Somebody give this a name!

I needed to use up the leftovers before the holiday weekend.  So I tried an experiment and with just a little tweeking, I think this is a keeper...

In my fridge I found eggs, milk, a couple tubes of crescent rolls, fresh spinach, a little fresh salsa , four pieces of bacon and 2 sausage links that were already cooked,  some fresh mushrooms, and a jar of cheese dip.  First I cut up the sausage and bacon, then chopped the spinach.  Then I beat the eggs in a bowl, added a little milk, and beat it well with the mixer, and added everything else to it.

I sprayed my cupcake tin with Pam, and then wiped most of it off with a paper towel.  Next, I opened up the crescent rolls and cut them  into squares and lined the muffin tin.  I filled them with the egg mixture.  Since there was still some of the dough left, I cut pieces and layed them on top.  I forgot to time how long I baked these, but just until the egg was set...

Next time I will remember not to fill them so full...

But since I had used Pam, they lefted out easily...

I set them in cupcake wrappers AFTER baking for easy handling.  These were simple to make and tasted  so good!  Now I just need to know what to call them.  Any suggestions out there??

Stress relief comes in many different forms...

 I don't remember when I've last had an entire day to just blow! But last Saturday was like heaven...My sister Marcella came in from out of town and my brother Don was also staying the weekend with us.  (His wife and daughter had a little weekend get-away of their own). While Don was tied up during the day, Marcella and I enjoyed one of our favorite pasttimes, thrifting!  So after a yummy breakfast out, we picked up our mom and headed to some local estate sales and yard sales.  It was an absolutely beautiful and sunny Satuday morning and we all found some great deals.  I think I spent about $20 total.  Here are just some of the items I picked up...

A beautiful hand-made basket full of pine cones, $1.00

I've always wanted one of these tea cup & saucer holders to hang on the wall, so I was happy to pay $5.00 for this one!All it needs is dusting...I can do that!

This large and very sturdy basketful of artificial flowers was only $1.00.

Go ahead and laugh, but I'm so excited to be the proud owner of this antique chamber pot, purchased for $2.We might not have a regular job, but as hubby says, we DO have a pot to pee in! 

I was equally excited to find a very clean and heavy stainless steel pot with a glass lid for soup or sauce, $2.00.

I think I have close to a dozen wreaths now, either thrifted or that I made myself.  I couldn't resist this one for $1.50! Earlier in the week I had found a large pinecone wreath in my on-line swap group for $5.

We finished off our shopping day with lunch at Flurry's, a small local restaurant that has been around since we were kids...this kind of place...

When we were finished with our sandwiches, the waitress came over with a very large piece of cheesecake covered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and said we needed to eat it to save her from herself.  We obliged :)

In the evening, Marcella visited with Don at our house while several of us attended a ballet in Akron.  The daughter of friends of ours had the starring roll in the classic ballet, Coppelia.  I can't imagine what it would be like to drive around town and see your daughter on the billboards!

I think this is the fourth ballet we have taken our granddaughter, Elylah, to at the Civic Theater.  She loves dressing up !

Isn't she beautiful, even with two front teeth missing?

I first met Sarah Ruesch when she was about a year old when her family moved into our neighborhood. She started taking ballet lessons at 3 1/2.

She sure has made her parents proud!

Elylah with her mom, my mom, and Bob's mom

My sister Barb and my niece Sarah also attended...

On Sunday morning, Marcella, Don, Bob and I all were able to attend church together, where we picked up some more stress relief! (We took these picures right before we left for church.)

After church we took Don home to his waiting wife, my sister went back home to her family, and Bob and I spent the rest of the day relaxing at home.  On Sunday evening, Don and Marcie had to check into the Hope Lodge in Cleveland near University Hospital, where Don is spending this week getting some more intense chemotherapy.  Check out their blog here.

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thess. 5:16-18

Chemo-HAIR-apy

Years ago, my grandparents were in a local musical group called the Grandmas & Grandpas, and their motto was "we'd rather wear out than rust out".  That phrase came to my mind this past Friday night, when my brother Don threw a head shaving party in preparation for his upcoming cancer treatments.  About 100 family and friends gathered to show love and support. The event, dubbed "Chemo-HAIR-apy" was held at the Emerge Ministries location where Don is Vice President and a practicing Christian psychologist.  He turned it into a fund-raiser to benefit the Children's Center at Emerge.

 Don has been pushing through this cancer battle ever since his Multiple Myeloma diagnosis came last November.  To say he has been an inspiration is way understating the impact his positive attitude and unwavering faith in God has been on a myriad of people around the world.  (Our local newspaper ran a front page article with his story on February 17, 2012 and it has continued to be picked up by papers as far away as China and Australia. He is still receiving personal notes from strangers from all over the place!)

In about a week, Don is scheduled to be admitted to University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio to undergo the greatest challenge yet in his journey.  The day before his autologous stem cell transplant, a very strong and toxic chemotherapy drug will be administered in hopes of killing off any remaining cancer cells.  Don has an amazing head of thick hair for a 59 year old man, so the head shaving party as an alternative to losing it in clumps from the drug's side effects was an effort to put a positive spin on a dreaded reality.

Don invited folks to do something silly with their hair.  Our brother Bob was quick to oblige:

Hubby and I wore hair bows:

And my mom did THIS:

We all ate some pizza, salad, and cookies and there were pens and papers on the tables for attendees to write personal notes to Don.  For a small price, folks could throw a whipped cream pie at a volunteer from the Emerge staff.

Most people know that Don detests men's pink shirts, but just for fun he was willing to wear one!

Here I am with Don and John Palmer, President of Emerge Ministries




Some of the family right before the shave

Marcie, Don's wife, looks on as the head shaving begins...

Don is saying something like "I think you are cutting a little shorter than usual"

Now that wasn't so bad, was it?

The evening ended with John Palmer leading us in prayer, asking God to do what the doctors aren't able to...

Don being pushed by one of his grandchildren..



and loving on two of mine.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

Spring has truly sprung...

March has come and gone and it is Easter weekend already! I'll pedal back another day to recount my busy life between the buns, but just wanted to post a few pictures of how I have been de-stressing this past week.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I gravitate to the kitchen when I need a creative outlet and a chance to play.

It was hubby's birthday a couple days ago, and we had a low-key celebration over here...

We decided to go out to eat this year for our Easter dinner, but I still felt the need for a little tradition...so we colored some eggs...

I thought they were just beautiful, but the little artists wanted to decorate them even more with craft paint.  That ended up being a lot of fun!

Yesterday I had some time all to myself, and I made a batch of these apricot thumbprints...

Very easy!  Here's how:  Heat oven to 350 ℉.  Mix 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 egg yolks, and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add 2 cups flour and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Roll dough into balls and dip into slightly beaten egg whites.  Then roll in 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts.

Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press thumb gently into center of each ball.  Bake about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and fill centers with jelly.  Return to oven and bake 2-3 minutes longer.  Carefully remove cookies to cooling rack. Makes 3-4 dozen thumbprint cookies.

I couldn't let Easter go by without making hot cross buns.  You can see the recipe here.

The hardest part of making these is waiting patiently for the dough to rise until it doubles in size.

But when it does, just knead it slightly, then form rolls and place on cookie sheets and allow to rest 30 minutes before baking...

I found myself in the kitchen again this morning by about 4:30! I wanted to get the crosses on the hot cross buns in time for my hubby to take some to his early morning men's group.  For some reason I felt the need to boil more eggs and bake more cupcakes (???) ...

Now I'm busy packaging some of this stuff up to give away becaue I sure can't have it all sitting around here!

I'm also putting the finishing touches on these little wooden Easter boxes that I found at the thrift store earlier in the year for less than 50 cents each!  I bought one for each of the six grandchildren and filled them with a chocolate bunny, chocolate eggs, and some tiny jelly beans.  

I'm grateful for so many things this holiday...for a mild winter and now springtime; for a time of focus and contemplation during the Lenten season, for wonderful memories of past Easters with family, friends, and at church; and most of all, for a Risen Savior who died that I might live.  Peace and love to all as we celebrate the glorious day with millions everywhere! 

"He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said"  Mathew 28:6