We also got our compost started this week and we've started composting again. The boys are really into it and are spending lots of time watering seeds and depositing our kitchen waste in the compost.

 Tulips coming up

 daffodils

our seeds planted and ready to go in our greenhouse

Easter Gifts

I made my boys personalized bags for them to collect their Easter treats (fair trade chocolate, handmade bean bag toss game and fair trade toys). They were super simple and a big hit.

I found these wonderful vintage cloth buttons at a local store and I was so excited to use them for a project. I used a used cotton belt for the handles and outdoor fabric for the bags. The fabric was a little stiff and helped the bags to keep their shape. They are lined with the same fabric. 

Easter Baking

I love to bake. I love to eat baking. It's a nasty combination. I baked cupcakes and sugar cookies for Easter events.

My boys and I made simple sugar cookies with an easter egg cookie cutter and then the boys decorated them with icing and sprinkles. They weren't too pretty but they were delicious.

I made lemon cupcakes - recipe from this blog. So delicious. Iced with a buttercream icing dyed yellow and blue with jelly bean eggs.

Easter!!

Thank you God, for the sacrifice you made to save me!!

In our home, we believe that Jesus is the reason for celebrating Easter - but that doesn't mean that we don't "play" the Easter Bunny game.

One Easter morning, while hunting for eggs outside with all the kids we heard a little boy ask his mom what we were doing. "Those people don't believe in Jesus, dear." Um, actually?...We do. Thanks. We have found a happy balance between truth and game, that works great for our family. There are a lot of believers out there that do a great job of making the rest of us look like real jerks. Stop assuming....just love! Even if we we're hunting for eggs without knowing Jesus...how bout just loving us like Jesus does. Pray for us. Don't label us as Easter Bunny worshipers.

Rant over.....on with Easter fun!!!

Egg Blowing
Notice the sweet "Go Green" tattoo? Friday was Earth Day :)

Me: "Boys, now we're going to dye some eggs!"
Jordan: "We're gonna make them dead?"

We rolled up little messages and put them through the holes of some of the eggs.

"You are an Egg-stra Special Friend!"

Next time, we'll let them dry out for a day or two before putting the paper in. Our little messages of love were a little soggy - but still appreciated.

Mmmm....sugar cookies - absolutely zero nutritional value in these babies!

Apparently I didn't take a picture of them after the mountains of icing and sprinkles were added. Oops!

Just like Rice Krispie Squares but with chow mien noodles.

3 tbsp butter - melt in pot

add 4 cups mini marshmallows - melt

remove from heat - stir in a package of chow mien noodles

press into muffin tin - use an oiled plastic bag on your hand or you're in for a sticky mess

let cool - transfer to plate

add eggs - mini eggs, jelly beans etc.

I made all my boys Easter boxes this year. Not the most practical thing for hauling around while hunting for eggs, but they'll fit great on the shelves in their closet on the other 364 days of the year! I'll switch the name papers out for "Lego", "Bakugans", "Hotwheels" etc.

I might even try my blogging skills at a tutorial for these!

Yeah, that's an inflatable hammer. Our Easter bunny thinks outside the box.

I hope everyone's Easter was as blessed as ours was.

Happy Easter everyone!

Parmesan Chicken

Dinner tonight: Parmesan Chicken, Linguine Alfredo and Caesar Salad.

Chicken:
Panko, Parmesan cheese and pesto seasoning mixed together. Dip the chicken pieces or breast in a beaten egg and then into panko mixture, put in a shallow dish (with some olive oil) and bake at 375 until chicken is cooked (20-45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces)

Pasta:
Just a simple alfredo sauce tossed over whole wheat linguine. I served the chicken on top of the pasta.

Caesar Salad:
This is a family favourite. I don't use a recipe so my measurements are not exact and it turns out a little different everytime:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Blend the ingredients together (I use a mini food processor), cover romaine lettuce or baby greens with dressing. I like to add a little more cheese to the salad and I make my own croutons by using stale bread and just sauteing them in olive oil and garlic.

This is a very garlicy dinner, so dessert is a must. And a glass of wine.

Easy Strawberry Pie

This is so easy to make and so delicious when it's done. It's a great way to use up strawberries.

 You need:
1 9" pie shell (make your own or cheat and use a store bought)
4 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup water

Bake the pie shell.

Cut up half the strawberries.

Arrange the cut strawberries in the cooked pie shell.

 mash the other 2 cups of strawberries and put them in a saucepan with 1 cup of sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until boiling.

Whisk the water and corn starch together and add slowly to the boiling berry mix.

Lower the heat and simmer until thickened. Takes about 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring.

Pour the thickened strawberry sauce over the cut strawberries in the pie shell.

Put in the fridge and chill until set (a few hours).

You can serve this with whipped cream or ice cream.

Yum.

(ps. This is not a low calorie dessert, sorry)

Oops

I started a crafting and cooking blog and then did neither of either. Oh well. We've been sick and I've been working so it's an odd week for us.

It's a good thing Kelsey's been doing lots of this blog would be very lonely.

I started our garden, the seeds are germinating in our greenhouse as we speak. That is my productive move for the week. The next few days will have lots of fun stuff and I'll be sure to share some of those ideas with you.