Live Easter Grass

Bring in the Spring!

Easter Grass Centerpiece

Hi friends!  This time every year I love growing Easter Grass for gorgeous centerpieces on Spring tables.  It is so easy to grow and so fun for kids too.  We have loved doing this every spring since my oldest child was a little tyke.  So when it's still cold outside and you are yearning for a little sunshine and green grass, bring Spring inside!  You and the kids will love watching the grass grow!  A fun idea is to place Easter eggs, figurines or chocolate rabbits (in wrappers or packaging) on the wheat grass just after if sprouts.  The grass will grow up around it, making it look like a secret garden has grown around the egg!  Or just let the grass grow wild. These make adorable center pieces and are perfect for Easter.  There are so many fun ways to display the Easter Grass depending on the container you use.  Be creative!

What You'll Need to Grow Live Easter Grass

Empty decorative pot or container that is leak proof

(If you are using an Easter Basket, line it with plastic wrap to make it leak proof)

bag of VERMICULITE from the florist shop or nursery

wheat

(this is what The Little Red Hen would grind into flour, you may have some in your food storage)
water

Directions 

One week before Easter, line the sides and bottom of the basket or container that you want to grow grass in with plastic wrap, unless the container is already leak proof.  Pour vermiculite in up to TWO INCHES BELOW THE RIM.  

Sprinkle a layer of wheat over the vermiculite.  Slowly, pour water into the basket or container until it is BARELY visible beneath the wheat.  There will be no need to water it again. 

  Place a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the top of the wheat.  Place basket in a sunny spot, like on a window sill, but not in direct sunlight. 

 After 2 days the wheat will begin to sprout and grow.  Remove the plastic wrap when grass is 1/2 inch tall.  At this point you could place an egg on top of the grass, and the grass will grow up around the egg.  Easter Grass will be grown within a week. 

  After grass has grown you may want to spray grass with a spray bottle of water when it starts wilting.  After grass has grown you can move your centerpiece from the sunny spot and place it anywhere you like.   Hope you enjoy Easter Grass at your home this year!

I found these darling egg candles and nests at Williams-Sonoma last year.  I just love everything they carry! Click here to see this years Easter collection, http://www.williams-sonoma.com/pages/easter.html?cm_re=040314-_-Content-_-Easter_Guide&cm_src=hpcontent

DIY Water Balloon Flip Flops!

Easy and Fun DIY Water Balloon Flip Flops!

Simply tie water balloons in a knot around the flip flop straps!  We liked the rainbow color pattern... Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Be creative and have fun! 

For my daughters birthday this year we made these bright and fun flip flops at the party. The girls all had a fun time making them and they can't wait to wear them to school on the same day!  We got this idea from my niece who made these at a party a few years ago.  We thought they were so cute that we wanted to try them at our party this year.  We bought black flip flops for every girl from Old Navy, for $2.50 a pair.  I would recommend going a size larger in flip flops.  We bought 3 packs of 500 water balloons and had plenty of water balloons left over, perfect for a water balloon fight!

What you'll need:

8 pair flip flops in every one's sizes   

1,500 water balloons

8 girls to tie the water balloons onto the flip flops! 

Summer...here we come!

Family Photo Printing at Staples/ "Draftsmen Prints"

When I was a kid, my dad, an architect, would bring home rolls of outdated blue prints, from the office.  I used the backside of the blue prints for countless art projects and drawing projects of all kinds.  I even used them for art paper in college while getting my art degree, that is until one professor told me to get some "real" art paper!  What I love about blue prints or draftmen's paper is the SIZE!  So I was excited to find out from my friend Tracy Laverty, (athttp://rightupmy-alley.blogspot.com/ ) that Staples office supply store will print your photos on draftsman's paper for a fraction of the price of a regular photo of similar size.  It's such a great and inexpensive way to display the photos you love!  I had these prints made recently at Staples for just a few dollars each.   Just take your photos in on a disk or thumb drive and they will print them off for you in a matter of minutes!  I love these prints I had done at Staples of my children!  The draftsman prints come in a few different sizes, are black and white, and are all draftsman print quality paper, which is on the thin side. These prints are a 36 X 24 inch size.  In the photo below, I have cut the print to fit a frame.  Next time you need a big print for a fun project....check out what Staples has to offer!

Girlfriend's Lunch Menu

Girlfriend's Lunch Menu

Mixed Greens with Bacon, Red Grapes and Sugared Walnuts

with Honey-Sesame Dijon Dressing

Butternut Squash Bisque

Buttery Soft Rolls

Chicken Salad on Buttery Soft Rolls

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Pink Heart Sugar Cookies

Mixed Greens with Bacon, Red Grapes and Sugared Walnuts

12 cups assorted lettuce and spinach

1 bunch green onions, sliced whites only

2 green apples, cored and thinly sliced or chopped

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

½ cup sugared walnuts

2/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries

8 slices cooked thick sliced apple-wood bacon, crumbled

Assemble lettuce in large salad bowl or platter. Toss remaining ingredients over the top. Drizzle dressing over the top just before serving.  Gently toss.

Honey- Sesame Dijon Dressing

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (sauté a few minutes in dry skillet until lightly browned)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together except the oil. Drizzle oil into dressing while whisking until smooth. Pour desired amount over salad and gently toss, be careful not to add too much dressing..

      Sugared Walnuts

2 cups walnut halves

6 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoons salt

                              1 tablespoon canola oil                                 

In small pot bring 4 cups of water to boil. Stir in nuts. Remove from heat. Let sit 3 minutes. Drain and dry. Mix sugar and salt in a bowl and toss with hot nuts. Add oil to nuts and stir. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer. Allow to dry for one hour. Bake at 350 until golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and toss nuts with spatula. Cool. When cool and dry store in air- tight container.

Butternut Squash Bisque
(This bisque can be made a day in advance.)

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

4-6 cups chicken broth

½ cup cream or half and half

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

handful of fresh sage or basil, minced

Place all of the vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  In large pot melt butter and sauté roasted vegetables 5 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken broth, honey and sage. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Puree soup with stick blender until smooth.  Or puree the soup in small batches in a blender.  Be sure not to fill the blender more than 1/4 full to prevent hot soup blowing out the lid.  Return soup to pot and add cream and salt and pepper to taste. If bisque is too thick add more chicken broth and or cream to reach desired consistency. Garnish with sage leaves and grated Parmesan.

 

Buttery Soft Rolls 
(These can be made a day in advance if necessary.  They will still be soft and delicious.)

3 ½ cups  warm water
4 tablespoons yeast
¾ cup oil
¾ cup sugar
1 cup powdered milk
1 ½ cups potato flakes
1 tablespoon salt
3 eggs (room temp.)
10 cups flour, plus more if needed

Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl of electric mixer.  Add oil and eggs.  Add remaining ingredients and mix for 10 minutes. Let rise to double.  Divide dough into three or four equal portions. For larger rolls, divide dough into 3 equal portions, for smaller rolls divide dough into 4 equal portions.  Roll out each portion into a circle, about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a pizza cutter, as you would a pizza, into 16 wedges. Roll each wedge up starting at the wide side.  Set rolls on greased baking sheet. You should be able to get about 16 rolls per baking sheet. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with bakers spray and cover rolls. Allow rolls to double in size.  Bake at 350 for 11-15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Brush rolls with melted butter or gently rub hot rolls with a stick of butter for a glossy look. Fill half of these rolls with the chicken salad and leave the other half of the rolls whole.  Recipe will make 48 large rolls and 64 petite rolls.

Chicken Salad on Buttery Soft Roll
(The Chicken Salad can be made a day in advance.  Assemble the sandwiches just before serving.)

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup halved red grapes

¼ cup onion, finely minced

bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine chicken, celery, bell pepper and onion in a large bowl. Set aside. In another bowl combine mayonnaise, cream, bouillon granules, sugar, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Fold whipped mixture into chicken mixture.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and a sprinkle of more bouillon granules if needed.  Slice Buttery Soft Rolls in half and place a spoonful of chicken salad inside.  Add a piece of bib lettuce or a slice of avocado if desired. Season with fresh ground pepper. 

 

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

11.5 ounce bag milk chocolate chips,(Ghirardelli and Guittard are my favorite)

2 tablespoon shortening

30 large ripe strawberries with stems attached

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double boiler.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Dip ¾ of strawberry into melted chocolate and lay on parchment lined baking sheet to dry. Place in a cooler area and allow chocolate to set.

Pink Heart Sugar Cookies

(These need to be made a day in advance.)

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup sour cream

 In large bowl, sift flour, soda and salt together and set aside.  In electric mixer cream sugar, butter and eggs.  Add vanilla and beat.  Add sour cream and beat.  Add flour mixture and blend well.   Place mixed dough in a gallon sized freezer bag and compact dough in side of bag.  Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.  Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on counter top.  Lightly flour it.  Cut chilled dough into quarters, or better yet eighths. ( It's much easier to roll smaller portions of dough out than larger portions. )  Try to cut dough in a flatter shape as opposed to a round shape of dough (which will make it easier to roll out flat). Place dough on plastic wrap and turn over to flour both sides of dough.  Roll dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap, using an extra dusting of flour as needed.  Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutters to desired shapes.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet to bake.  Bake at 325 degrees for 8 -11 minutes, remove from oven when tops of cookies form tiny cracks.  Be careful not to over bake.  You don’t want them to get brown around the edges.  Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to bakers rack and cool completely.  Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheets, decorate with Butter Cream Frosting and allow cookies let stand overnight, if possible.  Don’t cover the cookies for the first night or cookies will be too soft.  Place on serving platters or baskets the next day.  Store remaining cookies in airtight container.

                                                Butter Cream Frosting

 

6 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup butter, at room temperature

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract
  drop red food coloring

In electric mixer, cream together butter, powdered sugar and milk.  Add vanilla and almond extract and cream mixture again.  Add desired food coloring or divide frosting in half and color each half separately.  Place frosting in decorators bag fitted with a star tip and fill in top of sugar cookies with tightly packed stars.  If possible, allow to set over night.  These frosted cookies taste even better the next day.  Don’t cover frosted cookies, as this will makes them too soft.  Allow to set uncovered in cool location overnight.  The next day they will be perfect to arrange on trays or baskets and they will taste amazing!

                             ********                                              

What is Life?

Life is a challenge. Meet it.

Life is a gift. Accept it.

Life is an adventure. Dare it.

Life is a sorrow. Overcome it.

Life is a tragedy. Face it.

Life is a duty. Perform it.

Life is a game. Play it.

Life is a mystery. Unfold it.

Life is a song. Sing it.

Life is a beauty. Praise it.

Life is a goal. Achieve it.

Life is an opportunity. Take it.

Life is a puzzle. Solve it.

Life is a struggle. Fight it.

Life is journey. Complete it.

Life is a promise. Fulfill it.

(author unknown)