Bird Nests

4 cups Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles
1/4 cup Butter
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 pkg Mini Robin Egg candy
Package of Peeps
Cooking Spray

Use a 6 or 12 cup muffin tin depending on desired size of
nests.  We made only 6 nest with this recipe so we could overlap the top
and give an "edge" for our bird to sit on.

1.  Heat butter and marshmallows over medium heat

2.  Stir till melted

3. 
Add noodles and stir till completely coated

4.  Spray muffin tin then
hands with cooking spray.

5.  Place mixture into muffin cups and
shape with hands to form "nests".

6.  Refrigerate approximately 30
minutes later, gently remove nests from muffin tin and perch a Peep on the side. 
It helps if the nest is still a bit sticky, this will "glue" the peep on.

7.  Place nests on a tray and put back
in the fridge till completely set.

8. Fill with candy eggs.

 You could serve these right away or
wrap them in a pretty cellophane bag and give them as a gift. 

Actual work time: 6-8 minutes

Total time:  45minutes

These
nests are a great project for kids!  There are many various recipes
including chocolate and peanut butter but this is the one Joshua thinks looks
the most realistic.  It also happens to be the easiest and least time
consuming which makes mommy pretty happy too.  We couldn’t seem to find any
yellow peeps, what’s up with that?

Joshua’s newest favorite is Classical Musicals.
He loves anything with Gene Kelly or Fred Astair

Right now he’s watching Ziegfeld Follies which has them both in a”dance off”. He says if only he had tap shoes and a fancy suit he could be as cool as these two guys. He’s not too impressed with most of the movie he likes to fast forward to the dancing parts and watch them again and again.

While I appreciate his love for the older films we simply can not watch them together, you see I’ll watch the story and fast forward through the endless dancing while he’ll fast forward through the story and watch the dancing again and again…and again.

The movie just ended and he’s now dancing around the house singing if only he had “some shoes”.

stream-of-con‧scious‧ness- Pronunciation[streem-uhv-kon-shuhs-nis]
–adjective
of, pertaining to, or characterized by a manner of writing in which a character’s thoughts or perceptions are presented as occurring in random form, without regard for logical sequences, syntactic structure, distinctions between various levels of reality, or the like

So you may know I’m still conscious:

The mist was beautiful this morning. I love the rain, even when we’re camping in the mountains and rain means we have to spend the entire vacation in a tent, I still love the rain.

Joshua and I went to town this morning, I had a meeting with Krista, then we went to the library for a while. I was looking for a book but couldn’t remember either the author or the title so I decided to use their computer to look it up on
Christianbook.com
where I had first seen it. I shouldn’t have used the library’s computer, I have now been infected with extreme DSL Fever. I was actually able to click on a link and be immediately taken to a fully loaded page in less than 1 second. Really! I don’t make this stuff up. Instead of clicking then getting up and making a pot of coffee or taking a shower I was actually able to instantly see the entire page. So badly I miss my high speed internet connection. I can actually feel a tear welling up in my right eye.

While I was wired I decided to head on over to Bethany’s place at A Picturesque Life:Life in Pictures and check out her most recent photos, I love some of her pictures but they normally take too long to load. Hi Bethany, the baby is beautiful!

Before actually getting on line I had to first pay 15 cents in late fees to get the block taken off my name. What a delinquent I am. Sorry bout that.

After clearing up my library debt and finding they didn’t have my book I checked out an audio book for Joshua: Hank the Cowdog #43: The Case of the Twisted Kitty He’s laying on the floor listening to it right now.

For Kaleb and Charleigh I checked out the movie Sarah, Plain and Tall While we say Kaleb was named after the Biblical Caleb. It was actually the character Caleb in the movie that first made me want to name a boy that. Speaking of “Caleb” did you know that after Patricia MacLachlan’s book; Sarah, Plain and Tall came Skylark and after that the third in the series was: Caleb’s Story I would love to read that one, I’ve actually not read any of the books but have only seen the movies. Seeing that the book is always better than the movie I should probably read all three sometime.

Moving along…Amy will be visiting soon. My kids are very excited to see Jer and Sarah, they are already planning all kinds of exciting games. Sis, I sure hope you can come other wise there will be some really disappointed us around here. Speaking of Amy, have I mentioned how excited I am about our upcoming birthday? 30 is the best birthday of all, better than 16, 18, or 21. 30 means you finally get to be a grown up. Still not old but a grown up. Yeah 30! To top it off our birthday is on Resurrection Sunday which happens to be my favorite day of the year.

Sanjaya...Really America? Really? Are you sure?

Blue Cheese is inconsistent, it can be tasty one day and terrible the next. What of that?

Joshua just asked for another tracing paper. We are loving the practice worksheets from Handwriting for Kids

Oh and if you want to call me please do, in person, don’t have an automatic dialer that asks me to hold when I answer the phone. I won’t hold, I’ll hang up. . . Every time, every time I will hang up.

Here’s hoping Joel picks the right Malaria pills

That’s all I’ve got folks and if you’re still reading you now know I’m conscious but I’m wondering if you still are.

Welcome to the world precious little girl!

Liberty Ann was born to my dear cousin Christopher and his lovely wife Hope on Friday, March 16th at 11:05 PM.
“Libby” weighed 9 pounds 3 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. Hope and baby look great; so do Daddy and Big Brother Justin.

For some reason there’s been many people landing here via a search for “Mexican Lasagna”. They arrive only to find I have none. It is for all of the anonymous “Mexican Lasagna” searchers I post this:

Easy “Taco” Lasagna:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add water and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in the black beans and tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Place two tortillas in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Spread with half of the refried beans and beef mixture; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Yield: 9 servings.

This came from a Quick Cooking Magazine, I always alter it a little to fit the situation and have even made it with lasagna noodles. Whenever and however I make it it’s always a big hit at potlucks. Lately I prefer using homemade refried beans instead of canned, perhaps I’ll share that recipe later…

The above recipe would be good served with my Fiesta Spanish Rice, Cilantro Sour Cream, or even my Colorful Black Bean Salad.
Of course if you have an aversion to black beans like my dear friend Janae you could leave them out of any of the above recipes except of course the Black Bean Salad which simply wouldn’t work without it’s namesake.

For those of you searching for a “low fat Mexican lasagna” Here’s you a recipe from Light & Tasty Magazine

This one from The Taste of Home Ground Beef Cook Book sounds pretty tasty as well.

Yes, Kaleb now needs glasses. Looking at it in a positive light our eye insurance premium just became more cost effective. Charleigh has been wearing glasses since she was three and Joshua is devastated that he too won’t be getting glasses. He says that we are a “glasses family” and he is all alone in it.

Here he is trying to convince us he can’t see a thing.

Today my dear friend Nae’ turns “Oh, somewhere between 29 and 31.” Happy day Nae’
I love you

Insert emotional/inspirational post of what Janae’s friendship means to me here:
:)

Have you seen The Nativity Story? This is a fabulous faith film that will most certainly find it’s way into many family traditions. The owner of our local movie theater was so impressed with the movie he offered a free screening of it to the community. Kurt and I took Kaleb and Charleigh who really enjoyed it as did we. It opened up a lot of questions and I remember wishing it was on DVD so we could pause it and answer each one. Now we have our chance.
The Nativity Story will be released on DVD on 03/20/07

The Nativity Story, DVD By Word Entertainment, Inc. The most magnificent portrayal of the nativity ever! Witness the struggles and joys of the Holy Family—and the Savior’s birth at the turning point of history. Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, this major motion picture spared nothing to ensure historical accuracy and cinematic power. A film to be cherished for years to come! (PG, some violence.) 101 minutes.

Surely you’ve seen Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ, if not here’s your perfect opportunity to own your own copy. This Movie is available for only $9.99 right now! I know Kurt and I spent more than $20 on our copy. We went to see the film on opening weekend and honestly we haven’t watched the DVD yet, we’ve loaned it out a few times but never sat down to watch it again. While not necessarily a comfortable movie to watch it does hold a significant purpose. If you haven’t seen it I definitely recommend you do. It can be a life changer.

The Passion of the Christ, DVD By Made In The Shade Order your copy of Mel Gibson’s stunning masterpiece portraying the final twelve hours of Jesus’ life. This DVD of the international blockbuster film offers an unforgettable experience of the profound love of Christ’s sacrifice. If you would prefer a wide screen DVD, click here, or for VHS, click here. Rated R for scenes of graphic violence.

For more info here’s the official site for The Nativity Story

Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

VOM’s Prisoner Alert is a vital link between us and our Christian brothers and sisters imprisoned for their faith. Besides alerting us to their situation they also offer wonderful tools and tips on how we can make a difference for these prisoners.
The Letter Writing and Translation tool is an amazing way to break the language barrier. You have the opportunity to select from the numerous phrases and Bible verses which are then translated in the appropriate language. When you are finished you can simply print out the letter and add any personal touches you may like. (I like to have the kids draw a picture) The prisoner’s address is provided as well as approximate shipping info. It takes less than 5 minutes and around one dollar to make an important difference.

It really does make a difference! Besides letting prisoners know they have not been forgotten it also allows government officials to see they have not been forgotten. Often the realization that friends and family from overseas are keeping a close watch on the situation leads to better treatment of the prisoner.

PrisonerAlert.com also offers links and tips on emailing government officials in these persecuted areas. Another vital tool.

—————————-
Today we write to Pastor Van Thong of Lao People’s Democratic Republic:

“Pastor Van Thong and 11 other local pastors were arrested on November 26, 2006, for attending meetings organized by Christian leaders from the West. Van Thong is the head of Lao Evangelical Church in his province. He has been denied visitors and is being held indefinitely.” -PrisonerAlert.com

Please visit PrisonerAlert.com today and find out how you can write a letter to Pastor Van Thong.

————————————-
Here is a more extensive list of prisoners at this time.

While you’re at it visit Voice of the Martyrs for more information on the persecution of the church. Living here in our comfortable American lives it is easy to forget the hardships our Christian family endures; forgetting doesn’t make it go away. It is crucial that we not forget, that we do our part.

Matthew 25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

————————————————————————–
A Few Other Voice of the Martyr Links:
B.A.S.I.C Fellowship, Bibles Unbound, Kids of Courage
,

A Few Previous Posts on the Persecuted Church:
Bible Smugglers, Kids of Courage, Pray for the Dalits

Did I mention Charleigh got her hair cut?
Here’s she is before school this morning.

She had more than 9 inches cut off.
Here’s a phone picture of when it happened:

Charleigh was fearless when she told the lady to “Chop it Off!” Kaleb was a little less sure, I had to send him away cause he kept begging her not to do it. He honestly looked like he was going to cry. Afterwards he told her she was pretty cute and that it had worked out much better than he had thought it would. Joshua fully approved of the new “do”; as soon as he saw her he exclaimed “Now I’m just going to have to marry you cause you are sooooo beautiful!”