Chocolate Marble Bread with Ganache

This is a scrumptious loaf of dessert bread I made for a friend get-together. It's another Martha Stewart recipe. I think the only difference in my creation was that I made the ganache with equal parts chocolate and cream. The ganache was a bit runny, but tasted really good.

Cats in My Yard

I don't want to report on my garden. But, in all fairness, I will share the good and bad with you. So, I have a confession to make: I have killed the green onions. They did well for a long time, but they are now dead. I need to be able to transplant these things sooner, or I kill them. I like seeds that actually go in the ground; I do much better with those.

Today's topic is cats in the yard. I have this theory that animals (such as dogs and cats) are attracted to people that really don't like them. This can be seen in the dogs that gravitate toward (and jump on and sniff) my husband, who doesn't really enjoy animals.

I don't really like cats, but they seem to like me. All I have to do is hang out in the yard and one will magically show up, rubbing himself against my legs and asking me to pet its flea-bitten fur. (In all honesty, I don't know if the cats have fleas or not. I'm kind of wary of all cats in that way.) I don't mind having a gardening buddy, but I don't want the things in my yard!

I'm not sure where this cat came from. He's hiding behind my new Diablo Ninebark that I bought as a bare root at Bitterroot Nursery. He prefers the backyard. Luckily, the baby gets a kick out of him. No damage so far...

This is Mikey, who lives across the street. He prefers the front yard, and likes to tear up the bark in my bed to leave little, smelly presents near my front door. Lovely! I like his company, but he is not welcome in the yard when I'm not there.

Two years ago, I made a flagstone patio and had a large pile of traction sand in my backyard. The neighborhood cats decided that was the greatest litter box they had ever seen. I had to pick the poop out of the pile and use the sand anyway. (That wasn't the worst of the problem though. I won't tell the story about the maggots.) Planting my yard and trying to deer-proof it is hard enough. Cat-proofing is just too much.

One Hour Kitchen Curtains

Call me crazy, but I have gotten into a redecorating mood lately. I have sold a papsan chair and my hutch on craigslist. The next to go: my kitchen curtains (see above). They don't really match and they remind me of an older person's decor. So, I looked for some at Wal-Mart, Target, and JCPenney. None of them matched my kitchen.

I ended up purchasing about 1 1/2 yards of fabric from the Valley Drug Store in Stevensville (where I had to practially restrain myself from buying ice cream too). Here's how I sewed them in under an hour.


First, I washed, dryed, and ironed (yes!) the fabric. Then, I eyeballed cutting it using the old curtains as a guide. I cut a long strip on the left for the top of the curtains and then cut the larger bottom piece into two pieces (along the top edge).

I eyeballed pinning the seams. The seam I'm currently sewing is for the top, so it had to be wide enough to slip through the hanging apparatus. I sewed every edge up (for a total of 12 edges). I was able to go so quickly because I didn't measure, I didn't have to rethread the needle, the bobbin was already set, and my husband came home to watch the baby. (I do, however, recommend that if you have more time, measure them properly! It makes a big difference!)

Here they are! If you don't look closely, you'll never know they were homemade. Fast, new curtains work for me! This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Blissfully Domestic Post

Hi Readers,
Today my first gardening post has gone live on Blissfully Domestic. Please check it out!
Love,
Bitterroot Mama

Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

A good friend of mine passed me Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner a couple of months ago. Ms. Winner had a Jewish father and Protestant mother, but was raised Jewish. In the Jewish tradition, children are only considered Jewish if their mother is Jewish, leading her to convert to Judaism as an adult. This memoir follows her upbringing, conversion to Judaism, and then (shock!) her decision to become an Episcopalian.

The storyline is a year in the Christian calendar. Through it all, she includes both her life experiences and thoughts on the seasons and theology. I had to read it slowly to get all of the meat out of it. She's young and a little edgy. She reads voraciously and she's very smart. I like her. I also liked this book because I went through a period in high school and college where I loved all things Jewish. I loved Chaim Potok and mysticism and the rich traditions of the Jewish culture. It didn't quite work out because I believe in Jesus.

Lauren Winner has written a few more books, including one on the Sabbath. I wish I could read more of her books, but I can't find any at the Book Exchange or the Montana Library System (and I'm too cheap to actually BUY them). I highly recommend this particular book and rate it PG-13. (Although it's probably not as edgy as her book Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity.) Her website includes a few of her essays if you're interested in reading more, but don't want to track down a difficult-to-get book. Let me know what you think. Have you heard of her? Do you like the essays? Do you at least like her cool glasses?

Mosaics at Lapin's Garden

Our family had the privilege of visiting Lapin's Garden this past Saturday to work on some mosaic art. What a treat! Lapin is French for rabbit, and to describe it as just a garden is to give it too little credit. It does include gardens, including the awesome raised beds growing herbs inside a steaming greenhouse. (Hops are growing around the arch.)

Additional raised beds outside the greenhouse are in the shape of a rabbit and also spell out Lapin's. They painted the bricks so the beds can be seen through Google Earth.

Lapin's Garden is a concert venue as well. The owners built an outdoor amphitheater to seat 100 and have concerts lined up all through the summer. But the neatest thing for me about Lapin's is the art. All of the art shown around the theatre was made by normal people (with a couple exceptions) in their workshop. There are two paintings per window, which can be seen by turning the hinges. The reason we went was to help with the mosaics that will be cemented into the benches and stools. We were promised two free concert tickets in exchange for working on art for them. They also provided all of the materials for the projects, so we just had to show up!

This is our friend Dusty working on a skull and crossbones mosaic.

I originally started the design, but due to the baby, we traded off working on it. This is my husband working hard on the branches of our leaf design. He decided to use those pliers in the picture and only drew blood twice. (Poor guy!)

Here I am with the finished design. We used a template for the vines and branches, but the flower was inspired by our baby's outfit. I think it will make a fun bench for someone to sit on. Who knows? Maybe we can sit on it while enjoying our concert tickets this summer!

If you'd like to visit Lapin's Garden, check out their website for a concert schedule or to see if they need more help with the art. They're trying to finish the mosaics and more garden art by the first concert on May 15.

Frozen Waffles

I have a weakness for waffles. I love them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever. I like them plain, with peanut butter, chocolate chips, or syrup. Mostly I like not having to make breakfast on a rushed morning.

So I can enjoy them at my every whim, I end up making a huge batch of them every month. I double Martha Stewart's buttermilk waffle recipe and crank them out using my waffle maker. It takes about an hour and yields 24 large waffles. To freeze them, I stick four into a gallon Ziploc bag, put a layer of wax paper, and add another four on top before sealing it closed. This way, they only take up 3 bags. I'm hungry just writing this. Happy waffling!

Meditations on Becoming a Gardener

What is a gardener? To qualify do you have to prune tea roses on an English estate? Must you win a ribbon at the county fair for your tomatoes? Do you have to spend every summer weekend pulling weeds and fertilizing?

To become a liar, all you must do is lie - once. I think gardening is this simple: to become a gardener, all one has to do is plant one seed, with anticipation. Or transplant one little annual into a yard. Or nurse a dying houseplant back to life. There's no time limit on how long the plant must actually live. There's no quota for how many exotic plants must be grouped in the same yard. If a person has planted or kept something alive, he or she is a gardener in my book.

Gardening doesn't have to be complicated. It certainly can become complicated if one chooses to cultivate needy, exotic plants in a difficult climate. But gardening can be as simple as keeping a little pot of mint by the kitchen window and adding a little to summer sun tea. It can be as easy as buying a daylily from a big box store, planting it under a tree, and watering it whenever you remember.

Too many people give themselves black thumbs without actually earning the title. Gardening is all about experimentation. Ask any veteran gardener, and they will tell you how they, too, have killed plants on accident. It's not a perfect science. No one but you has your yard. You have the opportunity to become the expert on your little corner of the universe.

Give it time. Try something new this year in your yard. Start small. If it succeeds, you'll be thrilled and can expand later. If it fails, you're just out a few bucks. You can try again next year.

The picture at the top of this post is a weeping larch. It cost $70. I planted it in a shady portion of my front yard. It didn't get much water (oops!). I think it was in a spot where the contractors poured leftover concrete. It's dead now. But am I discouraged? No! (Actually, I don't spend extravagant amounts on wimpy trees anymore.) I'm ready and roaring to go this year. I still haven't found anything to plant there (the potentilla died too), but I'm going to keep trying. Why? I am a gardener. And so are you.

Swap Meet Party

Here's an inexpensive theme party idea! I've been invited to two of them in the last few months. Host a Swap Meet Party (aka the Box O'Crap Swap). The premise is that everyone brings nice items from home that they don't want anymore and swaps their "junk" with the other party goers. It's a win-win for everyone since the items that no one wants are donated to charity. It's a great way to trade that vase that's been sitting around for five years (yes, five!) for something that goes with my decor. And it's a lot more fun than prepping for a garage sale. Consider throwing one when you're looking for a fun way to get together.

This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Three Incredibly Easy Fleece Blankets

Are you looking for a sweet gift for friends having a new baby? Fleece blankets are a great present because they're soft, easy to throw in the wash, and easy to make. Don't believe me? Here are three ways to make them that won't break the bank or take too much time. I purchased no-pill fleece from JoAnn Fabrics. They had the best selection and reasonable prices.

1. The Fringe Blanket

Purchase fleece in whatever size you want the finished product to be (minus the little bit of edging you might have to cut off). Cut a small fringe around the entire edge of the blanket. The cuts on this one are about 1/2 inch deep. You're done.

2. The Blanket Stitch

As with the Fringe Blanket, get as many yards as you need for your finished product. Stitch around the edges with a blanket stitch. If you don't know what that is, visit Stitch School's post for more info. When you're done stitching, you're done with the blanket. Ta da!

3. Tied-Edge Blanket

I received one of these blankets at my baby shower and I love it! I decided to make one for my brother and sister-in-law, who are expecting a baby at the end of July! Begin this one by purchasing two complimentary pieces of fleece in the same size. Trim any edges that aren't equal.You can see the pink flowers for the front and then the darker pink for the back. I cut off the extra pink at the far end.Using a guide (as you can see, mine was incredibly fancy), cut squares out of every corner. You'll want to cut the square lengths the same size length you'll be cutting around the blanket. Mine were a little over 3 inches.

Cut out strips around the entire blanket, going through both layers at the same time. Try to keep the fabric even as you do this. Then, begin the process of tying the two pieces of each strip into a double knot.

When you're done tying the strips, the blanket is all done. I was able to make this one from start to finish (and make dinner and attend to a baby) in an hour. Obviously, the double fleece blankets will be warmer than the single layer ones.

There you have three easy ideas. Happy blanket making!

BoxElderStock Invitation

In case you didn't get the first invitation, please join us at Bitterroot Mama's house for BoxElderStock IV. There's free food (courtesy Bitterroot Mama's box elder trees), free entertainment (watching Bitterroot Mama squirm and try to swat us), and of course, a free place to sun ourselves and copulate. It's almost like the real Woodstock (without the music).

If you don't know much about us, we're box elder bugs. We live a simple life. We tan, eat, lay bright red eggs, and sometimes find our way inside. We don't know much about the indoors because no one ever makes it out alive. That said, we're not leaving the premises anytime soon. This party is bound to go on all summer, so fly on over and join the fun. There's room for every bug.

What is Red Velvet Cake? - Guest Blog

Today's post is written by my friend Gina. Thanks for filling in!

What is Red Velvet Cake?
To be honest - I don't know. I honestly don't know! I don't know what makes it red or what flavor you'd call it. But I have always wanted to try it! When I tell you why, I'm sure you'll be as embarrassed for me as I am for myself! Remember the movie Steel Magnolias? It's a favorite of mine and should be of yours too! Anyway, in the movie, at the wedding of Shelby and Jackson, they served a red velvet groom's cake in the shape of an armadillo! And hence, I've always wanted to try red velvet cake! I am not a baker. I can do the basics, but have no desire to venture outside of my baking comfort zone. How fortunate for me that God brought a dear friend into my life recently: Jen aka Bitterroot Mama. She is, in my opinion, a baking queen! So adventurous and knowledgeable about the craft, not to mention really sweet, kind and funny! So my Mom's birthday came around and I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to ask Jen to make a red velvet cake for our family celebration. She seemed more then happy to accommodate my request (told you she was nice). She not only baked THE BEST CAKE EVER, but decorated it too! (Told you she was talented.) I have never, and I mean never, had such a divine and delicious cake! It was THE HIT of the family dinner! I still don't know what makes it red or what "flavor" you'd call it, (I bet Jen can tell us) but this I do know: my birthday is August 9th and I'm placing my request now for a red velvet cake!
Thank you Jen!
Love, Gina

Note from Jen: Now I'm going to have to watch Steel Magnolias! I didn't know about the armadillo, or I'd have made this cake in that shape. I started the cake with a white cake mix and then added some cocoa and red food coloring. The food coloring makes it red and I think it's considered a chocolate cake due to the cocoa. (Then again, I don't really know!) Gina is pictured here with her mom and siblings. She's on the bottom left.

Gifts

I am the world's worst gift giver. It's true. Ask my sister-in-law who received a Winnie the Pooh velvet coloring set (with markers!) and a wanna be Barbie doll that looked like a less-than- reputable young lady for her 21st birthday. I'm still trying to make up for that one. Thank you everyone who has registries. My other sister-in-law has wish lists for her kids' birthday and Christmas wishes at Wal-Mart. I really like that because I never know what to get her kids or what sizes they are since they live so far away.

That said, I did think of a neat gift for my Grandma's 84th birthday. I asked everyone in my family to send me a few things they loved about my Grandma (which is easy because she's a wonderful person), uploaded a few pictures, and made it into a photo book at shutterfly.com called "84 Things We Love About Grandma." I thought making a photo book online would be easier than sitting down with paper and the baby (and it was pretty easy to switch out pictures and layouts), but it still consumed an entire afternoon. I'm pleased with the result and hope she will be too.

If you're looking for neat gift ideas, check out http://www.giverslog.com/. I found this a great resource for off-the-wall, thoughtful gifts. In my case, it's truly better to give than to receive. (Sorry sister-in-law!)

Pre-cut Potatoes

I love potatoes. In fact, I love all starches. I'm just glad I have a fast metabolism. One great hostess trick I learned was to cut potatoes ahead of time. Once I cut them, I throw them in a bowl, add water, and then throw them in the fridge until cooking time. Just drain the water and use as you normally would. I do this with scalloped potatoes (shown in picture), french fries, and anything else I make with taters. I like doing it early, like when the baby's napping, and then cooking the food right before my husband gets home. What are your favorite potato dishes?

This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go by Lucille O'Neal

Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go chronicles the life of Lucille O'Neal, mother of NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, from her early, unwed pregnancy to a woman in the spotlight involved in numerous charitable organizations. She tells her family's tragedies and triumphs, which are numerous.

The book isn't fancy literature. It's an honest life story, one that reads like a conversation over coffee, with a little social commentary and preaching thrown in. She includes themes that are common to all moms - wanting the best for her kids and giving up her own dreams for the sake of her kids' futures.

Although the book reads quickly, it lacks a final emotional depth that I thought it would have. I was impressed with her honesty about her drinking problem, but disappointed when she ended her marriage. I think I would have liked the book better if she had spent more time developing the scenes of her life and sticking to a chronological flow instead of jumping to the future so often. I'd give it a PG for substance abuse and discussion of marriage. I think a certain crowd would be inspired by her story, especially young African-American women, but it's not something I would want to read again or recommend to most of my friends.

Disclaimer: Thomas Nelson sent me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Belong to Me

You may have noticed I've slimmed the number of books I'm reviewing to one. I've been really busy! It seems like in Montana nothing happens for months in winter and then the summers explode in a fury. When October rolls around, the whole summer that just passed by is a blur. Anyway, today's book is Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos. I give it a PG-13 (sensuality, language, traumatic situations) and a hearty recommendation.

The point of view in this book is interesting. Cornelia is the main narrator and uses first person point of view. We're also able to see inside the heads of a stuck-up woman named Piper and a 14-year-old boy genius named Dev, but through the third-person point of view. This book is the sequel to Love Walked In, which I haven't read, but will have to now (when I have time, obviously).

Premise: Cornelia and her husband Teo move to a quiet suburb in Pennsylvania from New York and doesn't fit in the neighborhood. Their neighbor Piper is initially rude, but warms up to Cornelia (and everyone else) as she deals with the inevitable death of her friend Elizabeth, who has 2 children the same ages as Piper's. Dev is a smart young man who is intrigued with all kinds of scientific theories, including evolution and string theory. Some of that was a little weird for me (I'm not scientifically minded.), but the character was likable. He moves to the same little area with his mom after they find out he's gifted. He doesn't know who his dad is, and he's on a quest to find him.

I liked that the book interwove all of the characters in a tight plot, but I really liked the raw emotion. De los Santos was able to convey the hopes of a pregnant woman, the sadness of a woman watching her friend die, and marital tension transcending the normal novel feelings. I thought it was masterfully done and think you'll like it too. Have you read any of her books? Have any recommendations of your own? Let me know.

Road Construction

There are two seasons in Montana: winter and road construction. My husband hates when the state starts tearing up the roads because he has to commute around it.

I used to feel upset by road construction, but now that I stay at home with the baby, I don't have strict time restraints, I don't commute, and I have an awesome SUV that takes on those bumps exactly at the speed limit. (I'm a granny driver.)

I'm encouraged because it means that it's almost summer. And it doesn't get any better than summer in Montana.

Eternity Soup

My entree today comes from the book Eternity Soup by Greg Critser. He says it was developed by Alvise Cornaro back in 1558 after he developed what we would now call diabetes. Although Critser includes a handful of recipes for Eternity Soup, they are variations on a theme of chicken broth, whole wheat bread (crumbled in as the broth is boiling), parmesan cheese (just a little grated on top), and an egg. Above is my concoction without the egg. After eating it (even the baby had some), my husband asked,

Why is it called eternity soup if you're hungry right after eating it?

I recommend an eternity salad as a side.

Ice Stick Tulips

This is being linked to Wordless Wednesday.

Saving Money One Plastic Bag at a Time

Today Works for Me Wednesday is asking for our best tips ever. Here are the best money-saving tips I've put into practice recently and that you can start immediately. Some of them came from The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.

• Wash and reuse Ziploc plastic bags (except ones with raw meat in them)
• Make scratch paper out of envelopes and junk mail
• Use junk mail envelopes for your grocery trips. Write the list on the outside, put coupons inside, and then put the receipts in there once you're done shopping. It's great when I'm going to lots of different stores.
• Say no to glass cleaner and paper towels! Just use water and a Norwex window towel.
• Cut dryer sheets into quarters (or don't use at all for certain loads)
• Put a dry towel in the dryer to speed up drying time
• Cut paper towels in half (better yet, use washable cloth towels instead)
• Keep lids on cooking pots to speed up boiling
• Use the oven for more than one thing at a time
• Start a price book to ensure you're getting a good deal. Take a little notebook and by food category, list the product, store where you found it, best price, and price per ounce or unit. This is very helpful in seeing if a store's sale price is really the cheapest price for a product.
• Cook pasta by boiling the water, putting in the pasta, and then putting on the lid and turning off the heat. Keep the pasta in for about twice the length as normal (20 minutes or so). It cooks the same as normal and saves energy.
• Start and follow a budget. This sounds cliche, but it's really the only way to track what you're spending. We like using Quicken to track our expenses and a separate spreadsheet for the actual budget.

Disclosure: I am not, nor have ever been, a Norwex sales consultant or related to their company. I just like their window towel.

Eternity Soup: Inside the Quest to End Aging

I thought this book looked interesting even before I saw that it was written by Greg Critser, the author of Fat Land. Here is the main problem with this book: it's way above my head. A barrage of people, medical terms, and crazy science doesn't stop until the very end of the book. I'm not sure who his audience is, but sometimes he may forget that the rest of us aren't swimming in the same antiaging circles and haven't taken graduate level courses on antiaging. Another problem may be that he gets so caught up in the minute scientific details that he doesn't focus enough on the big picture.

That said, here's what I got from a fast read: Scientists (some of them quacks) are working to extend the human lifespan by working on:

• Calorie Reduction (CR). This is a long-term diet which supposedly causes the body to put more attention on repairing cells, allowing the person to live longer, but incidentally decreases libido and has no real long-term studies to determine if this is actually helpful to the body.


• Hormone supplementation, including estrogen, progestrone, testosterone, and the Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Some doctors charge extravagant sums to diagnose and prescribe these hormones to their patients. The author took testosterone supplements during this book and shares his experiences.


• Body Maintenance (through scientific engineering). This is the crazy stuff, including the explanation of how those scientists grew a human ear on top of a mouse. This chapter was devoted to scientific breakthroughs that would replace or rejuvenate failing body parts. It's also when he introduces Dr. De Grey, an optimistic, beer-drinking professor who believes that humans could live to 1,000 years.


• Animal Trials. If scientists want to test their antiaging hypotheses on animals close to the human, they'll need to use something other than lab mice. The author struggles with the humane treatment of animals during testing that may vastly benefit humans.

Some people oppose antiaging techniques because some doctors are phonies, because our fragile economy would capsize, or on the basis that it isn't "natural." Our social norms could change: people could work much longer. He ends the book with a short analysis of a man who lived to the age of 112. One conclusion the author drew was that to stay young, you need to surround yourself with young people, preferably under the same roof. (In my family, my brother and sister have lived on-and-off with my grandparents for about 5 years. It's a win-win because they get a little rent-free freedom and Grandma gets the company and help.)

After reading this book, I don't know how to stop aging, nor do I care. If scientists come up with something during my lifetime to improve the quality of life for suffering people, I'm all for it. I just don't want to be the guinea pig. (P.S. I recommend the book and give it a PG-13, just because of some bizarre stuff.)

Buckle Up for Yourself

There are two main reasons I don't like to drive in the dark. One is deer. The other is Montana drivers. I hit a deer in the early morning on the way to work back in 2005. The front end of my car ended up being totally rebuilt. My psyche - well, let's just say it was under-insured.

Driving and Montana have been together in the news recently. A Yahoo! article stated that Montana drivers pay a lot for gas proportionate to their salaries. That makes sense as Wikipedia ranks Montana 42nd in median household income out of the 50 states. (New Jersey is first, in case you're wondering.)

The other article is in the April 2010 Reader's Digest (my Grandma sends us a subscription every year). There, Montana is ranked 3rd in the country for the best roads. I can say that there is little traffic on the interstates and they are well-maintained. (Local roads are another matter altogether.) Montana is also ranked first in deadliest roads, and first in deadliest state for DUIs. (It only got 6th as deadliest for speeding.) Why? We seem to have our fill of drinking, driving recklessly, and non-seatbelt-wearing folks.

Lest I start sounding like Red Asphalt, the gory film that driver's ed students are forced to watch to scare the reckless driving out of them, let me tell two personal examples. My husband was on his way to work one morning when the guy in front of him starts driving crazy. He's over in the other lane swiping cars coming in the opposite direction. He's weaving. Turns out the guy was drunk, drunk, drunk at 7:00 in the morning. He was arrested and charged with all kinds of stuff. He was in his mid-20s.

Second point: For awhile there, the local businesses had "Buckle up for Sara" on their signboards throughout town. (Even the Mexican restaurant chimed in with "Buckel up for Sara.") The Ravalli Republic explained that the businesses did it to raise safety belt awareness after a young girl died. She was ejected from her car as it rolled multiple times. She wasn't wearing a seat belt. She was a beautiful young woman, just 19. She was enrolled in the beauty school in town. She had given me my last hair cut. She died the same day my daughter was born.

Nothing that you do will bring Sara back, but you can wear your seatbelt and drive safely. Let's try to avoid all of the senseless deaths that we can. And Montana, it'd be nice if you'd get into the news for something good for a change. Work on that.

Just-Like-Mama-Used-to-Make Cornbread

It was time to make pies for Thanksgiving and my grandma, Mom, and I were in the kitchen. We were helping Grandma because, well, she's over 80 and we're not. Secretly, I was hoping we would get a glimpse of her pumpkin pie recipe so I could pass it down through the generations. She pulled out the pie recipes and the one for pumpkin pie was from the back of the pumpkin pie can.

What makes older recipes so much better than recent ones? Old may be quaint, but it does not equal perfection. Why do we hold our Grandmother's recipes in such high esteem? So what if our treasured food memories come from the back of a box or pie filling can? They taste good. I shall not retreat into recipe snobbery. If it works for my Grandma, it'll work for me.

All that to say that today's recipe is from the side of a corn meal box. Here's cornbread, compliments of Albers.

Sweet Cornbread
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. corn meal
2/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8" square baking pan OR put little baking liners in 18-20 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) with a whisk.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk through butter). Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pan or muffin cups (if using muffin cups, fill 2/3 full).
4. Bake the 8" square for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If making muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack. Best served warm.

Considering the Significance of Easter

Today is Holy (or Maundy) Thursday. Many denominations will be remembering the institution of the Lord's Supper by washing each other's feet at a special service tonight. (It is also April Fool's Day, but we'll ignore that.)

Growing up non-denominational, I missed out on the liturgical aspects of worship. No Advent, Lent, Epiphany, or Maundy Thursday. The church I attend now gives a little nod to the Advent season by lighting a wreath in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but not much else. Easter is the most important day of the Christian calendar, and we will be celebrating by attending Good Friday and Easter Sunday services.

My husband grew up in a denomination that celebrated all of these holy days. He told me recently that he was never confused about Santa or Jesus during Christmas, but he never understood the true meaning of Easter. It was always muddled in the Easter Bunny and the egg hunt (that we will still participate in this weekend despite the fact that we're almost 30).

So, what is Easter? It's the triumph of life over death, a victory that brings hope to a lost mankind, the original "happy" ending, a promise of a future with him, a sacrifice so great I can't bear to dwell on it. And it's for you. And me. Easter is when Jesus showed the world he was God by refusing to stay dead, and opening up the door of eternal life to all people. And that is something worth celebrating. Love and peace to you this Easter season.