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17/03/2006 
INGREDIENTS:
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1 1/4 cups white sugar
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2/3 cup shortening
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2 eggs
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3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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2 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
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1 tablespoon orange juice
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1/4 cup cinnamon red hot candies
DIRECTIONS:
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Mix in the orange juice and orange zest.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out rabbit shapes with a cookie cutter. Place rabbits onto an unprepared cookie sheet and place the cinnamon candies onto them for eyes. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Frost if desired.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned, warmed
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
Peel the sweet potatoes while still hot. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, maple syrup, and chicken broth in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until the potatoes are smooth. Serve immediately. (This can be prepared a day ahead and reheated).
The perfect boiled egg actually is not boiled at all. Boiling the egg makes the protein unpleasantly rubbery and can give a nasty green cast to the outer layer of the yolk. Follow this foolproof method for a firm but tender white and a smooth, butter-yellow yolk--a truly eggcellent egg:
- To prevent cracking during cooking, prick the larger end of the egg with a pin. This provides an escape hatch for the air trapped there.
- Place eggs in a deep saucepan in a single layer. Pour in enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch.
- Set the saucepan over heat and then bring the water just to the boil.
- Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and place a cover on top.
- Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes.
- Place the eggs in a bowl of ice water for 4 minutes to cool, then refrigerate.
Your eggs are now ready for dipping and dyeing. Remember, if you're going to eat the eggs, don't leave them out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
Pringle's Can Bunny Bank
What you will need: One package fiberfill, large googly eyes, small black pompom, ribbon, glue, pink and white felt, and a cotton ball.
What to do:
1. Working a section at a time, apply glue to the canister. Peel off a layer of the fiberfill and put over the glue, pressing gently down so it adheres. Continue working on a section at a time.
2. When you have finished, add a cotton ball for a tail, two googly eyes, a black pompom for the nose, and a ribbon where the bunny’s neck would be.
3. Cut bunny ears from white felt; then cut ears that are just a little smaller from pink felt. Glue the pink ears on the white ears and then glue the ears on the canister.
4. To finish remove the plastic lid from the canister, bend it in half and cut a slit big enough for money to go through. Replace the lid. 13/03/2006 Great to make with the little ones!
No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup crushed corn flakes cereal
2 tablespoons powdered milk
Set corn flakes aside.
Mix all other ingredients well.
Roll into balls.
Then roll again in Cornflakes until covered.
Refrigerate leftovers!!
Yummy Snack! Great with milk !
Baby Food Jar Bunny
You'll Need:
Baby food Jar
Glue
Cotton balls
Wiggly Eyes
one big pom-pom
one small pom-pom
white or pink pipe cleaner
Acrylic paint - white or pink
Paint the jar lid with acrylic paint and let it dry while you make the rest of the bunny. Cover the baby food jar with cotton balls. Attach the eyes, small pom pom for the nose and the big one for the tail. Shape the pipe cleaner into bunny ears and hot glue the ears to the lid. Place one last piece of cotton in between the ears.
Tip: for a small gift or party favor, fill the jar with jelly beans. 
A Dozen ways to decorate Easter Eggs
1. A Kit...When we were young PAAS was the only way to go.
Now you can purchase many different kits with stickers, holders etc.
2. Make your own food color dye.
Combine 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of food coloring with 2 tsp. vinegar in a
cup that is deep enough for the eggs. Add water to about the half way point. Gently place the eggs into the cups. I use a soup spoon to place
my eggs in the cups, to avoid cracking. The longer they are left in the dye, the darker the color shade. Experiment with different combinations of colors When you remove the egg from the dye, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a holder.
3. Crayon Resist
Color on the Easter eggs before placing in the dye.
Simple Dots, lines shapes swirls...The wax will resist the dye and your picture will show through. If you are dying Easter eggs with little ones
and do not want to use dye...The children can simply color the eggs with crayons and leave it at that.
4. Collage Eggs
Adorn your eggs with miscellaneous craft supplies,
Using white or craft glue to attach.
Items to try: sequins, buttons, glitter, or beads.
stickers or even color with markers. Get wild!
5. Natural Dye
Use the color chart below to create all natural tones. try using natural dyes. Combine the dye with 1/2 Tablespoon of vinegar with some cold water in a saucepan. Add raw eggs (make sure there's enough water to cover the eggs) and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the darker the color will be, but simmer
at least 8 minutes so that the eggs cook thoroughly.
Another Natural Method...
This will create a beautiful marbled effect.Wrap the uncooked eggs in Onion skins both white an purple, spinach, or fresh saffron.Use white string to secure the wrap and then place the eggs in the foot of an old nylon stocking...tie a knot and bowl the whole shebang, using the cooking times above...don't forget the vinegar. Leave the eggs in the wrap for awhile.
When you untie them they will all look different.
Color chart:
Brown - the outer layers of onions, tea or coffee
Yellow - turmeric or saffron
Red - cranberries
Purple - beets, purple onion skin
Green - spinach
Blue - blueberries
6. Rubber Band Designs
Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in food-coloring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with rubber bands will not be colored. Once the rubber bands are removed, you can drop the egg into a different color dye.
7. Painted Eggs
Use undiluted food coloring and a paint brush to paint on hard boiled eggs. Let the eggs sit in egg cups until dry. You can also use acrylic paints in place of food coloring.
Do NOT eat eggs that have been painted!
8. Sponge Painted Eggs
Cut a sponge into small pieces.
Pour some acrylic paint into a shallow dish or onto wax paper.
Clip the sponge pieces onto clothes pins, one for each color of paint. Dip the sponge into the paint and dab the egg with it. Start with your darker colors first for the best effect.
Put the egg in an egg cup to dry.
Tips: I prefer to sponge paint with natural sponge.
You can find them at craft stores or a paint supply.
Do NOT eat eggs that have been painted!
9. Waxing Eggs
Drip wax from a lit taper candle onto the egg.
After the wax is set, drop the egg into food coloring dye.
Remove from dye and pat dry. You can scrape the wax off and dip into another dye, or leave the wax on if you wish.
10. Marbled Eggs
In a mug or jar large enough to contain one egg, place 1 Tablespoon of oil, 1 Tablespoon of vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of food coloring. Add enough water to cover egg, stir quickly with a spoon and drop in hard boiled egg. Pull egg out quickly and pat dry with paper towel.
11. Face Eggs
Use craft supplies such as yarn, ribbon and fabric scraps
to create the members of your family. Attach with craft glue.
Add facial features using permanent markers for the mouth, nose and eyes. Then cut a paper towel tube into different heights for Mom, Dad, sister etc. Decorate the tube with construction paper for clothing. Place the painted egg onto the holder. You can also add the individual's name to the tube. These make an entertaining name card for the Easter table.
12. Easter Bunny Eggs
Use food coloring dye or natural dyes to dye eggs in solid colors.
Dry with paper towel. For each bunny egg, cut two oval shaped ears
from colored paper. Glue the ears to the top of the egg.
Add googely eyes. Use markers to add a small triangle for
a nose and some whiskers. Glue on a cotton ball for a tail. 11/03/2006  Torn Paper Easter Bunny
 If you're making decorations to celebrate Easter and the coming of spring, here's an easy way to make an Easter Bunny. This project is most like collage, an art form in which the artist selects, assembles and glues materials to a background. Making a collage is a perfect way to recycle materials. Collect scraps of white paper or watch your mailbox for envelopes such as the type in which junk mail and bills are sent.
You Will Need:
- Used white envelopes or paper
- Wallpaper samples
- Scrap construction paper
- Cotton ball
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Pencil, eraser, ruler, and scissors
- Glue stick
How To:
Measure and draw the shapes described, and then cut them out. To make the various parts of the paper bunny, you will need:
- One- 2.5"x2.5" square for the head
- One-3.75"x4.75" rectangle for the body
- Two-1.75"x2" rectangles for the feet
- Two-1.5"x4.5" rectangles for the ears
Starting with the square for the head, draw a large circle so that it touches the sides of the paper. For the body, draw a large oval shape on the rectangle, and repeat this step with the two smaller rectangles to make the feet. On the remaining rectangles, make a mark in the center at the top of each. From this mark, draw the ears, ending in the corner on either side.
After you've finished drawing, you're ready to make the shapes that you'll use to create the bunny. Sometimes artists tear paper instead of cutting it, because they like the ragged edge that results. Rather than cutting the shapes, try tearing them to get a softer look.
Before you start, practice on a scrap of paper. Draw another circle on a square so that the circle touches all four sides of the paper. Now hold the paper in one hand, and with your favored hand, tear the paper by pulling it toward you. Try to stay on or near the line you drew, but don't be concerned if the shape you make is not perfect. Part of the charm of making the bunny this way is the ragged, fluffy edge that results.
After practicing, tear out all the shapes. When you're finished, gently erase any pencil marks that show. If you're unhappy with the size or shape of any part, just redraw it and try again. Now you're ready to assemble the bunny. Choose a wallpaper sample that has bright, spring like colors for your background. Glue the body near the center of the paper. Attach the ears behind the head, and glue this shape to the body. Finally, glue the feet in place, and add the cotton for its tail.
Now it's up to you to make your bunny special. You can make it a different color or add spots here and there with crayons. Draw the rabbit's hindquarters and face. Don't forget the whiskers! Add interest to your picture by cutting blades of grass from scraps of construction paper. Cut easter eggsfrom scraps of wallpaper or construction paper, and "hide" them in the grass. Glue everything in place and have a Happy Easter!
Stuffed Eggs with Parmesan Cheese
To cook the eggs: Put eggs into a large pot and cover with cold water about an inch over the eggs. Set the temperature to medium-high and heat until water starts to rapidly boil. After the water begins to boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, pour out the water and add cold water to stop the cooking. Crack the eggshell and remove the shell.
Take a knife and cut eggs lengthwise in half. Remove the yolks and put them into a small mixing bowl. Mash the egg yolks with a fork. Add the Parmesan cheese, horseradish, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and salad dressing or mayonnaise.
Heap the egg whites with the yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika. Add a sliced olive to the top of each stuffed egg.
Makes one dozen stuffed eggs. May make ahead of time. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.
"Now, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden - your Father had an accident there, he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor."
"Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out."
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries.
But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate!
First he ate some lettuces and some French beans, and then he ate some radishes.
And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.
But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!
Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief!"
Peter was most dreadfully frightened - he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.
After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears - but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.
Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter - but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
And rushed into the toolshed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.
Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Peter sneezed, "Kertyschoo!" Mr. McGregor was after him in no time, and tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.
Peter sat down to rest - he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippity - lippity - not very fast, and looking all around.
He found a door in a wall - but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.
An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.
Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water cans. A white cat was staring at some goldfish - she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her - he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.
He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe - scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!
Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black currant bushes.
Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.
Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.
Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking - she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!
I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.
His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea - and she gave a dose of it to Peter!
"One tablespoonful to be taken at bedtime."
But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.
Cooking Tips: Easter Egg Coloring Shortcut
If your kids would rather draw on and put stickers on the pretty Easter eggs then color them patiently, why not color the eggs while you boil them! Just add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar to the water and put in one of the color tablets included in the egg kit. Cook the eggs for 12 minutes. When they're done, they're ready to be decorated! Here's a bunch of carrots kids will definitely want to nibble on.
1. Fill an icing bag with orange jelly beans, leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.
2. Cut out two 8-inch squares of green tissue paper and lay one on top of the other.
3. Pick up the squares from the center and give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.
4. Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag.
5. Gather the bag at the top of the jelly beans and secure with a twist tie, wrapping the tie around the "stem" of the tissue paper, so the greenery sticks out of the top.
MARSHMALLOW PEEPS
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Ingredients:
Directions:
- Take rolled sugar cookie dough and make 1/4 inch slices.
- Place slices into muffin pans and bake in a 375 degree oven until light brown.
- Remove from oven and spoon hot fudge sauce over the cookies. Place one PEEPS
| 08/03/2006
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Easter eggs & baby chicks- Eggs and chicks symbolize new life. Eggs have been a symbol of spring since ancient times. An egg also is a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged when he arose again. The chick, hatching out of the egg, symbolizes new life or re-birth.
Easter bunny- The rabbit, or hare, was a symbol of abundant new life in ancient times, and reminds us of spring and new life.
Easter Lilies- The white blossoms symbolize the purity of Jesus. Lilies, emerging from the earth in the spring, also symbolize new life and the resurrection of Christ.
The lamb- Represents Jesus, "the Lamb of God."
The cross - Symbolizes Jesus' victory over death.
Palm branches- Represents when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday and people waved palm branches, welcoming him.
Easter hats & wearing new clothes for Easter- Symbolizes new life offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Hot Cross Buns- Hot cross buns have a cross of icing on the top to remind people of Christ.
Candles - Symbolize Jesus, "the light of the world."
Pretzels- A food eaten during Lent- the twisted shaped symbolizes arms crossed in prayer.
Easter & Spring flowers- Daffodils and tulips bloom in the spring, and symbolize spring and new life.
Baby animals- Baby animals born in the spring also represent spring and new life.
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CARROT CAKE |
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Ingredients :
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups corn oil
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in natural syrup
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 carrots) |
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Preparation : |
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil and brown sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and flour, then gradually add it to the egg mixture; do not over mix. Add the pineapple and syrup, coconut, walnuts and carrots, and beat well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Serves 12 to 14.
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Food Coloring Dye
Food coloring
hot water
white vinegar
small bowls or cups
slotted spoon
cooking oil
soft cloth
For each color measure 1/4 tsp. food coloring in small bowl. Add 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tbsp. white vinegar to each color. Add eggs and allow to sit until they are the desired color. Remove with slotted spoon. Polish dry eggs with small amount of cooking oil and soft cloth.
The Legend of Easter Lily
©2005 by Dot McGinnis
Loveliest flower was I to see,
In the garden of Gethsemane.
My head erect, my pure white face
Such a delight for all to embrace.
For all who entered the garden gate,
I'd boldly lift my head and wait
'Til they gazed upon my beauty fair.
All who came would see me there.
On the night before he was crucified,
Jesus entered. He passed me by.
He wept and prayed in silence there.
All my friends bowed their heads in prayer.
In pity and sorrow they gathered round,
Except for me. I could not be found.
I would not join in. I was much too proud.
Bow my lovely head? No, I would not allow!
News spread quickly, the very next day.
All 'round the garden, I heard everyone say
Jesus was going to be crucified.
Oh, I wanted to run. I wanted to hide!
I'd been much too vain to hang my head low,
That first Good Friday; long, long, ago.
I would not join the others who prayed with our King.
Now, how can I bear such a sorrowful thing?
No longer will I proudly face the sun.
My head will hang lowly, ashamed of what I've done.
My blossom forever will down turned be,
In honor of Jesus; at Gethsemane.
07/03/2006
Chocolate Easter Bunny
The Ingredients you will need to make these are:
Marzipan
Silver or gold confectionary beads
1. Roll a round lump of marzipan for the body and stick on a smaller lump for the head.
2. Roll out two little sausage-shaped pieces, flatten them for ears, and place them on the head. Add a small round nose to the face and a little lump to the back of the body to make a tail.
3. Use the confectionary beads for the eyes.
Make An Easter Bunny Basket
You Will Need:
A one gallon milk jug
A stapler
Wiggle eyes
Pipe cleaners
A small pink pom-pom for the nose
A large white pom-pom for the tail
Scissors
Tacky glue
Step One - Clean and have an adult cut the milk jug as illustrated below. You may want to sketch your cut marks with a washable marker.
Step Two - Staple the straight strips of the milk jug together to form a handle.
Step Three - Glue on the eyes, nose, and tail. Let the glue dry.
Step Four - Cut two pieces of pipe cleaner about 3 inches long. An adult should poke two holes in the milk jug on either side of the nose. Push the pipe cleaners in one hole and out the other. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaners to secure and form the whiskers.
Step Five - Fill your Bunny Basket with Easter grass and other goodies. Enjoy!
Some Variations - You can experiment with other sizes of containers to make different size baskets. A half gallon milk container, for example, is a good size for a party favor Bunny Basket.
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