Resurrection Sunday

Happy Resurrection Sunday! It was a beautiful day in many ways today. The virus canceled church services which is something that has never happened. I whole heartedly agreed with this decision, as we are still staying home to limit the spread of this virus. Some people were upset but I feel it gave people a chance to explore different types of Christian services via the internet. I joined several programs this week. This morning I watched a sunrise service at Arlington Cemetery. I didn't know that services were held there. I live in the Pacific North West, so I have never even been there. The chaplain was fabulous and what a joy to view this service online. Later this morning, I joined my friends Paul and Angelia for their home church. They live in Alabama and I visit this service often.
Yes, it was a very different Easter but Easter Sunday was not canceled.

Last January, someone in a tea group I belong to, posted these adorable tins. I was able to order a set. I don't even remember the name of the company. The larger tin is for cake. Isn't it pretty?

The smaller one says Tea Time Treats! Oh, how I dove that tin.

Jimmy likes sugar cookies. I had a roll of dough in the fridge, So I decided to bake some cookies for him. I LOVE cookie cutters. I used some of the red plastic ones from my youth, some Hallmark ones that my girls loved growing up and some I have picked up along the way. Yep, I still have my Tupperware sheet for rolling out dough. I have had it for about 40 years!

Jimmy doesn't like icing on sugar cookies, so I just used colored sugars to decorate them a little.

This is one of my spice cabinets. This was a Mother's Day gift long ago.

I have very small cookie cutters in some of the drawers. I used to use these to make cookies for my daughters when they were little.

I picked out a few to make some cookies for my dollies. I just love these tiny cookie cutters.

The finished project! I will have to share them with my dolls.

I also decided to make one of our family traditions for Easter. They are called Blarney Stones. They started out as cakes for St Pat's Day by my maternal grandmother. She cut a sheet cake into squares, frosted the cake all around and rolled it in coconut and chopped walnuts. My mother changed the process a little. She made them for Easter and frosted them with pastel colors. She made cupcakes and that made them easier to handle than cut cake squares. We still call them Blarney Stones.

Chopped walnuts and coconut ready to go.

These are so yummy and pretty, but they are messy to make. I frost the top and sides and then put it in the coconut bowl. I finish frosting the sides and bottom and roll it the coconut. I've done these many years and I will tell you, it takes some practice to get it right.

The coconut ones are the favorite in my family, but they like some nut ones too!

Don't they look like spring? These are full size cupcakes, but I have made them smaller for showers or teas. I like to make white ones with coconut for Christmas or winter...they look like snowballs.

I let them sit overnight with a layer of plastic wrap loosely over the pan. They need to dry a bit before wrapping them individually in plastic wrap. The look great in the new cake tin.

My friend Michi Ball made this rabbit. She is an artist and sells wonderful things every month. I just love him.

My Jimmy was so ready for a nice Easter dinner. We couldn't share our meal with anyone, but we have each other. I had fun planning the menu....ham, balsamic vinegar asparagus, pea salad and fresh fresh fruit salad. I'm not supposed to eat ham due to my low sodium diet, but I did have a bit today!

Jimmy loved the pea and bacon salad...something new for us.

I didn't get out my Easter dishes this year so I used my Johnson Brother's Old English Countryside set.

Angie had Otto and her step daughter over night this weekend so she drove over to see us and drop off a few things. We can't have the kids over now but we got to see them as they stayed in the car.
Otto was SO SAD that he had to stay in the car. In the first photo, you can only see his hand. He wouldn't even look at us for awhile. It just made me so sad. We haven't seen him in person for a month!I tried not to cry, but the tears just came. Jim got sad too. Brave Angie just keep saying it was alright. This is the hardest part of this separation stuff for me.

Well, here it is bedtime. It was a full and busy day. We both found a lot of JOY, even with the sadness. Stay home and stay safe. 

Tea Time Tuesday #170

Happy Tea Time Tuesday! The weather cooled off a little today after another 90 degree day, so I felt like it was ok to have a little hot tea today.

Yesterday, I got my package of honey from my friend LaVonne! It's from her farm in Montana...Serenity Sheep Farm. It's a wonderful place and she must have happy bees because this honey is just the best! I decided to see if I could find a recipe for a healthy goodie for tea, using honey. I had some almond flour, so I went on the hunt. I am playing around with almond flour. It's fun to try something very different. I didn't want to buy a big amount until I decided it was something I wanted to use. Bob's Red Mill is always a good place to start.

The dough went together easily and formed a ball after mixing by hand.

I did make the biscuits thinner than the recipe suggested as I wanted to see if they would be more like a cookie. It worked. It only makes 12 cookies or 7 thicker biscuits. That's ok for the 2 people who live here!

Into the oven....

Out of the oven....

I also wanted to try the beautiful tea that my Gina brought back from her trip to Bali. This white tipped oolong tea is mild and very nice! Gina loves deer and this box was to support the endangered deer in Taiwan.

It's a loose tea, so you need your strainer! I love to use a pretty one. This is one of my favorite brown transfer ware cup and saucers. Fall is coming! I love slipping into it at this time of the year.

This was a bargain teapot/coffee pot that I found this summer. I just adore it. It had been in a family for a long time. The lady said no one wanted it...so sad. She sold it to me for $12.50. I told her it was going to a good home!

Two little cookies with a touch of honey. No butter for me these days. The cookies are tasty, but not too sweet.

I hope you had time for a cup of tea today.

I got the results from my test...precancerous but no cancer at this time. Another colonoscopy will be needed in 3 years, but that's ok. It's a life savor. I need to make a few more diet changes...more legumes and whole grains. No red meat or pork, but I am not eating that now anyway. I am thankful.

Here's the recipe if you would like to give it a try...

2 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 c coconut oil
2 eggs
1 T honey

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Mix the oil, eggs and honey in a large bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix by hand until it forms a dough ball
Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Add a bit of flour if its sticks or appears too sticky.
Roll to 3/4" for thicker biscuits.....thinner if you want them to be more like cookies.
Transfer by metal spatula to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned

Makes 7 biscuits or 12 cookies

Shawn the Sheep Cupcakes with the Grands

I have been trying to post my day with the grands last week when Ava was on spring break. I watched them on Wednesday and with the six year age difference between them, I thought I should take a fun project to do with them. I found these sheep cupcakes on Pinterest and as Otto LOVES marshmallows, I knew it would be a hit. They just look like Shawn the Sheep with their funny eyes.

First we made the cupcake batter and that was fun to watch them. Ava was a pro and Otto just followed. The cracked egg ended up on the counter, but we managed to save it. The hardest part is always waiting for the cupcakes to cool so they can be frosted.

Otto is such a ham when the camera comes out! Notice that he marshmallow in his little hand! Ava was quite serious with her assignments. Yes. that is pink dye on Ava's hair. Her daddy just redid it, so it's pretty intense. It looks quite nice when it fades out.

Ava was so good at adding the eyes with a bit of frosting. We used Reese's peanut butter Easter candies for their faces. They really were the perfect size.

When the cakes were cool enough, we frosted them with vanilla frosting and then decorated them with mini marshmallows. Otto could even do it! They turned out so cute.

We watched the Shawn the Sheep movie after we finished. It was a fun day for Grandma Linda.

Cookies!

My daughter Gina is a cookie monster! She loves cookies, so I like to have cookies for her when she comes home to visit. I picked up these Pumpkin Spice "chocolate chips" last week and thought I would give them a try.

The recipe on the back of the package called for canned pumpkin, but I wasn't sure if I would like that much pumpkin. I used the traditional Toll House chocolate chip recipe and added chopped pecans. The little flavored morsels are very flavorful and the cookies are yummy.

Last spring when I was at a quilt retreat, some of us went shopping at the outlet mall one afternoon.
My friend Nancy told me shared this little tool with me. It's a cookie scoop that really helps all your cookies bake at the same size. All these years of cookie baking and I finally find the perfect tool.

Saint Pat's Highlights!

Well, the leprechauns took over my kitchen the other day and "forced" me into making some St Pat's treats! Jim and I have been eating healthier and haven't had any treats for a few weeks. I think my SIL Chris had something to do with this as he wanted my Blarney Stones and green shortbread stamp cookies for the dinner he invited us to!

This little guy was more interested in taking a nap! I found him sleeping on the frosting!

Next he ended up on the cookie dough that had to chill in the fridge! Even the cold didn't wake this guy up from his nap time!

I was working on the Blarney Stones and this one jumped right into the coconut! Note that twinkle in his eye!

He thinks he's a supervisor!  Do you think he approves of the finished product?

And here's Mr Lazy Leprechaun again. He crawled into the plate when I was getting it ready to take to Angie and Chris' home on Sunday!

Treats and little goodies for all. Holidays are always fun with our family! Jimmy and I were off for dinner at the Wirth house.

Picture time! Mama Angie with Otto and Ava. Grandma K made Ava's shirt and Otto's little vest. Too cute. Great job Grandma K!

The Happy Family!

The grandparent and the grandkids! A nice break from the rain outside.

Time for dinner! I think Ava was hungry! We had corned beef, potato pancakes, sauteed grated cabbage,  and soda bread. Everything was soooo good. Chris is such a great cook. Jimmy loves potato pancakes, so he was in heaven!

Otto is ALWAYS ready to eat! He was willing to leave that little hat on for a long time!

Ok Daddy, what can I try next? I love food!

Yep, he needed to be cleaned up after a tiny bit of chocolate!. He got two more teeth, so he can really eat now! I think Otto was kissed by the leprechauns!

Tea time for Jimmy and me on Monday to celebrate St Pat's Day.  Last chance for some goodies.

Irish Breakfast tea was the tea of choice this afternoon. Always delightful.

A little look at the cards I received in my ATAA (Afternoon Tea Across America) St Pat's card exchange. These exchanges are so fun. Easter will be the next one!

I hope the leprechauns didn't play too many tricks on you today!