Good Friday 2017. It is finished.

 

 It's Easter Week once again. The older I get, the faster the days, months and years go. Seems like it was just this time last year. We're already busy filling Mother's Day orders in the studio.  It's still Rosie's favorite place to be. She sits in front of the door, waiting for me to open it, and literally RUNS in....jumping onto my workbench and into one of her two doggy beds. She knows that once I arrive...she gets a treat from the Treat Jar! Such a life!!

I awoke early this morning with a killer-migraine. Appropriate penance for this Holy Day. I will offer it up to the Lord.....along with 2 Excedrin Migraine and a strong cup of cappuccino!

Later I'll spend time in the kitchen making the Italian Easter Braids that my grandmother (Nonna), and then my mother, baked at Eastertime. Migraine or not,  I'm determined to keep this tradition alive this year!

Here is the recipe I use.....but please note, you can also use Rhodes Frozen Bread Dough...or their Sweet Bread Dough and get similar results~



Nonna's Italian Easter Braids

1 package Rapid Rise (instant) yeast (about 2-1/4 teaspoons)

1.25 cups milk
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar

3.5 cups flour (approximate)
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
6 dyed Easter eggs
sprinkles or pearlized sugar

tip: the Easter eggs do not need to be hard boiled. They cook when the bread bakes. I usually just dye the eggs raw without hardboiling them. Saves time. Just be careful they don't crack!

In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter together, just till butter melts. In a large mixer bowl, combine yeast, salt, eggs and sugar. Add the warm (not hot - it will kill the yeast) milk and butter. Add about half the flour and beat until smooth with dough hook. Slowly add the remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Don't worry about how much flour it ends up being, just keep adding until the dough is not sticky anymore. Knead until smooth with either dough hook attachment or turn out on floured board and knead. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.

Punch dough down, divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece to form a 1 inch thick rope about 14 inches long and, taking two pieces, twist to form a "braid", pinching the ends, and loop into a circle.

Place on two baking sheets sprayed with Pam. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour again. Brush each bread with beaten egg wash. Put on the sprinkles. In the middle of each bread ring, gently place an Easter egg, making an indentation with the egg.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden - about 20 minutes. Cool on rack.
You can eat the eggs, but remember to refrigerate the breads to keep the eggs safe to eat~

Enjoy~

~Boulders and Blessings~

Life Lessons are sometimes hard. And painful. But life wasn't meant to be easy.  I try to be very aware of God's messages to me......but I can be dense when I don't want to hear what He has to say.

In an earlier post, I wrote about God's gentle whispers to me. When those don't work, He nudges me to get my attention. Then come the rocks. "Yeah yeah God. I hear you...but I'm busy with life right now".  Then come the boulders! He's done it again: big huge boulders. They tend to be shocking, painful...and always come with a lesson. It's not always easy to see what that is....but it's always there.

This time, His boulder brought me to a total standstill. The lesson wasn't difficult to figure out. He taught me that relationships are hard. They take work, compromise, and forgiveness. He taught me to always forgive, and to step back and view the situation from His perspective. That's difficult. 

I've never encountered any situation in life where I didn't forgive. Ever. BUT: you can't always get the other person to accept that forgiveness and take it for what it is, from one heart to the other.

I had decided that after this 'boulder', I would stop helping others. Stop giving back. How foolish I was. I will always be who I am and not change my heart because of a boulder. I will move forward cautiously.  Prayer...and the wisdom of friends (some have been in my life since I was little....some a shorter time) have helped be see the lesson to be learned from this "boulder".

I've been close to God since I was a little girl, with a great devotion to The Blessed Virgin. As a 2nd grader I came home from school, announcing to my mother that when I grew up, I was going to become a nun. I LOVED Sister Mary Joselia even more than my dolls....and I REALLY loved my dolls. Well....my mother didn't feel the same way about my decision....and marched me into the principal's office (Sr. Mary Verone) asking where my classroom/desk was, and  brown paper grocery sack in hand, she cleaned out my desk. I was enrolled the next day, much to my dismay, in the public school. My mother was right. I would have become a nun and missed the love of the man I adore, 2 wonderful sons, 2 sweet DIL's and 4 precious grandbabies!

Through it all....I kept my love for Mary, praying to her daily, placing my heart in her hands. She has helped me deal with the boulders in my life...including this one. My apology to my dear sweet "old" friend who came in from out-of-town, and over lunch, tearfully asked when seeing all the religious posts and "likes" on my FB page, if I was battling some fatal healthscare. I'm so sorry, Susie......but SO grateful we had that beautiful visit.

Did I mention that with God's Boulders also come blessings from above?  This time....the blessing is a new grandson...born to our son and DIL, Tom and Amy. He is beyond beautiful. A true gift from the Lord. Along with our other 3 grandchildren...they put everything in life back into perspective. And this time, the boulder isn't so hurtful, the pain not so great.  

~Our New Grandson~

Introducing our new Grandson: Luke Thomas. This new little bundle was God's Special Delivery from Heaven to Tom and Amy Buehner, August 14th, 2015. He weighed 6 lb. 5 oz and measured 18.5".  We are so proud to welcome him into our family~

BLACK FRIDAY 2014

Check out our Black Friday SALE today only! Use Code BF14 on our website: www.rosecreekcottage.com OR on either of our Etsy Shops: RoseCreekCottage or RoseCreekToo. (codes are already inserted there!) HAPPY SHOPPING!

~I Miss You Mom~

My mom passed away 2 years ago today. I knew I loved her. After all...she was my mom. But I never knew how much I loved her until she was gone. Pretty sad.

                  If roses grow in heaven, Lord, pick a bunch for me;
     Place them in my mothers arms & tell her they're from me;
             Tell her that I love her, and when she turns to smile, 
            Place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for awhile.
                 Remembering her is easy.... I do it everyday.              
        There's an ache within my heart that will never go away.
                      To Heaven and Back, Mom. I love you~

                            

                      

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Happy St. Valentine's Day from all of us here at RoseCreekCottage Studios! All Valentine orders are shipped. We're now working on Mother's Day orders. Yup! Already!! I LOVE my customers who don't wait til the last minute!

~February Already???~

December was a blur here at RoseCreekCottage. I swear I didn't sleep at all. I'm beginning to really understand how Santa feels. But then he DOES have elves. I'm still waiting for mine!

I was certain that January would not only bring new creative ideas, organization in the studio and in my life, and revigoration for all the things I love. It didn't. What it did bring was the necessity to catch up on much-needed rest and a bevy of doctor appointments I put off way too long! I did get some new migraine meds that although costing $28 a piece....actually work once I take two.  That being said....Rosie and I are back in the studio, coffee in hand.....filling Valentine's Day orders as quickly as possible without the help of elves. (REALLY now Santa....I know you don't need them quite yet......please please consider sending me even an over-the-hill one. I know he'd love it here. I have cookies. Lots of them!!)

On today's agenda is packing up these delicious Valentine's Day treats and sending them off to the grandbabies. Don't they look scrumptious?? Here's the recipe:

Valentine Delights

Ingredients:

5 ounces white almond bark or white chocolate chocolate chips
5 ounces red candy melts (I found them at Michael’s craft store)
1 teaspoon shortening
5 cups chex cereal
1 cup strawberry cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 package valentines chocolate M&M’s

1. Start by dividing the chex mix into two bowls.  (2 1/2 cup in each)

2. In microwave safe dish, melt the 5 ounces white almond bark or white chocolate chips. Add 1/2 teaspoon shortening so that the almond bark will spread evenly.  Microwave 30 seconds at a time and be careful not to burn the almond bark.  Dump this in the first bowl of chex and mix evenly to coat all of the chex cereal.

3.  Melt the red candy melts next also checking and stirring the candy melts 30 seconds at a time.  Once this is melted, pour this over the second bowl of divided chex and mix until coated.

4.  In two gallon size ziplock bags, put 1/2 cup strawberry cake mix and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in each bag.  Dump each bowl of chex mix in each bag and shake until coated with the powdered sugar and strawberry powdered cake mix.

5. Add in Valentine M & M's. 

Rosie and I KNOW you'll love them, too.....but be careful: they're addictive~ xoxo