Easter Cookie Recipe

Oh I am sooooo excited about this recipe. HUGE thanks to Becke B. for passing it on. What a neat way to share the story of Easter with our kids.

Easter Cookie Recipe

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of sale
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Preheat Oven to 300. (very important step!)

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

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

Add the egg whites to the vinegar. The egg represents life. Explain that Jesus gave His life so that we could have life. Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand and let them taste it. Put 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 aren't very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loved us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes, until stiff peaks form. 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 the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid to rest. 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 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 and that Jesus followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22.

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

This recipe was found at www.cherbearsden.com/cookies.html

Familytime Friday

TGIF!! Today is a hectic day. I am teaching a couponing class at noon and then we are packing up to make a visit to Gammy and PaPa's house for Easter. Sooooo I don't think we will have the normal "times" today. BUT I do have a VERY SPECIAL treat in store for you today. You will definitely want to check back in today around noon to see an incredible idea for sharing Easter with your family. I'm so excited!!!

I'd still love to hear about your Easter Family traditions.

One of the most important services I try to provide here at DRS is to make each DRS sufferer feel better about herself. If my failures and mishaps can make just one woman think to herself " wow, at least I did or didn't do what Niki did" I will feel I did not fail in vain. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. It is with this mission in mind I confess the following:

Last night, after the ten o'clock hour, I remembered that Colby had an Easter Party at school the next day. At this time I also remembered receiving BOTH a written reminder AND an email reminder to bring enough treat filled plastic eggs for each member of the class for the Easter Egg Hunt. Woops- I had forgot! Ah Man was I upset with myself.

Donna would never have forgotten Mary or Jeff's Easter Eggs. The treats would have probably been homemade AND let's face it Donna would probably have been the PTA member in charge of the whole "Egg"stravaganza.

Had the time been anywhere in the nine o'clock hour I would have rushed out to Walgreens to purchase eggs and treats (even without coupons!), but after 10 pm I get nervous about the boogie man and even this night owl won't go out. DH must have been scared of the boogie man too because he turned down my request to make the egg run. Sooooo I had to resort to plan B. I found 14 eggs from last years hunt... (now here comes the really bad part)...... and I stuffed them with leftover Halloween candy.

So there you go..... your feeling pretty good now aren't ya?

WARNING: If your child is in Colby's class- avoid the eggs filled with tootsie rolls or candy corn!

Annual Budget Countdown

Last week I shopped at Kroger and Target.

Target:

Total Spent: $1.04 (9 items)

Total Saved: $5.50

Kroger:

Total Spent: $91.32 (49 items)

Total Saved: $62.53

Totals for Week 14 of 2009

Spent: $92.36

Saved: $68.03

PLUS it was a fun mail week. Not only did I get some fun samples and great Kroger coupons but also got back $2.50 from a Windex Rebate AND an $8.00 Orajel Rebate! This money will go right back into my grocery budget!

You take pictures of your mail too, right?......... anyways...

Year to Date:
Total Spent: $1388.45 - rebate money ($10.50) = $1377.95
Total Saved: $1212.71
Money Left for 2009: $3622.05

Still $44.45 over budget for year! Arggg

Deal Alert- Walmart

I found a new site for you Walmart Fans that might have better match-ups for our region. Can't confirm it is exactly the same deals but at least this blog is closer to home. Check out NWA deals and click on her Walmart Link.

I will say that I flipped through this weeks Walmart flyer and was excited about:

Fresh Strawberries for $1.50! Best price of the season!

Philadelphia Cream Cheese for $0.98

Wild Salmon Fillets (frozen bags) on sale 2 for $7

Kraft Cheese on sale for $1.50- you know I can't pass up a good cheese deal!

Might just have to make a stop at Walmart this weekend!

Deal Alert- Target

As always, Go here first to print all of your Target Printables.

Market Pantry Fruit Snacks Trial Size for $0.89

Use $1 off 1 Target Printable (use link above)

Final Price: FREE

(These are found at the front of the store at the checkouts. These make great bribes/distractions for the kids while you shop for the other deals)

All Small and Mighty Detergent at $3.99 (can anyone confirm this price for our Target?)

Use $2 off 1 printable that I told you about a couple of days ago PLUS the $1 off 1 Target Printable

Final Price: $0.99 after both coupons

Vitamin Water on sale for $1

Use $1 off 1 from 4/5 SS

Final Price: FREE

Eggo Frozen Waffles priced around $1.87

Buy 2 and Use 2 $0.75 off 1 from 4/5 RP PLUS $1 off 2 Target Printables

Final Price: $0.62 each

Buy a Gillette Fusion Poser razor ($7.99) or cartridge and 7oz Gillete Shave Gel ($1.89) and get $5 Target Gift Card

Use $2 off 1 razor coupon and $1 off 1 gel coupon both from 4/5 PG

Final Price: $1.88 for both razor and gel after coupons and gift card

Eggs on sale for $0.99

Johnson's Safety Cotton Swabs for $1.38

Use $0.75 off 1 Target Printable PLUS $1 off 1 from 3/8 RP

Final Price: FREE after both coupons

Renu Contact Solution- trial size for $0.99
Go to the coupons.com sidebar to print off a $1 off 1 coupon
Final Price: FREE

Deal Alert- Kroger

Here are my favorite deals of the week. Go here to take a peak at this week's flyer and as always, check out thegrocerygame or couponmom for a complete list of newspaper insert match-ups!

Eggs are on sale for $1
stock up for Easter eggs!)

Lots of good deals on Ham this week (prices vary by brand)

Kroger Bar, Shredded, or Deli Sliced Cheese on sale B1G1 FREE

Kroger Frozen Vegetables on sale for $1

Dole or Del Monte Fruit 14.5-15.25 oz cans on sale for $1
Use $0.55 off 2 Dole from 3/29 SS
Final Price: $0.45 per can

Dole Pineapple 20 oz can on sale for $1
Use $0.75 off 2 from 2/1 SS
Final Price: $0.63 each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese on sale for $1

Fresh Strawberries on sale for $2.29

Gala Apples on sale for $0.99 per lb.

Sweet Potatoes on sale $0.49 per lb. (now that's a deal!)

Red Grapes on sale $0.99 per lb.

Kroger Sour Cream on sale $1

Kraft BBQ Sauce on sale $0.79
Supposedly there is a $0.35 peelie on some bottles that says "do not double"
Final Price: $0.44

Kroger Value Cereal on sale $0.99
I am going to get a couple of boxes of Kellogs Cornflakes because I use these in several recipes)

Buy 3 boxes of General Mills Cereal -OR- Nature Valley, Fiber One or Chex Mix Bars at $2.49 each get 2 free Betty Crocker fruit flavored snacks. (all purchases must be made in a single transaction with plus card. limit one reward per transaction.)
There are lots of available coupons to work this deal including several found on the coupons.com sidebar on the left side of this blog. I'm not positive but I think you can even use 2 coupons for the Betty Crocker fruit which would equal some overages once the products ring up FREE! (Can anyone tell me if this is true or not?)

The P&G Promotion continues this week- Buy any 3 participating products and get $3 off instantly.
I have not done the match-ups but make sure to load Kroger card with P&Gesaver coupons and look in the 4/5 PG insert if any of these deals tempt you.

Sorry the list is so wimpy- if I discover more deals when I make my weekly trip I'll be sure to pass them on to you! You do the same, Ok?

Deal Alert- Walgreens

The following are my favorite deals of the week with thanks to thethriftymama for providing the match-ups!

Check out "Giant Cheeto" on page 2 of WAGS Flyer this week! Not recommending you to buy it- I just think it's funny!! Ok on with the deals:

Mentos Gum on sale 2 for $2 (I think this sale is going all month long)
Use 2 $1 off 1 from 3/1 SS
Final Price: FREE

Schick Disposable Razors for$6.99
Buy 2 and Use BOGO from 4/5 SS AND $4 off 1 from 3/22 SS PLUS $2 off 1 from ES catalog
Final Price: FREE plus $1.01 in overages after all 3 coupons
TIP: just remember you have to have the same number of items as you do coupons so you might need to add some cheap fillers to your order.

Vitamin Water on sale 3 for $3
Use $1 off 1 from 4/5 SS AND $1 off 2 from ES catalog
Final Price: FREE plus $0.50 overage

Palmolive Dish Liquid on sale for $0.99 with Wags Flyer coupon
Use $0.25 off 1 from 3/29 SS
Final Price: $0.74

Playtex Feminine Care on sale for $3.99
Use $1 off 1 from 3/22 SS PLUS $1 off 1 from ES catalog
Final Price: $1.99 after both coupons

Register Reward Deals (RR)

Colgate Total Advanced 4oz at $3.49, Get $3.49 RR when you buy 1
Use $1.50 off 1 from March ALL You magazine or $0.75 off 1 from 3/29 SS
Final Price: FREE plus upt to $1.50 in overages!

APRIL FREE after Rebate Deals

One a Day Multi-Vitamin Drink Mix 2 ct at $1.49
Buy 2 and use $4 off 2 from 3/22 SS PLUS Submit for ES Rebate #1 and get back $1.49(limit 1 for rebate)
Final Price: FREE plus $2.50 in overages!

Other Rebate Deals

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Origin Tinted Moisturizer at $12.99
Submit ESR #6 to get $10 Rebate PLUS $1 off 1 from 2/22 SS
Final Price: $1.99 after coupon and rebate.

Garnier Fructis Hair Products on sale 4 for $10
Use 6 $1 off 1 coupons from 3/8 RP (3 coupons in one insert if you count the hair color!) PLUS submit ESR #3 (Get $10 when you spend $20 in Garnier Fructis Products)
Final Price: $4 for six products after 6 coupons and rebate

Oust Surface and Air Sanitizer on sale for $2.99
Use $2 off 1 from 3/29 SS PLUS get $1 back with ESR #20 (limit 4)
Final Price: FREE

Thrifty Thursday

Yea!! It's time for THRIFTY THURSDAY!!!

Last night we got a phone call from someone who wants to see our house tonight Soooooooo I spent all night cleaning in preparation for the showing. The good news is my house is all clean for Easter the bad news is I did not spend as long as I usually do in preparation for the deal alerts today- so I hope you are not too disappointed!

Tell us about your deals of the week! Mr. Linky is waiting.....

BAD NEWS

Worm's dead! Sorry just to blurt it out like that but I couldn't think of another way to break the news to you. You know the freeze warning we had just a couple of nights ago..... Well while daddy was covering up the new blueberry plant to protect it from the potential freeze, Colby decided to cover up the area of the garden that he had released "worm" a couple days back. DH didn't think anything of it because of course he thought worm was long gone by now. So DH just let Colby work away while he worked on the rest of the garden. Well yesterday DH went outside to collect all the blankets and guess what he found..... yep, you guessed it- worm- dead as a door nail (why exactly is the door nail the nail that is always referred to as the dead one? anyways....) Just thought you might want to know.

Deal Alert

Go here to print your $5 off 1 Kid Essentials Nutritional Drink from Boost. Great choice for picky eaters.

Deal Alert

Go here to register with Simple and Delicious to get $10 worth of coupon savings including a coupon for FREE Hunts Ketchup. While at this link go ahead and print out the form you will need to get an additional $34 worth of savings when you purchase $25 worth of ConAgra Foods.

Wildcard Wednsday

It's Wildcard Wednesday and I got nothing... I mean really, what could I possibly write about today that could follow last week's missing finger posts? Hmmm..............

How about a worm?

I realize the picture is a little hard to interpret but what your looking at, fellow DRSers, is the worlds longest worm! Yep. Last Friday I walked out my front door and was confronted with what I thought was a snake. After my initial shriek and break dance back into the house my 4 year old bravely investigated the slimy creature and declared that what we had was a "snake worm" aka a worm that is as long as a snake. (now don't go wikipedia "snake worm" because it doesn't really exist.... I just checked for myself)

No joke this worm was at least 12 inches long. On the small chance that this giant worm was indeed a snake I did not let Colby touch it but he did manage to scoop the thing up and capture it inside a small tool box, excuse me "worm house." This worm occupied most of Colby's day- he gave him a bath, feed him grass, and took him on a stroller ride. (I really should get the kid a pet...) Finally when Daddy got home from work, Daddy convinced Colby to let Worm "play" in the garden. So that my friends is where Worm got his picture snapped and where Worm is today... I think.

Yep, you really did just endure a whole post on a worm.... Sorry! The good news is next week's wildcard can only go up from here.

Tidy Tuesday Tip

I have figured out the secret to keeping my kitchen table (aka hot spot) clutter free......

Yes... my dining room does somewhat resemble a school cafeteria at the end of the day BUT with the chairs stacked on top there is no room for anything else! I am thinking about stacking one of the boys kiddie chairs on top of the entry table.........

Zone 4- Office and Playroom

Day 1- Tuesday

• Dust Playroom Furniture
• Sanitize Toys
• Clean Playroom Windows and Fan

Day 2- Wednesday

• Organize Craft Closet
• Playroom Baseboards and Floors
• Office Baseboards and Floors

Day 3 - Thursday

• Dust office Furniture
• Organize Desk
• Organize Cedar Chest

Day 4- Friday

• Clean Office Window
• Organize Coupon Center
• Organize Window Seat

Day 5- Saturday

• Dust Computer and other Electronics
• Sort Magazines and File
• Organize and Update all Files

Tidy Tuesday

So what are we cleaning this week..... hum.... Office and Playroom! I'm anxious to see if I really will do my zone cleaning this week. I did just relist my house on the Internet so maybe that will get me motivated to keep it clean. We'll see.

You know what would help? If you told me about your cleaning project for the week!

Capeless Mom

Today was a Mommy Day. Sooo in an effort to get some learning time in, I loaded the boys up in my 2-door car and headed off to the library for some good ol' fashion frugal fun.
Our outing started out quite routine... we read a few books, Colby put on a puppet show, Cohen knocked a few (ok.. a lot) of books off the shelf- you know, the norm. And then... THEY showed up.
Turns out that every Monday at 10am our local library has Mother Goose Time aka story time for children under the age of two. And guess what? It just so happens that Mother Goose Time is the secret hangout of....... THE SUPERMOMS!!!! I'm not kidding......... I should have figured it out when I overheard a couple of the moms talking about how they were teaching their babies several different languages!!! HELLO, I would be happy if my 18 month old would just learn the HUMAN language!! Regardless, I didn't recognize the superhero capes until we actually entered the story time room.

We all filed in and took a seat with our babies (Colby was such a good sport in this room full of toddlers). As we sat waiting for "Mother Goose" I couldn't help but notice all the cute, matching, unstained outfits worn by the toddler patrons. As I tried to very inconspicuously lick my hand to comb Colby's hair into place I made a mental note to dress the boys in church clothes next story time.

Then story time began. Mother Goose announced the first song and all the SuperMoms squealed with excitement. Apparently it was one of their favorites..........I didn't recognize it. As soon as Mother Goose began the song the SuperMom Choir joined in with their high pitched baby talk voices animatedly singing every word WITH the appropriate hand movements! I felt so sorry for my boys! Their Mommy couldn't sing the song and my hand movements were always at least a few beats behind the lyrics. By the third song I just tried to blend in by opening and shutting my mouth and simply clapping Cohen's hands together to the beat of the song (although not the official hand movement, if anyone asked I was going to say we were working on a rhythm exercise) WHERE WAS THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER? and/or PATTY CAKE?!?! Or even HICKORY DICKORY DOCK? I could have even sung a very impressive "Barney and Friends" version of Hickory Dickory Dock!!! But no.... apparently these songs are not part of the SuperMom hymnal.

In the end, my boys had a great time and that's all that matters. So I'm sure we will be back to Mother Goose Story time......... BUT I am soooo Googeling "toddler songs with hand movements" before we go!

PS I feel certain Donna would have been a regular at Mother Goose Story Time.

Mealtime Monday- accountability

So what's for dinner at your house this week?

Chicken Fajitas

All I do for Chicken Fajitas is follow the directions on the back of the McCormick Fajita Seasoning Packet. For the sake of your grocery list I'll go ahead and write the directions for ya.

Chicken Fajitas

1 pkg. McCormick Seasoning Mix
2 tbs. oil divided (optional if you ask me)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion
1 medium bell pepper
1/4 cup water
8 high fiber tortillas (high fiber- my suggestion)

Here is how I prepare the fajitas:
Mix water and seasoning packet into a ziplock bag. Add chicken to bag to marinate. Meanwhile thinly slice onion and green pepper. Saute onion and green pepper with Pam or a little bit of oil in a skillet. I usually bake or grill my chicken but McCormick recommends cooking in skillet with a little bit of oil. Once chicken is cooked cut into thin strips. Add chicken and vegetables to tortillas.

Nutrition Information: for chicken and vegetables only
Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe
Meal Plan: ~215 Calories, 4 meats, 1 veg

I am going to serve these with black beans and guacamole.

Apple, Cheddar, and Turkey Meatballs

Ok Crockpot Lady I'm totally trusting you on this one. Meatballs in the crockpot? I'm going to give it a try. I'll tell you I might not be the best one to review this recipe because:

1. I don't really like ground turkey- Yes I know some of you will be shocked that the RD doesn't usually cook with ground turkey but honestly ground sirloin is just as lean as most ground turkeys and I think it tastes better- so there.
2. I have never liked meatballs.

So why did I choose a turkey meatball recipe?..... I asked myself that same question as I was forming the golf ball size meatballs. I DO like all the other ingredients found in these oh so healthy balls of turkey so I'm crossing my fingers. I'll let you know.

Go here for the recipe.
I used 2% cheddar and could have used egg substitute if I'd thought of it.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe (not sure how that equates to balls)
Meal Plan: 180 Calories, 3 oz meat, 1 fruit

Since I'm new to meatballs I wasn't sure what to serve with this so I opted for mashed potatoes and green beans.

Chicken Manicotti

This recipe is sponsored by Emily. She brought this dish to our recipe exchange party a couple weeks back and boy was it yummy. I am going to provide the recipe in it's original form with my modifications in parentheses.

Chicken Manicotti

8-10 Manicotti Shells, Cooked and Drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup (reduced fat)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (reduced fat)
2 T. melted butter (I left out)
1 c. Monterey Jack Cheese (if you can find lite or 2% that would be ideal- I wasn't able to find)
1 c. sour cream (lite)
2 cups cooked/diced chicken
1/4 c. chopped onions (optional)
1 can sliced mushrooms, undrained (optional)

Cook manicotti shells and drain (my suggestion would be to cook until slightly soft- I cooked mine too long and then had a difficult time stuffing because they kept collapsing and breaking). Meanwhile, combine soups and sour cream and set 1/2 of mixture aside. With the remaining mixture add chicken and stuff cooked shells and place in 9x13 dish. Saute' onions in butter then add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Add remaining soup mixture to onion mixture and spoon over top of manicotti. Bake covered at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated and then top with cheese for additional 5 minutes uncovered.

Meal Plan: This is for everything BUT the manicotti shell! I know the shell is a critical part of this recipe but I threw the box away before I looked at the nutrition information and DH already took the recycle bin to the curb and it's really cold out there....... so just add the calories of the manicotti shell on top of the following nutrition information, ok.
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Calories: 209, 2 meats, 1 starch, 1 fat PLUS Manicotti Shell

Deal Alert

Go here to print your high value $2 off 1 ALL Detergent coupon. This coupon is only going to be available until 11pm tonight!!!! Then it will magically turn into a lowly $1 off 1 coupon. Thanks Thrifty Mama!

Black Bean Soup

If you didn't try this recipe last time I posted it, I'd highly recommend giving it a try soon. I think I could make this recipe every week and never grow tired of it. In fact I bet we will have this soup again the week of the Pantry Challenge.

Go here for the recipe.

I use chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth and I like to sprinkle just a little bit of Lite Mexican Blend cheese on top!

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (my guess is about 1 cup)
Meal Plan: Calories: 241 (without cheese) 2 lean meats, 2 starches, 12g of Fiber!!!

Spicy Seafood Stew

By now you know I loooove Spicy AND I try to prepare at least 1 fish dish a week sooooo here is what I got for this week.

Spicy Seafood Stew

Go here for recipe

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
Meal Plan: 199 Calories, 3 lean meats, 2.5 vegetables

I am going to serve this with cornbread.

Mealtime Monday

Once again I can't give you an exact time on the meal prep today. I will tell you that I was in the kitchen for over 3 hours but a big chunk of the time was spent cutting off fat and bagging up my chicken into meal size freezer ziplocks (I bought enough chicken to last 6 meals at the Kroger sale this week) and cleaning up the ginormous mess I made during my cooking marathon. I would think that all of the recipes could easily be prepared in under an hour and a half- the only wildcard is the Manicotti- kinda tedious stuffing those shells. Here is what I did to prep and store this week's meals:

Monday: Spicy Seafood Stew. To prep I cut up vegetables and stored in a ziplock. In another ziplock I mixed the tomatoes and spices. Both ziplocks stored in fridge. Tonight I will finish up recipe and add fish.

Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas. I stored the marinating chicken in the fridge and simply cut up the vegetables for prep. Tuesday night I will saute peppers and onions while grilling the chicken.

Wednesday: Apple, Cheddar Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans. The meatballs are formed and stored in the fridge. Wednesday morning I will add meatballs to crockpot, cook on low, and cross my fingers.

Thursday: Chicken Manicotti- I fully prepped this dish without adding cheese. I stored in freezer. Wednesday I will transfer dish from freezer to fridge. Thursday night I will bake.

Friday and Saturday- At Moms House

Sunday: Black Bean Soup? This dish was fully prepped and stored in a freezer ziplock in the freezer, HOWEVER.... I am thinking black bean soup, although quite yummy, is not special enough for Easter Lunch therefore I will probably fix the soup earlier in the week for lunches and go by the meat market to pick up something fun for Easter Lunch. We'll see....

Last weeks meals in review

I wanted to take just a second to give my final verdict on last week's meals- just in case you were considering any of these recipes for your menu.

Fish with Black Bean Avocado Relish: DH and eldest son raved! This was my favorite fish taco to date.

Whole Wheat Pancakes: All I can say is...... Y.U.M.M.Y. I'll never go back to Bisquick again. I can't wait to make these again, in fact... I'm thinking this would make a great Easter Sunday breakfast. I'm thinking a little Kroger $2.50 blueberries and strawberries with a dab of Reddi Whip just for fun.

Can I just interrupt this post to say that the thought of Reddi Whip just makes me smile. It is my personal opinion that it is the single best way to spend 20 Calories. Thank you.

Poppyseed Chicken: Very Good. My only complaint was that after coming out of the freezer and baking it looked... different, still good but different.

Mexican Pork Roast- We loved it. We ended up making pork tacos with the pork and beans and left over corn tortillas from the fish dish.

Pork Chili: 4 out of 5 adults loved this. For some reason DH was not a fan, but myself and the other family along with their son all really enjoyed it. I finished up the last of the leftovers tonight.

Deal Alert

Go here to print your $3 off 1 Huggies Swimmers Coupon. This should make for some pretty cheap swimmers once summer roles around.

Easter Celebration!

I would love to hear how you and your family celebrate Easter!

Sonday Sunday- Palm Sunday

What an exciting week this is for us Christians. Just think, this day some two thousandish years back Jesus began his final walk to the cross.....

12The next day a vast crowd of those who had come to the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!
14And Jesus, having found a young donkey, rode upon it, [just] as it is written in the Scriptures,
15Do not fear, O Daughter of Zion! Look! Your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!
16His disciples did not understand and could not comprehend the meaning of these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. John 12: 12-16!

While Jesus was fully aware that he would be welcomed into the city with shouts of Praise he was also fully aware that in only a few short days those shouts of Hosanna! would turn to shouts of "Crucify Him" and yet he walked in anyway! Thank you Jesus.