This sweater, again, made from lambswool, (quite warm) had a very awkward v-neck. The neck used to droop, right under the point… like I said awkward.

But with a trusty pair of scissors, and a cut right up the middle, the droop has now disappeared.

Instant cardigan… in green.

No matter how bad things look, this is not the way it’s going to end. No one will take away your joy. Jesus glorifies that message on Easter morning with his empty tomb. Kids need practical tangible “tools” to see how this transformation of bad to good takes place… it helps them to settle the lesson in their hearts, so they can pull it up when they need it later in life.

The act of making resurrection cookies with them can give them these practical tools… far more effective than simply coloring eggs …. although I recommend that too.

A couple of years ago, the recipe for Easter Resurrection Cookies, or Empty Tomb Cookies, landed in my inbox. The story starts with pecans that are broken, egg whites (new life) and vinegar (Jesus’ drink on the cross) and a tomb (your oven) and ends with a beautiful white pristine “hollow” cookie. All of the “ingredients” humbly thrown together, looking nothing like the product that comes at the end — and somehow, a little miracle is created in your oven on Easter morning.

I have posted the recipe posted below — without pictures — as I will be doing this on Saturday as well.

Empty Tomb Cookies
Ingredients

• Bible
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 qt. or gal. size zipper bag
• wooden spoon
• tape
• 1. Preheat oven to 300F or 150C.

Place pecans in ziploc bag and let kids beat them with the 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. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted
together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and
went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in
the face.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Add teaspoon of 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. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that
they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep.”

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. 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 own sins.

Read Luke 23:27. A large number of people followed Him, including women who
mourned and wailed for Him.

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 Psalm 34:8. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes
refuge in Him.
John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that
whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff 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. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall
be like wool.”
John 3:1-3. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a
teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the miraculous signs you are
doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Fold in broken nuts. Line the cookie sheet with waxed paper. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:57-60. As evening approached, there came a rich man from
Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate,
he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body,
wrapped it in clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of
rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66. “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as
secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on
the stone and posting a guard.

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. “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world
rejoices. You will grieve, buy your grief will turn to joy.” And John 16:22 “So with you~
Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will
take away your joy.”

On Easter morning, open the oven and remove the cookies. Take a bite. Notice that the
cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake,
for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the
stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as
snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The
angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus,
who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place
where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is
going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now I have told you.” So the
women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His
disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped his
feet and worshipped Him.

How I love cardigans… I can never find them in just the right colors…and too often they have jewels and rhinestones embedded in them, and all I want is just an everyday cardigan.

This royal blue wool sweater is warm and cozy and soft to the skin. It’s warm. Did I say that? I am always cold, and any sweater that does it’s job of keeping me warm is worth gold. Yet, I almost gave this sweater away. The crew neckline was too high… it was too far from being a turtle neck, and not low enough to ever look normal.

Since I was going to give it to Goodwill anyway, I did an experiment. I measured the center, and used a straight edge to draw a line right down the center of the front of the sweater. And I cut it.

The edges rolled back, hiding the “cut-line”, and I had an instant cardigan. I could embellish the edges with seam binders tape… add some cool buttons…but so far, I’ve been too busy wearing my new instant cardigan.

For the front door, I skipped St. Patrick’s Day, and just headed toward making an Easter Egg Wreath. Easter is full of harsh pastel colors — lime green, neon pink, and that odd blue that is a cross between neon and cobalt blue.

I want nothing of the sort.  I prefer a more “gentle” awakening to spring. The way Spring natural wakens on it’s own… with Robin’s eggs — that’s a perfect blue.  I tried to find a natural looking brown feather boa… but all I could find was bright pink, lime greens and yellows.

So, I found this yarn in a grayish-bluish brown color — exactly what you might find in a real, live nest outside your door.

And — here’s a cheap trick to make a wreath base — go to the hardware store and find “flexible” tubing in the plumbing department. It’s foam… and cost around $2.

I cut it to size, and I think I’ll be able to make two wreaths from this. Simply duct tape the ends together to make your circle.

I wrapped the fun fur yard around the wreath (it stretches out to make a single thread)… making the wreath kind of fluffy…

Then, I glued on some Robin Egg Blue eggs — rescued from a garish old Easter wreath I found in my attic.

I will say, that my oldest son doesnt’ like this wreath. He says it’s too dark…

but I like it… just because it is kind of quiet, and it highlights the eggs. And, they are some really good looking eggs.

There is always some kind of strawberry dessert on our Valentine’s table, along with a favorite “red meat” (usually a roast) and green asparagus — roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. And, with pleasure, I always make Valentines for the boys.

Can I even tell you how much I love slathering them with valentine hearts, candy and stickers… and they don’t even blush — because this involves candy. Now that two of the four are too old for “Valentine parties,” at school, they appreciate Mom’s valentine’s even more — probably the only bit of candy they will get all day.

This year, they’ll have two valentines in their lunches:

A Peep Heart, two graham crackers and a chocolate bar.

The second, is actually the same craft we’ll be making with the first and second graders tomorrow during their party:

(Just ask me how glad I am that I did not throw out all of those decks with missing cards.) The heart card, holding a sucker. Each boy gets a card that matches how many years they are (minus ten for two of them) and King for daddy.

I found this sitting on my desk this morning.

With a note attached:

And they just told me they get out of school early tomorrow…

This is the 12 days of Christmas, right? This is when all of the holiday hubbub is suppossed to take place anyway. Yet, I know that, like me, you’re tired of it all, and ready to move on. And, I will — after I’ve finished with the Altoids Tin Challenges.

It was getting down to the wire — it was the day before Christmas Eve… and all through the house, all the creatures were stirring — including my 16-year old who decided it was time to start and finish his Altoids.

As I brainstormed with him, I realized then, what a great Christmas challenge this was. How trying to figure out what will fit into an Altoids Tin forces you to limit and narrow your focus to what really matters. Gifts that no gift card, cash or toy store can compare with. Gifts that say, “I KNOW you.”

Finally, he came up with this:  ”He likes to build things.” So, he creatively cut out shapes from a Quaker’s Oat’s cereal box…

made the “heart” go right where the heart fits

and put the whole thing together with some brads.

The parts of a mini-gingerbread house fit neatly into an Altoids Tin –

if you’re a bit creative. I’m not quite sure if the parts and pieces inside are enough to make a house — maybe more like a shack — or maybe even a sidewalk leading to a much bigger Gingerbread house. Who knows that will become of these parts.

He broke apart a single graham cracker, and loaded the inside with candies — as much as the tin would hold.

For the royal icing, we filled a small stamp envelope with powdered sugar (A ziplock baggie was too big) and put it inside the top of the tin.

Here’s the gallery so far:

This Monopoly Altoids Christmas gift is over the top — and there were several moments when I questioned the purpose of the whole entire project at this point.

But to by honest,  there really is nothing for me to gripe about. The son who came up with this one, I thought, was too young to handle this project. But he proved me wrong. Except for the cutting I did for him — he did all the creative work himself. He was the one who thought of finding an image of a Monopoly game board and printing it… of finding images of the deed cards and printing it so that Mom could cut them out.

He was the one who thought of using a combination of staples and magnets as game pieces… (I think he broke the stapler trying to get out all of the pieces — because they had to be bent staples.) He insists on using paper money — and I tried my best to convince him to use Pennies — and change the prices accordingly to be a true miniature game, with boardwalk selling at 3 cents. No deal.

Now, all he needs is a roll of magnet “tape” to finish the game, and we’re good to go.

Altoids Christmas Gift Gallery so far:

We will not say a word about the “backwards R,” now will we?

This gift is a “copy” of an entire set of Altoids Tin complete office supply set, that also included a couple of tin cans wrapped in cork. My little guy used cork to cover the top of an Altoids tin (cut by mom) and glued with spray adhesive.

Rubberbands were placed inside, and a big fat “R” was stenciled on to put on dad’s desk.

Here’s the collection so far: