Easter Cookies

   Yesterday I finally got a chance to make some Easter cookies. I wanted to try something new so I opted for Chocolate Sugar Cookies using this recipe. I used this butter cream frosting to decorate them, though they're also very yummy without frosting.

   I know they're good because Brandon ate three with his cereal this morning. I hope you're al enjoying a relaxing saturday!

Easter in Kindergarten

   Spring break!!! Yes friends, my spring break started today and I could not be more relieved. This week has been long and exhausting but lots of fun and festive.
  I just wanted to share with y'all a little glimpse into Easter in my kindergarten class...

  These cute bunny bags were for collecting the eggs during our Easter egg hunt. I love that each one is different.

   On Monday the kids used shaving cream and paint to decorate big paper eggs. (directions here)

   At the end of today we had a big 'ole egg hunt. It was exciting, loud, and a bit chaotic. The little ones absolutely adored it. 

   I sent all my students home super hyped up on sugar and with bags of goodies in hand. For the next ten days I'll be home, livin' it up (ie sleeping late and going to the gym). 

Sugar Cookies

  After an absolutely wonderful spring break and Easter filled with family time, Brandon time, day trips, movies, good food, dying eggs, sunshine, and celebrating my mom's birthday it was back to the old grindstone today. Getting up at 5am this morning was surprisingly easy and the day went by fast, though over the course of five days my little kindergartners seemed to have forgotten many school rules. I did get two sweet and interesting gifts from some of my students today. One little girl gave me a boiled egg she had dyed. It had a large dent and crack from being carried around in her book back but it was so sweet of her I hugged her and told her that I would eat it for breakfast tomorrow...she later realized that she had intended to give it to her bus driver and asked for it back. I was happy to oblige. Another precious little one brought me a lemon on the verge of going bad. I'm not really sure what possessed her to bring me a mostly brown lemon but her pleased smile and generous heart melted my heart and as I hugged her "thank you"I said I'd probably use it to make lemonade to drink with my boiled egg. Yum yum.
   I hope you all had a really fantastic and blessed Easter and that you've been able to ease comfortably back into that old work routine. We were blessed with so much time with our loved ones as well as really delicious food. I was super pleased with the sugar cookies I made and so was everyone else :o)

I suppose I'll share the recipe with y'all...you know, since I said I would.

Mrs. Fields' Sugar Cookies
Makes 18
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup colored sugar for decoration
• 3/4 cup butter
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well blended. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
3. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate one hour until firm.
4. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. With cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles. Bake for 13-15 minutes, being careful not to brown. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

   Plain sugar cookies are fantastic on their own but, with icing? What more could you want?

Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

food coloring 

Directions

   1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in almond extract.

   2.  Add desired food colors. 

Easter

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear of death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand 

He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen.-Matthew 28:6

Easter eggs

   My hands are style multi colored from egg dying last night. I got into it. And I'm messy. The pink, green, and blue splotches on my hands are more subdued now and I look less freakish than I did last night.
   We had a wonderful time celebrating my mom's birthday and dying our Easter eggs. My brother's home from school for Easter and it was great for us all to get to be together. God has blessed us so.
   Later today we'll be going to visit my grandparents and see my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I've also been told that there's going to be a big competitive Easter egg hunt :o)

   When we got home last night I iced my Easter sugar cookies. I promise I'll share the recipe soon.

Enchantment Tuesday {Yes, I know today is Wednesday}

   Spring break is off to a wonderful, wonderful start. We took my car to get the oil changed, I went for a great run in the warm weather, and we're planning a little day trip later today. Oh, and I got to stay up really late last night :o)
   I don't believe I've posted an "Enchantment Tuesday" for a while. Lame. With Easter so close I've come across so many adorable Easter projects so, I'll share a few of those today along with other things I'm lovin'.

   Mason Jars of any kind, used anywhere make me very happy. These absolutely delight me. 

Such a pretty way to combine flowers and eggs.

Bark is one of my favorite foods. I like jelly beans too. I'd love to find some of this in my Easter Basket.

I don't have an Easter dress. I sort of quit getting them when I was like 12. But, if I were going to get an Easter dress, this is the one I'd choose.

This warm Spring weather reminds me that Summer (Yay!) is just around the corner. Strawberries always make me think of sweet summertime. 

Tissue Paper Bunnies and {finally} Spring Break!

  I am so tired, but so excited! I spent the day with 21 children asking me over and over...and over "When's the egg hunt? "Is the egg hunt soon?" "When do we get to look for eggs?" "Are we looking for eggs after math?" "Where are the eggs going to be?" and on and on and on... you get the idea. Needless to say, kids are already excited the last day before break. Throw a giant Easter egg hunt in the mix, and they are out of their minds excited. I love their enthusiasm though and will take their constant excited questions over apathy any day. And I gotta admit, egg hunts make me super excited too. I'm pretty sure I get to participate in one at my grandparents' this weekend. Watch out cousins :o)
   So yes, I'm tired from all the excitement at school and emptying and putting back together like 100 eggs, but super excited because my kids had so much fun and I now have five days or freedom before me. Yes, five whole days of Spring Break! Best of all, my husband has the same five days off. With Brandon and I often working very opposite schedules each week, I have butterflies thinking of all the time we'll be getting to spend together.
  I do wanna share with y'all the little Easter Bunny Craft we did today. It was pretty simple. The kiddos each balled up a piece of tissue paper, put it in the middle of another piece, gathered it around the top like a present, tied a ribbon around the gathers, and added a face.

  They turned out pretty cute and bunny-esq. Too bad I forgot to send them home today but with the pound of candy each kid took in their backpack, they didn't seem to notice their bunnies staring at them as they left. 

   Thank the good Lord for Spring Break :o)