Jesus Has My Brothers Back!

Wishing You and Yours A Belated but Happy Easter Season!

Easter Day 2008

Whether there are 20 or 2 at our house for Easter ~ there MUST be an Easter Egg Hunt! Ashley wasn't feeling well so my husband Frank and son Franky ~ the troopers that they are ~ enjoyed hunting for eggs to make Mom (me) happy and as an added bonus ~ won ALL the prizes!

I made the exact menu in the latest issue of Victoria Magazine. Herb Encrusted Lamp Chops, Potato and Leak Tart, Broiled Green Beans, Glazed Carrots and the Lemon Mouse Layer Cake. It was just wonderful!

(notice my son's beagle Daisy trying to sneek a taste off the table!)

Happy Easter to My Family Far Away......

~ ~ ~ ~ i dyed you some Easter eggs. i miss you.

Old Fashioned Sugar Eggs

Aren't these wonderful! I just returned from a class given by the talented Ms Doherty at Naugatuck High School.





















These are the beautiful eggs we made. Would you believe the first one was made by a high school age boy! He is training to be a chef~ I'd say he is well on his way! Here's how you can make these too! It's easy! We used the egg molds from the Wilton Panoramic Egg Kit ~ the 5" egg mold.

Sugar Mold Recipe

4 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons water ~ colored with Wilton Liquid icing color (tip:make water color a few shades darker than you want the egg to be)

Mix sugar and water well. Press firmly in egg mold.Turn mold upside down on to a cookie sheet ~ allowing egg to slide out of mold on to sheet. Bake in oven at 200* for 20 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly ~ about 20 minutes.

Hold Egg half in palm of hand and gently begin scraping out the center. Leave about a 1/4 inch thick shell. Allow to dry overnight and then use a dremel like tool to create large opening. (see top photo)

Royal Icing

3 tablespoons just whites or meringue powder
6 Tablespoons warm water
1 pound (1 box) of confectioners sugar

to tint icing ~ use Wilton liquid icing color

Beat together for 6-7 minutes
(be sure to cover icing with damp cloth as it will begin to harden right away)

Put your icing in a pastry bag and generously fill egg half. Begin decorating with handmade or store bought chocolate and candy decor. Your icing is your glue. Add a ring of icing around your egg half and attach to opened side. Add another large mound of icing to cardboard circle and "glue " your egg to base. Continue to decorate with royal icing ~ making several different colors if desired. Use coconut colored with green dye as grass.

I would suggest you goggle "sugar eggs" to get more recipes and ideas.
Here is one site I found ~ http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf334674.tip.html

The Sweet Side of Being Sick

It is day 6 of being sick ! It has come in waves ~ chills, fever, chest pain.
I have managed to have a 49th birthday, go to work, and spend 4 glorious hours of working in the yard and have lunch out with my husband. The rest of the time ~ this has been me ( except I am wearing warm Victoria Secret flannels and matching slippers with my sweet Yorkie Teddi cuddled at my side ) All week-end I have carried from bed upstairs to cozy chair downstairs the following ~ a crazy quilt square to work on, the new Cindy Brick book, another written by Zig Ziggler, a new Country Living that just arrived, a water bottle with Vit. C mixed in, and a blanket. Haven't read but a few words or stitched a stitch ~ just looked at pictures and day dreamed.
I have dreamed about my garden this year, changes I will make to my little pond, how I will lose 10 pounds, new projects I want to work on, life changes I'm ready to make, noticed how God is blessing my kids extra special this new year. Frank made me Chicken Noodle Soup ( from the can) but poured eggs whites in the boiling soup ~ it was SO yummy!
I think I will give in to laziness for the rest of the day and just enjoy my runny nose for all it's worth. All said and done ~ there is a sweet and nurturing side to being sick.

Great New Book

Yippee Leslie !!! I was SO proud to see my friend and the person who introduced me to crazy quilting ~ mentioned on page 96 in Cindy Brick's new book "Crazy Quilts." Leslie Levinson was noted as "one of the teachers and artist who contributed to the modern art of crazy quilting...."
Christmas 2000 ~ my Mom gave me a Judith Baker Montano book. I knew when I layed eyes on this book that I would not be complete until I could one day learn this art. The following fall ~ Leslie was offering a class at our local high school. At the first class ~ I realized the magnitude of her talent. She is a layed back , easing going teacher and gave us all the confidence that we could do it! She shared wonderful story's of her years in New York City and wisdom from other "greats" that she has befriended through the years. We were wowed by her truck show and her various themed crazy quilts. She introduced us to "Quilting Arts Magazine" just a few issues old at the time ~ and was one of the writers. Each month she "Demystified" an embroidery stitch. (let me add I miss the magazines dedication to crazy quilting that prevailed in the early issues)
I count Leslie as one of the people who changed my life. Learning to crazy quilt set my life in a new direction. I don't have the time I'd like to devote to it now but no matter when life leads ~ there will always be a place carved out for this art.
Not every teacher has this effect on her students ~ Leslie in her unassuming way ~ does.
Thanks Leslie :)

Me and Jesus spend the week-end in New York!

I spent the most wonderful week-end in NYC......me, Jesus and 2999 other people from around the world! I attended the Benny Hinn Conference at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It was like heaven to me ~ Fri night and all day Sat. till 2am in the morning ~ praising my dear precious Lord with 3000 plus other folks. Witnessing miracles ~ basking in the glory of our Lord~ and being with every race , creed and color praising one God. It was a week-end I will never forget!

Fri. when I got there ~ I had less than 2 hours before the conference began ~ just enough time to hop a cab over to Paron Fabric (206 West 40th Street ) for a very quick browse. I purchased some beautiful dupioni silk before I headed back. The rest of the week-end I was immersed in the conference. ME ~ Ms I LOVE NEW YORK CITY ~ had no desire to hit the streets. NOTHING ~ not even New York City ~ could compete with the glory of God that filled this conference.

I did want to share pic's of my wonderful room! It was spacious for a New York City room and just LOOK at the view! To the left I could see 42nd street ~ to the right the beautiful buildings and the Hudson River. Notice the round papers ~ they were at the bottom of all the stainless steel ~ spotlessly clean garbage cans in the room. I KNEW my blogging friends who enjoy a cozy nest would think this was a sweet idea for a guest room. You could use doily's instead.

Also pictured is Bryant Park ~ my favorite park in NYC. The bike on the street post broke my heart. It was I think on 6th street and about 37th street.The person who rode that bike was killed there by a car and this was in memory of him.......so very touching.

Living in Ct. ~ I have always hopped a train home never bothereing to stay in the city overnight. This was a dream come true !