Easter Forgotten Cookies

I found this great recipe for Easter Forgotten Cookies, along with a great story about Jesus to share with your kids and help explain the real reason behind Easter. Thought I would share! I'll post pics when we've made them.

Easter Forgotten Cookies

These cookies are called "Forgotten Cookies" because you leave them in the oven overnight...forgotten. You can use chocolate chips in addition to nuts. The cookies are yummy.

You need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.

Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts.

Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.

You can add the chocolate chips, and explained to the kids that Jesus always gives us more than we ask for, so we're going to add in something extra yummy & sweet.

Thanks, Grits with Cheese

Can Colander/Strainer

Do you have one of these handy dandy can colander/strainer?? I found it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $3.99....what a great little gadget! Every kitchen needs one :) It comes in handy for draining syrup from cans of fruit, juice from vegetables for recipes without the juice, etc.

While searching for a picture of the item to put on the blog, I found another use for it....TUNA PRESS!
With this handy little tuna press, you'll stop smooshing the sharp-edged lid down on the tuna and tilting the can to drain. Remove the lid, place the tuna press over the can, and push down. The liquid will rise to the surface and you can dispose of it easily. How great is this!!

I found it on Amazon listed for $2.99 here. I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $3.99, but couldn't find it listed on their website. Pampered chef also has a version here, listed for $4.50.

Happy cooking,
Lisa

Zaxby's Clubs

Join the Zax Kidz Club! They will mail you a free cookie card just for joining. Then, a free kidz meal card will be mailed to your child every birthday. Kidz must be 10 and younger to enter. Go to the Zaxby's site to join OR email ALL children's names, mailing address and dates of birth, including year, to zaxkidzclub@zaxbys.com.

They have a club for us adults too! For joining the Zax Mail Club they will mail you a coupon for a free meal deal. Who doesn't want to go to Zaxby's for a free meal! Join here.

Happy eating!
Lisa

Beach: Sand and Shell Frame

I want to share this with you guys BEFORE everyone goes on their beach trip this year. So tell me, pretty much everyone goes on some sort of beach trip in the summer, right? Ok, if not every summer, at some point in your life you will go to the beach!! Family trips, honeymoon, etc. Well, I have a neat inexpensive souvineor!

While at the beach this summer, all week long I collected shells. Pretty shells: different sizes, shapes, textures....ones with character. I also collected some sand from the beach. My idea....to use the sand and shells to create a frame for my mom for christmas. Upon arriving home, I went to Michael's (one of my 3 fav stores along with Joann's and Hobby Lobby). I bought one of the unfininshed square wooden frames for about $1.00. Other supplies I used were Mod Podge and craft paint. I painted one coat of blue paint on the frame. Then, I painted Mod Podge on top. While it was still wet, I sprinkled sand all over the frame. This created a great beach feel. I had also purchased a pre-painted beach umbrella for the side of the frame. After the mod podge and sand dried. I hot glued the umbrella cut out and all of my collected shells around the painted frame. And voilà! See my masterpiece below! Of course, I couldn't just make one for my mom....I wanted one too!! The picture below is of mine. My mom's frame had a big group picture of the entire family. Now, you will have something to do with all those shells you collect at the beach ;-) Think Mother's Day or Christmas present.

Happy crafting!

Lisa

Click other sites to give too!

So, my post yesterday was about The Breast Cancer Site. Once you are on that site, look at the top tabs. There are also sites for Hunger, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest and Animal Rescue. They all also have click to give buttons. If you are taking the time to click to give mammograms, take a few extra seconds and click on all those tabs as well....

You will...

Help pay for cups of food...

Help pay for child healthcare...

Help pay for books...

Help pay to protect endangered habitat...

Help pay for food and care for animals...

Now, wouldn't you like to help others.....I know I would love to give to charities, but the funds just aren't available right now, so I feel that I am helping in a small way by clicking...

Who will you CLICK for??

I was forwarded an email a couple of weeks ago asking me to take a minute to go to The Breast Cancer Site and "click" to give a free mammogram. I followed the link and found a great site. The Breast Cancer Site

Words from the site: "Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation."

WOW, what a great way to help and support this cause.....and it's FREE for you to click. You can go back daily and give one everyday. To make it easier, they have made a "reminder" email sent out to you everyday so you don't forget. I signed up for this email and I know that without a reminder everyday I would forget. It is usually in my inbox when I wake up in the morning, so as I'm checking emails, I follow the link and click away.

Click here to sign up for the reminder emails (for signing up you get a free pink ribbon pin....doesn't include the cost of shipping)

1. You click daily. 2. Sponsors pay for mammograms. 3. Shop the store and give more. 100% of the sponsor money goes to charity.

Your clicks count!! In 2009, visitor clicks funded 2,808 mammograms. Purchases at The Breast Cancer Site Store funded an additional 4,178.

I am clicking for my Mawmaw (Willie Beatrice Lusk-passed away when I was 1 year old) and for my Grandmama (Carolyn Isabelle Robinson - currently fighting the battle)

Who will you click for??

Another Freebie :) Busy Mom's Bible

This is a great freebie!! The first 5,000 people to register will get a free copy of The Busy Mom’s Bible. It will ask for your mailing address and for you to upload a picture of your family to qualify. After you receive your Bible you can come back and write a review for them and win more prizes.

The first time I tried to sign up I got an error message, but the 2nd time I tried, it confirmed I did sign up. I got the message that once my information is verified, they will mail my free copy of "the Busy Mom’s Bible". Once I spend some time with it, they ask you to be sure to submit a link to your online review by March 26, 2010 and be entered to win a personal assistant’s service compliments of Zondervan.

Now, I know I would love a personal assitant!! Wouldn't you ;-)

(Thanks Southern Savers!)

Pink Nation?? Freebie :)

Are you a member of Victoria Secret's Pink Nation?? Head on over to http://www.vspink.com/ and sign up. They have lots of great coupons and right now, they have a FREE Deluxe Fragrance Sampler. If you are already a member, just log in to get your coupon or sign up. Just print and take in to any VS store. No purchase necessary. I got mine yesterday. It includes 3 sample fragrances.

Happy Shopping!

Lisa

More blogging to come - Santa Fe Soup

So, I have had some requests from friends to blog about my recipes and such. So I'll give it a shot! I plan to blog about recipes, crafts and little tidbits that make my life a little more organized/simpler/ etc.

I love to cook and am a sucker for easy one pot dinners. Today, I'll share a recipe called "Santa Fe Soup". I found this recipe on one of the many craft blogs I visit. The soup is super easy and SOOOO good. My father-in-law had a bowl for lunch one day and went home and made it the next night. Daryl loved it, but requested more beans next time, so that's why you'll see 1-2 cans of beans listed in the recipe. Tailor it to your family's desires! Hope you all enjoy!! I'd love to hear how it turned out and if your family liked it as much as mine.

Until then....happy cooking!!

Lisa

Santa Fe Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef/ turkey/ whatever/ browned and drained
1-2 can(s) kidney beans
2 cans Ro-tel
1 can stewed Mexican style tomatoes (cut up the tomatoes)
1 can corn (drained)
2 Tbs. taco seasoning
16 0z. Velveeta cubed

Directions:

Put everything in your crock pot. Stir.

Cook on high for three hours.
Stir once halfway. And its done!

Couponing

So, after going to a "Cents-ible" shopping (ways to feed your family) at church. I wanted to attempt couponing. I have done it for 2 weeks and I see how it could become addicting at trying to save money....lol. Each week, trying to out do yourself with the next. I find my deals at http://www.southernsavers.com/. I stay up after everyone is asleep and to at it. Here are details from

My first week:

Publix: spent $4.58, saved $8.40

Kroger: spent $11.26, saved $20.48

Ingles: spent $7.02, saved $28.22

Total: spent $22.86, saved $57.10 (72% savings overall)

At the 3 stores I got, 10 cans Delmonte vegetables, 1 box wheat thins, 2 boxes of jello, 3 easy mac cups, 2 packs of oscar myer hotdogs, 2 digorno pizzas, 1 box honey bunches of oats, 1 16 oz box elbow macaroni, 1 16 oz box of spaghetti noodles, 3 tuna pouches, 3 brown cow yogurt cups, airwick air freshener, glass plus, 2 green giant steam fresh bags of veggies, and a pack of kaiser rolls. All that for $22.86!! I felt accomplished.

2nd week:

Publix: spent $40.56, saved $51.43

Ingles: spent $35.75, saved $30.86

Total: spent $76.31, saved $82.29 (52% savings)

At the 2 stores I got, 2 Tyson whole chickens, pack of 3 beef cube steak, 1 Tropicana Trop 50 Juice, 2 Green Giant Sauced Vegetables, 2 Freshetta pizzas, 4 boxes of Kellogs mini wheats, 1 Mccormick chili powder, 1 pack of huggies pull ups, 2 cans carnation evap milk, 1 Lloyd's BBQ meats, 2 Juicy Juice 64 oz bottles, 2 Ragu Pasta sauce 45 oz, 3 hamburger helper, 1 lb ground beef, 1 Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Dough, 2 bags Lay's potato chips, 1 pack dial bar soap (3 bars), 10 jars Earth's best organic baby food, 1 pack crunch pak apple slices, 1 pack pillsbury crescent rolls, 2 pillsbury grands biscuits, 1 stouffer's lasagna, 1 chex mis, 3 idahoan mashed potatoes, 1 purex complete 3 in 1 detergent, cottonelle double rolle bath tissue (12 rolls), and 2 resuable publix shopping bags (both free). All this for $76.31 (I felt accomplished again, b/c I got detergent, pull ups and toilet paper)

Our church is having the Centsible night again on, October 11th from 6-8:30 in the Kidz worship center. www.firstconyers.com

Homework

Caleb got his first "homework" assignment on Monday. At his school, they have started learning the alphabet and this week is the letter "A". Monday he painted with apples, but his homework was to cut out pictures and paste them on a sheet of paper with the letter A on it. He did so good. While McKenna was taking her morning nap, we looked on the computer for pictures, I let him type the words in the search bar and then pick out his favorite picture. He LOVED it! Then he cut all the pictures out by himself! I asked him if he wanted to stop and come back to it later and he said no, he wanted to keep doing it. It kept us busy for awhile. I hope every Tuesday is this much fun!! I posted a picture of his first "homework assignement".

Laser Show

This past Saturday we went with the Moore's to the laser show at Stone Mountain. We went to Jolie (4) & Jackson's (1) birthday party at Mardi Gras in Lawrenceville, then headed to the park. We had a picnic dinner on the lawn and then watched the show. Caleb and McKenna both liked it! McKenna watched most of it, but passed out towards the end.

Dine by Design

On Thursday, September 10th, our church First Baptist Church of Conyers put on an event called Dine by Design. There were 50 tables & hostesses. Each hostess decorated her table to her hearts content. You had to provide tableware, decor, gifts, etc. for each person. There were 500 ladies that attended the event. After a wonderful time of viewing each table, we ate dinner and then headed to the sanctuary to hear Lilies Out Loud. A duo of women comedian and singer. They were awesome. Can't wait til next year. My table theme was "The Many Expressions of Hallmark". Take a look at the photos!

Check it out

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know about a giveaway from babyhalfoff. They are giving away a throw for a mama and her little baby from Tourance Luxurious Surroundings. The throws are super cute. You can check out and sign-up for the giveaway on their blog. They will also be launching a website soon, so you can check it out too.

Check out this giveaway

Hey everyone! I was just wanting to let you know about The Giveaway's 1st Birthday Bash that will run June 5th-12th. Haven't heard about 'The Giveaway'? It's this great blog that has several easy-to-enter giveaways starting every week!

And the Birthday Bash will be the biggest week ever! There are over $2100 in prizes to be given out! Starting with a Giveaway Carnival on Friday, June 5th, a Photo Contest on Saturday, Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, regular giveaways Mon-Thurs, a LIVE Grand Prize Giveaway on Friday, June 12th, and Daily Door Prizes. This is going to be HUGE!

For more info on the Birthday Bash, here's the link: http://www.the-giveaway.com/2009/05/giveaways-1st-birthday-bash.html

Remember, it starts this Friday, June 5th with The Giveaway's 1st Annual Birthday Carnival! So if you are hosting a family-friendly giveaway on your blog, you can enter it in the Carnival and be entered to win a great Prize Package, as well as Friday's Door Prize!

And if you blog about this too (before Friday, June 5th) (just copy and paste this post), then you will be entered to win the special Early Bird Prize! Just come back here: http://www.the-giveaway.com/2009/06/birthday-bash-early-bird-giveaway.html and leave a comment with your blog post url!

Hope to see you there!
http://www.the-giveaway.com/

My little talker

My Daughter

So, I'm a bad blogger! It's been 4 months since my last post and our new daughter is 2 1/2 months old!! Terrible.....well, McKenna Clare was born on Sunday, March 8 at 5:30 pm weighing 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 21 inches long. She was 10 days early. Imagine how big she would have been if she had of gone til her due date! She hasn't stopped growing either. At her 2 month check up she weighed a whopping 14 lbs. 11 oz. She is already wearing 6 month clothes! We love her to death. She is cooing and gurgling and smiling like crazy :) Caleb is being an awesome big brother. He helps change her and we can't ever "forget" her if we are going somewhere. I promise I will be a better blogger so I can keep everyone updated :)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

McKenna Clare Riser

McKenna Clare
McKenna ~ American, meaning Able or Friendly
Clare ~ Latin, used as a diminutive of Clarence, meaning Clear, Bright

A Family’s Pride
The roots are deep,

The branches wide,

The Tree of Life,

A family's Pride.

As decedents we are,

So ancestors we shall be,

Generations of heritage,

Create our family tree.

Happiness and sadness,

For hundreds of years,

A family is togetherness

For laughter and for tears.

So gather up the pictures,

And record the family love,

So those that follow after,

Shall know the family above.

Named after “Granddaddy” Clarence Lemuel Robinson, Jr.
December 12, 1924 – February 11, 1999

Shriner's Christmas Party

On Saturday December 13th, we were invited to go into Atlanta to the Shrine Temple to the Shriner's Christmas party with Kelly, Alexis & Ansley. Caleb had a great time riding the train, seeing Santa, jumping in the moonwalk and eating lunch. He had fun hanging out with the girls.