Tasty Bites: Lemon Strawberry Refrigerator Tart

By Beth V

Easter! This Easter, I have my first opportunity to host dinner. We are accustomed to participating in huge family gatherings, having large collections of parents, brothers, sisters, and cousins on both sides of our family - what a blessing! We have moved for the first time away from all of those relatives and it sounds like we may have a few of them staying with us at Easter. Over these next two Thursdays, I’d like to share some Easter recipes with you. We are going to walk on the wild side and talk about dessert first.  Next week, I will share a delicious recipe for scalloped potatoes and my favorite spring salad.

Confession time: I had planned on sharing a ham glaze recipe I tested, but I didn’t feel like it came out quite as good as I had hoped. I will leave this great video tutorial of a delicious ham recipe that I am going to try next in case any of you are interested in trying it for Easter.

Now, on to dessert! This lemon strawberry tart just tastes like the essence of spring to me! Creamy light, lemony goodness accompanied by fresh, juicy strawberries. The ingredients are very simple and this can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

We are going to be whipping some fresh cream for this recipe. You may be put off by this step, but bear with me, this is super easy! Place a large bowl and beaters or whisk attachment into the freezer and allow to chill a bit while you are prepping the other ingredients.

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The Misfit

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that Noah is not an ordinary kid. When other two-year-olds were repeating words like “cookie” and “bye-bye,” Noah’s favorite word was “awning.” “Look at that fancy awning,” Noah would say, pointing at striped fabric as we drove past Roper & Sons Funeral Home.

When he was five Noah developed a love of plants, particularly succulents, those funky, Zen-looking plants that belong to the cactus family (or maybe cacti belong to the succulent family, I’m not sure – clearly I haven’t listened carefully enough to Noah). While other kids his age collected Pokémon cards and Spiderman figures, Noah collected euphorbia and crassula, aloe and agave. At last count he had 31 succulents in his collection.  

I’ll never forget the time Noah sat on Santa’s lap and requested Designing with Succulents, a garden design book he’d spotted at Barnes & Noble. I could read the look on Santa’s face: not only did he not know what a succulent was, he suspected it had pornographic connotations.  I stood behind the rope and yelled, “It’s a plant book! It’s a plant book!” in the hopes that Santa wouldn’t think my son was a miscreant.

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Feeding Sheep

By Pat

In John 21:15-19, Jesus is having a conversation with Peter. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Each time, Peter answers yes, and each time Jesus commands Peter to "feed his sheep."

It's easy to proclaim our love for Jesus, but the true test is the feeding of the sheep. Are we obeying Jesus? Reaching out to others in need, offering a word of comfort or encouragement? Giving unselfishly, sharing our faith, and praying with genuine concern for our brothers and sisters? These are just some of the many ways in which we feed His sheep.

Following Jesus requires more than lip service. Faith requires movement, and love requires action. We need to find a way each day to feed God's sheep, to minister to a world greatly in need of kindness and love. We need to take every opportunity to feed the sheep around us, in whatever way it can be done. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, and therefore must take action and touch the world with God's love. Telling Jesus we love Him is great; showing Him is even greater!

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

God Is... Power

By Dusty (Reflections on the Life of a Christian)

I am held in awesome wonder at the power and majesty of God. As scriptures teach, so I believe:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:9)

This world we live in is a living breathing example of God's power. Borrowing a line from an old Christian song performed by Sandi Patty and entitled "Because of Who You Are":

"You spoke the words and all the worlds came in to order, you waved your hands and planets filled the empty sky, you placed the woman and the man inside the garden, and though they fell they found compassion in your eyes. Oh Lord I stand amazed at the wonder of your deeds and yet a greater wonder brings me to my knees. Lord I praise you because of who you are, not just for all the mighty things that you have done."

His power revealed through creation is beyond our comprehension. It is the stuff of fantasy. God spoke and things came into being. God spoke and they were rearranged. He spoke and light dawned. He exhaled and life began.

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Fingerprint Friday: KC's Love

By Ginny (MAD21)

I've talked a little about our family cat KC around here, but its been awhile. I thought it was time she got another post. As I've said before, I know there are people out there who hate cats (you know who you are!), but I still firmly believe that it just means you were never loved by one. 

Here's the thing. Dogs love just about everyone. Seriously think about this... have you ever heard of a shy dog? Now cats, on the other hand, they are more selective. Which is why I think there is trouble with people not liking them. Cats don't care. Which is what makes having one love you all the more sweet.

When we first got KC, she was so little. She loved and played with everyone. But now, almost two years later, she, well, doesn't. In fact, her main people (yes, I said HER people) are my oldest and me. She is hot and cold with my youngest, but that's because of normal 4-year-old behavior, and she tolerates my husband. Which is to say that if he is next to me and is sitting on the side she likes to sit on, she might let him sit next to her. Or better yet, she might even sit on his lap when he is sitting in her chair with her blanket.

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