Peeps in a Jar

I saw this as I was searching for some gift ideas for cooking with kids.

Ingredients in the Jar:

Crush 1 sleeve of graham crackers to crumbs( or you can use the box of crumbs) and layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 qt. canning jar. I have a canning funnel so that really helped when pouring the crumbs and M&Ms into the jar.

Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar pressing them against the glass -- this is the tricky part so I used a wooden spoon to gently squish and press those bunnies into a circle.

Carefully, spoon the remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.

On top of this pour 1 ½ c. Easter M&Ms.

Spoon 1/3 c. Brown Sugar into center of M&Ms gently pressing with a spoon. You have to shake it a little to get the ingredients to settle so they fit -- if they don't all fit in, just eat those extra M&Ms!

Decorate the lid of the jar however you please and tie ribbons around the neck of the jar with a tag attached that has the baking directions.

And here are those directions to put on the recipe card
Directions:

Empty the jar contents into a bowl.

Melt ½ c. butter, add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. leave Place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed.

Creative versions of these "peeps in a jar" for other holidays now that there are ghost Peeps and Christmas tree Peeps... don't you just LOVE Peeps -- and marshmallows are fat free!

Natural dyes for Easter Eggs

Sometimes take on a bit of the flavor of what they died with... cherry and onion flavored eggs are a bit icky.

Directions:
Put eggs in as large a pan as possible. The process works better if the eggs aren't stacked on top of each other. This may mean you can only do 3 or 4 at a time (but that will give you the chance to try more than one kind of natural dye)
Fill the pan with water so that it's about 1/2 inch over the eggs
Add the natural dye material it takes a fair amount of the dye... for example, 1 cup of cherries

Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
With a strainer, remove the eggs onto a bowl covered with paper towel.
If the eggs aren't as dark as you'd like, remove the paper towel from the bowl and add the cooled strained liquid you originally used to dye the eggs.
Let sit overnight.


Natural Dyes you might try:
Red/Pink: Fresh beets, canned cherries or frozen, crushed cranberries (not cranberry sauce or jelly)
Orange: yellow onion skins
Light Yellow: lemon peels, orange peels or ground cumin
Golden yellow: Ground Tumeric (a kind of spice)
Light Spinach
Blue: Red cabbage leaves or blueberries (crushed)
- Pre-boil red cabbage leaves for 30 minutes.
Purple: Grape juice (Welches)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Festival is Ireland's official celebration for Ireland's national holiday – St. Patrick's Day.

Around the World on the 17th March, Ireland is celebrated with parties and parades but the main party is in Ireland where they celebrate for five days. There's so much to offer - music, street theater, family carnivals, comedy, street performances, dance, a treasure hunt, night spectacles .... culminating on March 17th with the world famous St. Patrick's Day Parade.

So whether you're Irish or just wish you were, Ireland is the place to be in March to enjoy the big party.

May your blessings outnumber The shamrocks that grow And may troubles avoid you Wherever you go

How about a meal:
Irish Soda Bread
Cabbage Soup

Awesome!!

I absolutely love this song, turn up the volume and let it flow all over you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc

Showing my love

My husband Richard is a fantastic man.

He will do anything I want.

He never forgets a special occasion with a card. I am always surprised that the cards he gets me always says exactly what he always tells me.

I saw another man's love today while we were out driving. He bought his wife a bulletin board!! It said XXX loves XXXX Happy 20th with many more to come. I thought WOW.

On the 17th of this month, we will have known each other 10 years. I have been wondering what to get him. Now I know I can't afford the bulletin board, but I found this instead. He is a printer and one of his favorite type styles is Ransom Initial.


Made with My Cool Signs.Net

Read Across America

NEA's Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2

The Purpose of Read Across America
Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

I love to read, and have always!! I read mostly Sci. Fi, Fantasy, and Mysteries, but it was not always like this.

I have been a special education teacher for over 24 years, and have always read to my students. I even read to my high school kids.

I really love Theodore Giesel, not sure who that is?
What if I said he was called himself Dr.?

Still not sure, what if I said he used his middle name, which was also his mother's maiden name?

Still need some help? He wrote a book with 220 words that every new-reader needs to know.

DR. SEUSS!!!

Dr. Seuss, or Theodore Giesel, was born March 2, 1904. He wrote many books, but his first children's book was And To Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street. But did you know he sent it off 27 times and it was rejected 27 times!! Talk about perseverance

Houghton-Miflfin and Random House asked Dr. Seuss to write a children’s primer book with new –reader vocabulary. Just using 220 words and he wrote The Cat in the Hat. The rest as they say is history.

But, did you know that Dr. Seuss also wrote political cartoons? And some of his books had underlying meanings.

He even wrote a book for adults: The Seven Lady Godivas.

I still have the first Dr. Seuss my parents bought me, so enjoy some magical rhyming with Dr. Seuss and read to your child to get them into a lifelong habit of reading.

But don't stop today, read everyday with them.

Leverage

I had been anticitpating Leverage since I first saw it advertised. I love the intro: Prepare to get even.

Robin Hood and his team

Cast of characters: Nathan: the honest leader

Alec: computer geek ( with a bit of internet fraud mixed in)

Eliot: retrieval specialist: actually deadly martial artist

Parker: thief that specializes in aerial

Sophie: con artist supreme

The premise of the show, get even with those who use power and wealth to victimize others.

I really loved how the con was alot like Ocean's 11.

The series premiers on Tuesdays at 9:00 CST.

Purse Giveaway!!

Handbag Planet is giving away a free handbag every hour for 24 hours on October 15, 2008 ,the day they launch their website. Go here to sign up. The bags are really, really awesome. They have a huge selection and variety of styles and colors.

This is the one I want, I just love the color and style. What do you think?

Fragrance Families

It's a tough job to find the fragrance that's right for you. Here's some helpful information about fragrance families.....did you know fragrances belonged to families? Now ya do!

~~~~~~FRAGRANCE FAMILIES~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~Oriental~~~~~~~
The Oriental Family is exotic and spicy. These fragrances are wrapped with warm comforting notes such as amber, vanilla, cinnimon and clove. Also present are rich florals, like Jasmine They are often described as addictive and give a sweet impression.

~~~~~~~Fruity Floral~~~~~~~
The Fruity Floral Family is fruity and bright, it uses fruity notes mingled with floral to give color, freshness and add juiciness. Fruity notes can be green (apple/pear), tropical (peach/pineapple) or berry.

~~~~~~~Floral Floral~~~~~~~
The Floral Floral Family soft and feminine and the most popular fragrance family. Florals are characterized by a blend of mixed bouquets such as , rose, and gardenia to name a few. Florals can be pure and flowery or blended with soft musk notes for a subtle warmth or to create a soft and powdery feeling.

~~~~~~~Fresh Floral~~~~~~~
The Fresh Floral Family is fresh and zesty. Fresh floral fragrances are bright florals accented with fresh notes. They burst with citrus notes like lemon, lime, and grapefruit or crisp greens like fresh cut grass or violet leaves. This family also includes cool and refreshing water-based scents.

~~~~~~~Citrus~~~~~~~
The Citrus Family is zesty and energizing. and boast clean and refreshing notes such as lemon, lime and mandarin as well as natural notes like fresh cut grass and rich green leaves. Cool and refreshing marine tones are also present.

~~~~~~~Woodsy~~
The Woodsy Family is fresh and clean, it is the most popular in the men's category. Woodsy contain a cocktail of ingredients mixing pine, cedarwood, and are often spiked with sweet spices and oriental woods. They give a clean and groomed impression.

***************************************************
Now you may be asking yourself what is a note? I will be happy to tell you!

A Fragrance goes through 3 main stages in which intensity changes and different elements of composition emerge. The stages of a fragrances are top, mid and base notes.
TOP NOTES: get your attention right away. They are strong and make an impression but fade quickly. Common top notes are citrus, fruity and green notes.
MID NOTES: as top notes gradually fade away, a fragrance intensifies and mid notes become apparent. Mid notes appear 10-20 minutes after application. They form the heart and body of a fragrance and give overall character. Mid notes are floral and spices.
BASE NOTES: base notes give foundation and lastingness. They are noticable 15 minutes after application and the final scent to emerge after application. They bring depth and solidness to frangrances. Base notes are woods, musks, ambers and vanilla.

Become a Fragrance Designer with the new E-Scential Starter Kit

Join the Urban Botanic team and become an Independent Fragrance Designer! Imagine the possibilities with earning an income doing something you love... money never smelled so good!

The E-Scential Starter Kit has everything you need to start your business. Containing over $200 worth of products and materials, the E-Scential Starter Kit is an incredible value at $99.00.

-Floral Family Samplers (15)
-Fruity Family Samplers (17)
-Herby Family Samplers (9)
-Leafy Family Samplers (9)
-Spicy Family Samplers (8)
-Woodsy Family Samplers (8)
-Blended Recipe Samplers (30)
-20 Catalogs
-50 Order Forms
-100 Invitations
-100 Business Cards
-1 Urban Botanic Fragrance Warmer (our most popular Warmer accordingto availability)
-3 Fragrance Oils (our most popular scents according to season and availability)
-Urban Botanic Welcome Folder
-Access to My U.B.Office, the online Fragrance Designer businessportal.

http://www.urbanbotanic.com/dianek

Prepare to be amazed

What an exciting time in the world of fragrance!!!
The company has been investigating many different methods of scenting our homes with UB products. They tested everything from candles to reed diffusers, plug-ins to room sprays… wanting to find the best way to fill our homes with inviting fragrance.

In the end, they found the best method was oil warming. UB Perfume Oils make the most fabulous home fragrances and are safe to use in an oil warmer. I'm astonished at the quality of home fragrances our products make. I probably shouldn't be so surprised, but the Urban Botanic Home Collection is more fragrant and clean smelling than any candle or other form of home fragrance I've experienced before. Ever! I would love for you to discover the same!

Did you know that your average 24 oz candle burns for about 10 hours? One bottle of our perfume oil will "burn" for 1000 hours

1/10th the cost of most candles:Now, with the Urban Botanic Home Collection, you no longer have any of those problems.Just place 2-3 drops of Urban Botanic oil on the warming plate, turn it on and enjoy 6-8 hours of fragrance. Turn it off, and the scent lingers. Just turn it on the next day, if there is still oil in the warmer.

Here are some great "fall" recipes to use with your warmer

Apple Pie: One drop each of Green Apple, Maple Spice, and Cinnamon

Brown Sugar Fig: Two drops Brown Sugar and one drop Fig - this one is a dead ringer for the popular fragrance, and fabulous for fall.

Almond Cookie: One drop each of Almond and Cinnamon and two drops Coconut.

Harvest: One each of Vanilla, Allspice, and Maple Spice

More about Herbys

When I joined Urban Botanic, I took the personality test and it came back that I was mainly an Herby.

Here is a bit more about Herbys: We always remember birthdays and send you a card. Herbies are the most thoughtful of all the personality types. They care about others and love to take care of others. They worry about everyone and everything. They will hang on your every word and whatever you are telling them, becomes real to them. This sometimes makes them appear to be nosy as they ask so many questions. They also want everyone to succeed and see the best in everyone. This trait often causes them to get hurt. They often get caught up in helping others and forget about themselves.

The Herby oils are Lavender, Almond, Garden Mint, Basil, Spearmint, Peppermint, Sage, Tomato Leaf, and Chamomile.

When you look at this list, you see the herbs that are used to soothe and relax. Definately the Herby personality.

In the New Scent Collections there is Lavender, Garden Mint, Almond, Coconut, White Musk, and Rose which can be purchased at a deep discount. As you can see, the collections uses some of the Herby scents, but then adds some others to round it out a bit.

The following which is called Pink Pearls makes an awesome fragrance. coconut, white musk, and rose. I really like our rose because it is not like most rost fragrances, it is not overpowering

New Scent Collection is here

The Scent Collection are 6 oils are chosen based on your personality test results.

Each family will have its own collection of oils.

The oils included in each family will be 3-4 of the actual scent family and then 2-3 others that blend nicely to create a more well rounded scent that lasts longer with other scents besides top notes like Fruity's and Florals. Sample recipes will also be included along with an updated brochure that explains the scent making process. The kits will contain the 6 oils, 1 parfum spray, 1 lotion, and 1 shower gel.

The cost is $89.95 plus $10.00 shipping/

You can now order this online at my site: http://www.urbanbotanic.com/dianek

Game of Tag

So here goes with the game of tag.
Remove the blog from the top, move all the blogs up one, and add yourself to the bottom.
The Lyon's Tale
Sundial in the Shade
Inksplasher
The Dance
Tiger's Treasures

What were you doing ten years ago?
1997. Was teaching in a self contained MR classroom.

What were you doing one year ago?
Teaching online with sylvan, and had just joined Vantel Pearls

Five snacks you enjoy:
chocolate'
caramel popcorn
Seay's candies
Praline ice cream
ginger snaps

Five songs you know all the lyrics to
Sold: Michael Montgomery
Proud to be An American
How great thou Art
Louisianna Saturday Night
I love that Old time rock and roll

Things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Take a cruise around the world

Five bad habits:
Spoiled, but I think that is hubby's fault ;)
Not organized
very left brained: messes don't bother me in the least
I often start something and then don't finish it

Five things you like to do:
Cruise
play slots
watch and read mysteries
watch fantasy
be with my family

Things you will never wear again:
Heels,
bikini: never did, never will
short shorts
bell bottoms


Five favorite toys:
etch a sketch: I used to love making it all the same so I could see inside it
barbies


Where will I be in ten years?
Still with my husband: the love of my life

Gemini

Being born under the third sign of the zodiac brings to the fore these attributes of intellectual expression within you. Gemini is a versatile sign and is found to take interest in many different facets of life. If you could be accused of anything, it would be that your interests are so diverse you’re sometimes superficial, taking a bit of this and a bit of that and not deepening your knowledge of the subject in question. Likewise, many Geminis are quite high-strung and tend to spread themselves very thin, taking on too much and not completing what they begin.

The third sign of Gemini also relates to travels and short journeys. As a Gemini you’ll find yourself restless on many occasions and your itchy feet will cause you to travel frequently. These journeys may not always be long, but you are always on the go. You thirst for new experiences. Even on short journeys and in transit, you are the sort of person who would love to meet new people and share your ideas—even with perfect strangers. You’re fascinated by the way the human mind works and the way people interact generally. Again, you must curb the tendency to frivolous mental activity and excessive thought, because you may be high-strung and your mental efforts could, from time to time, cause you exhaustion.

You can’t handle close-mindedness of any sort. With your inquisitive and restless mind you have an eclectic taste, having dabbled in many different viewpoints and topics. You’re aware of the different types of personalities in life and are, therefore, liberal and free-thinking in your approach.

Don't forget the Man in your life with a Custom Fragrance

With Urban Botanic, give a truly personal gift that won't break your bank. Lots of men get cologne for gifts, well how about tweaking that just a bit, and let him create his own scent which can be blended into shower gel, body lotion, bubble bath, or parfum spray. Prices range from $12.50 to $24.95.

The products are 100% hypoallergenic and are alcohol-free.
If he does not want to make his own, I have many recipes that are great for men.

How about sexy, romantic, outdoorsy? Take a look at my website and while you are there, click on Personality Test to find out YOUR scent personality!

Contact me for more information about purchasing a gift certificate or to host a custom fragrance party. http://www.urbanbotanic.com/dianek

Over 90 oysters opened

Wow!!

I did an event last week and I opened over 90 oysters.

As I opened the oysters to reveal the pearl, sometimes pearls, my husband cleaned them. Did you know that a pearl is the only gem that you don't have to do anything to. Would you like to see a pearl revealed, then click on this link and watch the video

Are you a goddess or a bad girl?

Not sure what I mean? I am talking about the great names of mineral makeup collections from Painted Laydies All natural mineral makeup: beauty the way nature intended.

Not only are the collection names really cool, but how about the makeup names: Athena, pink lemonade, tease.

Why use mineral makeup?
Our foundations last all day long, as do our colors
Our makeup can be used wet or dry mixed with water, lotion, moisturizer or used with brushes, sponges, fingers and cotton.
Our items are hand crafted in the USA by the owner, so we know what is in them and how well they are made.
No chemicals or binders and no chemical preservatives!

With any purchase during the month of May, you'll be registered to win a one of a kind gift can valued at over 50$ filled with gifts from Painted Laydies! You'll receive skin care, foundation, color and lip balm just to name a few. So why not buy MOM a gift and win one for yourself?

Taurus

April 21 - May 20
Taurus The Bull

Ruling Planet: Venus

Element: Earth

Famous Taureans:Audrey Hepburn, Cher, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Benjamin Spock, Sigmund Freud, Katharine Hepburn, Queen Elizabeth II, Bing Crosby, Candice Bergen, William Shakespeare, Adolf Hitler

Basic Profile:conservative, sensible, responsible, meticulous, artistic, loyal consistent, dependable, generous, physically strong, sexual, but can be rigid, stubborn, selfish, suspicious, hot-tempered

Taureans feel good about themselves, and so make them more lively and satisfying contributors to human life as a whole.

They are great to have around in a crisis because they are dependable, firm and unshaken. An earth sign, they seek harmony and wholesomeness, and they value beauty. They are slow to change, and can be jealous and possessive. They don’t like being pushed or rushed.

These same characteristics can be found in the Fruity personality, which is committed, responsible and true-blue friends. Their desire for peace and harmony mirrors the Herby personality.

Are you a Taurus? Take the personality test and see if you come up Fruity/Herby.

I have a couple of very nice frgrances for Taurus men and women

Spring is in the air

Time for new and fresh things.

It's time to do spring cleaning, a time for new growth and new beginnings.

How about a fresh scent just for spring? Honeysuckle is the hot new fragrance for spring.

Most of the top perfumeries have a honeysuckle-based scent, or will be introducing one this year. Honeysuckle is not just for women, but also men. Fahrenheit (for men) by Christian Dior has honeysuckle as one of its main ingredients.

A little bit about honeysuckle: Did you know that honeysuckle is not really a flower, it is a blooming vine. Because of this it falls in our leafy category.

Soft and sweet, this flower-like fragrance is a "top note," meaning that it is the first scent you smell when you spray it on, but also the most volatile and the first to evaporate as the day goes by, so we can mix it with some woodsey to give it some staying power.

I did a honeysuckle and gardenia blend for my mom. Not crazy about that one, that is ok, I have 64 other perfume oils for you to try:

Another new thing for spring. I have a hostess tic, tac, toe game that can be used with Urban Botanic ( also taste of Gourmet and Vantel Pearls) so book your workshop today for May