crafting with grandma - Purple Minions

Several years ago when my grandsons were younger I crocheted purple minions for them - the previous year I crocheted Perry the Platypus' for each of them. I thought I'd show you a photo and give you a link to the pattern in case you want to make one . . . maybe for a birthday, Easter, or even Children's Day - which is a real holiday and is the second Sunday in June; you have plenty of time to make them by then if you want to!

grandma's cookbook . . . Strawberries & Cream Pie!

February is the Great American Pie Month, so if you are looking for a tasty pie to try this month, consider making a strawberries & cream pie - this is a family favorite so I'm sharing the recipe for the pie with you today!

It is Time for VBS 2024

It is the time of year where I share my VBS reviews. I used to write my reviews for this blog and for  Christianity Today's Your Church Magazine  - I'd typically review about 16 kits each year. Now, especially after COVID, there are not 16 publishers still producing VBS, but there are some. I no longer review them all - I choose the VBS kits which I believe are the best based on my years of reviewing curriculum and then share my reviews with you. This year I am reviewing VBS from Group Publishing. You will find my full post at this link - please share it with the Children's Ministry leaders in your church.

Today is National Cherry Pie Day

Today is National Cherry Pie Day - if you are like many people, when you think of cherry pie, you picture a baked crust filled with tasty cherries - and topped with a scoop of ice cream, of course! At my house cherry pie looks a little different . . . I take a half block of cream cheese and let it soften to room temperature, whip 1/4 cup sugar with the softened cream cheese so it is fluffy, set aside, and whip heavy cream to a nice, creamy whipped cream, mix with the cream cheese, fill a graham cracker crust, and top with cherries. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve and then, of course, enjoy!

Now for some fun facts about pie - did you know . . .

just for fun . . . Today is Love Your Pet Day!

Yesterday I wrote about how today is Love Your Pet Day . . . and wrote about my cat, Candy - and shared her photo, today I want to share photos about a very sweet Basset Hound my daughter rescued named Rosie and our son/daughter-in-law/grandsons' two terriers named Gimli and Roxi.

Tomorrow - February 20th - is National Love Your Pet Day!

Certainly all of us who have four-legged family members, love them on all days, but tomorrow is a day to especially take time to be thankful for and to love these wonderful members of our family. In my home we have a cat - Candy. She is quite the cat. I thought she would be "aloof" but she is not at all! She greets us when we come home, she snuggles a LOT, and she is a pretty wonderful addition to our family.

grandma's cookbook . . . Easy Chocolate Mousse

We are celebrating a birthday at my house on Saturday - my daughter-in-law's birthday! I always let the birthday person choose the menu and she chose beef stew, biscuits, salad, and chocolate mousse . . . and what could be more delicious than chocolate mousse?!!! :^) It can be complicated and a bit tricky to make chocolate mousse, so I found an easy recipe from Betty Crocker - I have made this before and it is easy and tasty - a great way to end the meal!

grandma's cookbook - Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

February is moving by quickly - for me, so I thought I'd share another pie recipe since it is the Great American Pie Month . . . Lemonade Ice Cream Pie! This pie is so tasty - and simple to make . . . your grandchildren will be happy to help you make it for sure!

You just need four ingredients . . . 

Simple, Fun & Memorable - Make Your Own Erupting Snow!

While there is snow covering my yard, I found a cool project where you make your own "snow" . . . it looks like so much fun, I have to share it with you, too! I was browsing on  Pinterest and saw this link for making Erupting Snow - just follow this  link and you'll find the ingredients and directions for making "snow" and for having it "erupt"! Simple and fun, this is a project children will love, remember and want to show to others!

There are so many possibilities for connecting this cool project with Scripture as you enjoy it with your grandchildren, consider the following:

Next Week is Real Bread Week!

One of my most treasured childhood memories is one which happened in the house in which I live. My grandparents had this house built and when I was a child I visited them for sleep-overs. I loved it when my grandma baked bread and then gave me a slice of bread, warm and fresh from the oven with Peter Pan Peanut butter on it! What could be better!

grandma's cookbook - It is the Great American Pie Month, so make . . . Apple Dessert!

I live in Michigan . . . otherwise known as Apple Country, so I have to have at least one go-to apple recipe! For me, it is my Apple Dessert . . . I know, not an incredible name, but it does taste incredible! It is very simple to make and if your family likes apples, it is a dessert they are sure to love - especially during the Great American Pie Month!

Showing Love!

 As we think about love during February, it is very important for us to understand real love shows itself. Yes, it speaks love to others, but it does not stop with the words. Real love shows itself; just as God showed His love to us! One way we are able to help our grandchildren understand this is by involving them in projects to show love to others.

One way you are able to do this with the children you love is by helping them show love to families in need by raising money to buy ducks from World Vision at this link. For just $30 you can give three ducks to a family in need somewhere in the world; and of course we all know these ducks will in short order become more ducks with eggs which allow families to raise more ducks or eat or sell eggs for income. 

grandma's chuckles . . . "It's Bigfoot! Run For Your Lives!"

Grandchildren are such a joy - they make our hearts happy! They also make us laugh from time to time! So, today I thought I'd share with you a post I wrote several years ago about about something my oldest grandson did which made me laugh - and still makes me laugh when I remember what he said! 

"My grandson - nearly three years old - was over to my home last night and he said something which will have me laughing for a very long time! We watched, the Goofy Movie; when Bigfoot showed up, he said, "It's Bigfoot! Run for your lives!" and ran into our dining room, around the table and into the kitchen saying, "Run for your lives!" Poppa got up and ran with him - for his "life", of course, but I was laughing too hard to run for my life (and I was holding a sleeping baby grandson - nearly one month old).

grandma's cookbook - Refreshing Blueberry, Green Ice Tea!

Ten days ago I shared my recipe for Blueberry, Lemonade, Cream Pie, so I thought it made sense to share my favorite recipe for blueberry tea with you today! 

Whether it is hot and humid or cold, this tea is a delicious and refreshing drink. Try this recipe with your grandchildren . . . it is simple, quick, and so delicious! A big added "plus" is the health benefit . . . blueberries and green tea are so good for you! My husband never liked tea, until I made blueberry tea for him! Now he drinks my tea instead of pop! My grandsons love this tea, too . . . and the only sweetening comes naturally from blueberries . . . not sugar!