No, it’s not snowing here, but the past 3 days have been cold! It was supposed to get up to 70 degrees today, but, I don’t think it made it. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 80’s. But, the last 2 nights we have had freeze warnings.

I can remember hearing my Mom say, “We always have a cold snap right before Easter.”
And, you know…we always do. So, the 2009 cold snap has happened. And, I am ready for it to be spring. I LOVE warm weather.

I am battling a case of laryngitis caused by allergies. So, on top of being cold…I can’t even complain about it! Except to you, my bloggy friends. My fingers can talk when I can’t. So, thanks for listening…I’m off to get under the electric blanket and dream of days by the pool.

If you are looking for a book for a child about the true meaning of Easter, I highly recommend this one. It is part of a series, and includes,The Pumpkin Patch Parable, The Pine Tree Parable, The Sunflower Parable, and this one…The Parable of the Lily.

About the book:

When Maggie, the farmer’s daughter, receives a mysterious gift, she’s disappointed to find it’s only some dirt and a lifeless bulb. But after tossing it out, she discovers that what was dead has come to life as a beautiful Easter lily! Kids will cherish the 10th anniversary edition of Higgs’s beloved story of love, giving, and forgiving. Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

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This book is available at most Christian Book Stores, from Amazon, and I have seen it also at K-Mart.

At Easter time we color eggs,
Shades of yellow, red and blue.
We make them pretty as can be,
We’ll make some for me and some for you.

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This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature’s very own dyes? It’s possible to come up with a great number of colors using natural ingredients that can easily be found in almost any kitchen.

Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries

Orange: Yellow onion skins

Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin

Yellow: Ground turmeric

Pale green: Spinach leaves

Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels

Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves

Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee
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To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here’s what to do:

Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered.

Add about a teaspoon of vinegar.

Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.)

Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl.

If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.
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Onion Skin Eggs

One of my favorite egg dyes is with onion skins! Gather lots of onion skins; the dry outer layers. (try to get a good variety of colors–I like plain brown best; red onion also makes a good color) Gently wrap them around*raw* eggs and hold them in place with rubber bands. Hard boil the eggs like usual. Unwrap them and WOW! Beautiful colors and designs! You may polish with vegetable oil for a nice gloss. This is a natural dye and the eggs are still quite edible. Happy eggs-ploration!

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info:allcrafts.com

Now, we all know that cooking is not among the things I do well, but, if I did, I would make these for the family. It sounds easy enough…but somehow, I can manage to mess up even the easy ones. This looks like such a fun idea, though, I may try them anyway….I could always eat the evidence if they don’t turn out well!

Nest Eggs
A package of crunchy wonton noodles, melted chocolate, and some Jordan almonds are all you need to create these tasty treats. In a bowl, toss noodles with melted chocolate and use your hands to form nest shapes with an indentation in the center. Work quickly and in batches to form nests before the chocolate sets. Set on waxed paper to dry. Serve with a few Jordan almond “eggs” in each nest.

(picture and recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

Fridays are chapel day at our school. We use CD’s for some of our music, and for the others I play the piano. After we finish chapel, the children line up with their teachers and return to their classrooms. Sometimes, a few of our little friends will ‘break ranks’, and come over to get an extra hug from B or myself.

On Friday, this conversation took place, when a cute little 3 year old lad came over to me …..

C: Mrs. Owens, I think I need to get me one of those ‘panny-o’s’.

Me: You need to get what?

C: I’m just thinking I need one of those ‘panny-o’s’ like you got.

Me: Sweetie, I’m sorry, but, I don’t think I have a ‘panny-o’.

C: (laughing)…Yes, you do…I see-ed it today.

Me: Well, what was I doing with it?

C: (pointing behind me)…You was playing on it.

Me: Oh, you mean the PIANO!

C: Yes, Mam…I need to get me one of those panny-o’s, just like yours.