Easter Cookies - A Family Project

This is a family project and is to be made the evening before Easter. (I like to call it Resurrection Day.)

What you need:
1 c. whole pecans
3 egg whites
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
pinch salt
mixing bowl
mixer
wooden spoon
zipper baggie
wax paper
cookie sheet
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (This is important. Do not wait until you are half done with this recipe.)

Place pecans in the zipper baggie and let the children beat them with a 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 the 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 represents life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hands. 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 sin.
Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of 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 Psalms 34:8 and John 3:1-3

Beat with mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until 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 Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

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

Put the cookie sheet in the oven and turn it OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 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 empty!
Read Matthew 28:1-9

** I got this recipe as a handout years ago and I kept it. I do not know it's origin. I haven't tried it yet because of my kids' age and the busy-ness of Easter Sunday. This Easter, I am going to try it and allow for enough time in the morning BEFORE church to experience the hollow cookies. If you try this activity, please write back and tell me how it went. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Easter planning and cooking!

Chicken Fold-ups

2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
3 oz. cream cheese (they actually make that size of cream cheese)
2 T. butter
2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can crescent rolls

Topping:
1 T. butter
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs or crushed croutons

Cook and cube chicken. Mix cream cheese and 2 T. butter. Add milk, salt and pepper. Mix chicken. Press together 2 crescent rolls into a rectangle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Spoon filling onto the center of the rectangle and bring up the corners. Press corners together. Spoon the topping over them. You might need to press it into the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes. 4 servings.

I got this recipe from a friend, but I am unsure where she got it at. They are yummy!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Chili Soup

The weather is getting nicer, but there are still a few chilly days. Now is the time to make chili soup before the days are too hot for soup. I got this recipe when I was newly married and I still make it.

2 lbs hamburger
chili seasoning packet
2 cans chili beans
1 qt tomato juice

Brown hamburger and drain. Stir in all of the other ingredients and simmer.

Optional ingredients: canned tomatoes, green pepper, hot pepper, onion, a little bit of sugar. Can you think of any other ingredients that are good in chili? Of course you need to top it off with cheddar cheese and some crackers.

Happy Cooking!

Busy Day Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
2 medium onions, diced
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. sliced carrots
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 1/2 T. quick cooking tapioca
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
10 3/4 oz. can tomato soup
1 1/2 soup cans of water

Layer meat and vegetables in slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca, sugar, salt, and pepper. Combine the soup and water and pour into slow cooker. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

This stew is easy and it makes the house smell so good. It is perfect for this time of year, when the weather is still brisk. It is best with corn bread. It is one of my favorite meals. The kids complain about eating it, but they still do. They love the cornbread. I got this recipe out of the "Fix-it and Forget-It Cookbook" by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good. I enjoy this cookbook, so I recommend buying it.

Tomorrow Oprah is having on some famous chefs. I believe that they will be showing cheap meals and the things that you should get at the grocery store. If you can't be home to watch it - try to record it. I am sure they will have some great tips for you.

Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Pulled-Pork Fajitas

I found a recipe called Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork Fajitas at Betty Crocker. You can find the original recipe there, however, I tweaked it because my husband didn't like the barbecue sauce in it. We loved the way the meat pulls apart after it is slow cooked. So instead of using the barbecue sauce, salsa, chili powder and cumin, I substituted it with Stubb's Pork Marinade. It is a little spicy, so it makes it perfect for fajitas. You may not find that marinade in your grocery store, but I am sure you can figure something to slow cook with your pork. Another variation to the recipe is that I don't use the frozen peppers and onions. I slice them long and fry them in the skillet with some olive oil until they are tender. We eat these fajitas with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and guacomole. ( I make my guacomole by smashing avocados and mixing it with salsa and garlic powder - yummy!) Okay - truth - my kids don't eat the vegetables or the guacomole. I hope that this recipe idea is helpful.

Happy Cooking!