What Shall We Make Today?

Since Easter is later this month, I’m bringing my favorite Easter candy recipe–coconut eggs!

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

Directions

In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and coconut. Refrigerate for 1-1/2 hours or until easy to handle. Using hands dusted with confectioners’ sugar, mold rounded tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture into egg shapes. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2 hours or until slightly firm.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Remove eggs from the freezer a few at a time; dip into chocolate mixture until completely coated. Return to waxed paper; refrigerate until hardened. Store in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!

Pat’s Note: How many you get depends on how large you make the eggs. I always make the entire recipe, because these freeze beautifully and you can enjoy them months later!

New Mexico State Flower: Yucca

Fun Facts about Yucca:

1. A Desert Survivor

Yucca plants are renowned for their ability to thrive in some of the harshest conditions. With their sword-like leaves and formidable spikes, yuccas are uniquely adapted to the arid desert environment.

These plants have evolved to conserve water by reducing the surface area of their leaves, making them ideal inhabitants of New Mexico’s dry climate. Their resilience in the face of adversity has made them a symbol of survival and adaptability.

2. Distinctive Features

Recognizing a yucca is relatively easy due to its distinctive appearance. Yucca plants typically have long, pointed leaves that can range from green to bluish-gray in color. Some varieties produce spectacular flowering stalks that shoot up from the center of the plant, bearing clusters of creamy white or pale yellow blossoms. These blooms often emit a sweet fragrance, attracting pollinators like yucca moths.

3. Edible and Medicinal Uses

Yucca is not just a survivor in the wild; it’s also an essential resource for humans. The plant’s edible flowers, fruit, and stems have been consumed by Native Americans for centuries. Yucca flowers are a delicacy when cooked, and the fruit pods can be roasted or ground into a nutritious flour. The roots of some yucca species contain saponins, natural compounds with cleansing properties, which have been used in traditional medicine for various purposes.

4. Landscaping 

The yucca plant’s unique beauty makes it a sought-after addition to xeriscaped gardens and desert landscaping. Its architectural form and low-maintenance requirements have made it a staple in New Mexican gardens, where it thrives with minimal water. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of preserving wild yucca populations, as some species are slow-growing and susceptible to overharvesting.

5. Yucca and Native American Culture

For centuries, yucca has held a significant role in Native American cultures across the Southwest. Indigenous communities have utilized various parts of the yucca plant for practical and spiritual purposes. The leaves of the yucca were woven into baskets, sandals, and even clothing, showcasing the plant’s versatility. Additionally, yucca’s durable fibers were used to create cordage and rope. In some cultures, the yucca plant holds symbolic importance, representing strength, protection, and resilience.

DIY:Easter Craft

I found these adorable wood bead bunnies!  They are so simple to make and are quite versatile!

Materials

1 ½“ wood ball knobs

1 ¼” wood ball knobs

Wooden spoons

1 7/8” wood rings (for napkin rings)

Glass jar with wooden lid

Sharp scissors

Glue gun & glue sticks

Instructions

Step 1: Place a dab of hot glue on the flat bottom of the smaller bead, then glue it to the top of the larger wood bead. This forms the bunny’s head.

Step 2: Cut the wood bow tie piece in half with sharp scissors. Attach the two pieces to the back of the smaller wooden bead. This forms the bunny’s ears.

 For Candy Jars: Use hot glue to attach the wooden bunny to the top center of the candy jar lid.

You can leave the bunnies raw wood or paint them. Totally depends on your personal preference, but I couldn’t resist showing you how cute they look painted.

SOURCE: thecraftpatchblog.com

Undercover Blues

Today is Dennis Quaid’s birthday! He was born in 1954 and he is one of my favorite actors.  This movie, Undercover Blues, is my all-time favorite Dennis Quaid movie.  This is a synopsis:

A wise-cracking husband and wife (Jeff and Jane Blue) team of ex-Spies arrive in New Orleans on maternity leave with their baby girl. There they are hassled by muggers, the police and their FBI boss, who wants them to do just-one-more job. —Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>

From the IMBD website:

Jane Blue: Let me see if I understand this correctly. You took our child into a knife fight?

Jeff Blue: It was a fair fight – two of them, two of us…

And one of their posted reviews:

This is one fun movie!

Not many movies keep you wanting to watch, like this one does. The plot is very simple; 2 spies on a vacation are asked to do a job while in New Orleans. The outcome…? One hilarious movie! Dennis Quaid & Kathleen Turner are great as Mr. & Mrs. Blue, the title roles. During the movie while they are fighting the bad guys, they’re either bickering over their vacation or what they want to name their daughter. The standout of this movie is Stanley Tucci, who plays street thug Muerte. After a botched mugging of Mr. Blue, which leads to Muerte getting beat up with a stroller, Muerte constantly is following the Blues in the movie to get revenge. You won’t be disappointed with this movie!

Happy Birthday Dennis!

Know-It-All-Tuesdays: Easter Trivia

Which state held the largest Easter egg hunt in the United States?

Instead of a bunny, what animal delivers goods in Germany?

Easter was thought to be named after which Anglo-Saxon goddess?

What is the most popular way to celebrate Easter?

Easter bonnets became popular Easter attire after which 1933’s song?

Instead of Easter bunnies, what do Swedish kids dress up as?

Beside Easter bunny, what is the most popular Easter animal?

What is the most popular flavor of jelly bean?

When does Easter take place in Australia?

What was the original name of Cadbury Creme Eggs?

How tall was the largest chocolate egg?

What flower is symbolic of Easter?

How did ham become an Easter staple?

Typically, what part of a chocolate bunny do most people eat first?

How did the Easter Bunny make its way to America?

In what year was the first White House Easter Egg Roll held?

At what price was a jeweled Easter Egg once sold for?

How many peeps are made yearly? (Bonus points if you know WHERE they’re made.)

So, how did you do?

Answers:


Florida

Easter Fox

Eostre

Egg hunt

Easter Parade

Witches and wizards

Lamb

Cherry (red)

Autumn

Fry’s Crème Eggs

34 feet tall (16,000 pounds!) made in Italy.

Lily

Before we had refrigerators, people would cure ham during the winter months and when the ham thawed out by springtime, it made sense to use it as an Easter meal centerpiece.

Ears

There’s not an actual known origin story of how the Easter Bunny came to be the fictional symbol for the holiday—but we do know that in the 1700s, Germans who immigrated to America brought the tradition of the Osterhase with them. Basically, it’s a bunny who magically lays eggs.

1878

$18.5 million.

2 billion (Bethlehem, PA)

Till next time…stay sharp!

My Peeps!

I happen to LOVE peeps, but I know that I am probably in the minority…lol.  I found an article sympathizing with those who do not share my love of peeps detailing things to do with them.

From: Symplistically Living:

Got Peeps? First off, I’m sorry and secondly, if you don’t enjoy Peeps there are several things to do with Peeps besides eat them and we’ve got the list to prove it.

Throw them in the trash

Peep Bouquet

Make a Peeps Easter Wreath

Make a Tealight Vase

In cognito Peep (Dress them Up!)

Make a Peeps Dress

Make Marshmallow Peeps Play Dough

Make a Cigarette Holder

Make Peeps Jewelry

Now, if you really want to get creative with Peeps leave them out for a few days to harden and you can use them for all sorts of things like:

A door stop

A paperweight

A pin cushion

Use them as a squishy (can you say, stress reliever?)

Use them as Cornhole game pieces

Make puppets on sticks with them

Microwave them for a fun experiment

Decorate your mantel with them

Make a Keychain out of them (it’d be hard to lose your keys after this)

Use them as garden markers (use sharpies to write on them)

Use them as land markers while hiking

Use a bunch of them as balloon weights

Use them to teach your kids math

Put them in the bath and see if they sink or float (experiment)

Use them as packing material instead of packing peanuts

Make bookmarks (attach them to the end of a popsicle stick)

Freeze them and use as an ice pack

Pencil top decoration (glue them onto the end of a pencil)

Make Peeps Race Cars

SOURCE: SIMPLISTICALLYLIVING.COM

What Shall We Bake Today?

In honor of Easter coming up this month, I found a carrot shaped cake! 

Ingredients

Cake

1 box carrot cake mix with pudding in the mix

Water, oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Green and orange gel food color

Frosting

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray 1 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Place paper baking cup in each of 9 regular-size muffin cups.

Make cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and eggs. Pour 2 1/2 cups of batter in loaf pan; pour remaining batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake loaf 40 minutes; bake cupcakes 20 minutes. Cool loaf in pan 5 minutes; remove cake from loaf pan and cupcakes to cooling racks. Cool cupcakes and loaf completely, about 1 hour.

Using long serrated knife, trim triangle-shaped piece from corners of one end of loaf; reserve pieces. With knife, round corners of other short end of loaf.

For the frosting: in large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until frosting is smooth and spreadable. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup frosting with green color until desired color. In large bowl, mix remaining frosting and orange color until desired color.

Bring reserved cut edges together at the bottom of cake to form carrot tip. Hold together with some of the orange frosting. Use remaining orange frosting to frost carrot. Use green frosting to make the carrot top. Use remaining orange and green frosting to create carrots and carrot tops on cupcakes. Serve cupcakes with cake.

Pat’s Note: Although this recipe uses a carrot cake mix, I have substituted my own homemade carrot cake recipe and it turned out just fine, so the choice is yours.

Enjoy!

National Nebraska Day!

1. The state is home to Archie, the biggest mammoth on display in the country.

2. The Nebraska Cornhuskers’ football stadium holds more than 90,000 people.

3. Arbor Day started in 1854 with a pioneer named J. Sterling Morton.

4. Nebraska’s official state soft drink? Kool-Aid.

5. The Carhenge, a replica of the historic English Stonehenge, is located just north of Alliance, Nebraska and is made up of 38 old automobiles that have been arranged the same way as the original Stonehenge.

6. The name “Nebraska” originated with the Otoe Indians. The word “Nebraska” means “flat water” and refers to the Platte River that flows throughout the state.

7. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska in May, 1925.

8. Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature (meaning a single legislative chamber).

9. Almost all (91%) of Nebraska is farmland. 1 in 4 jobs in Nebraska are related to agriculture.

10. After Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, the town of Lancaster was made the capital and was later renamed Lincoln in the honor of Abraham Lincoln.

11. You can still see evidence of Oregon Trail travelers – if you look close enough, the wagon roadbed is still visible at Scotts Bluff National Monument.

12. The Lied Jungle is America’s largest indoor rainforest, located at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.

13. Nebraska doesn’t have an official state food, but if it did, Runzas would take the crown. Runza is a fast food chain who is known for ground beef and cabbage.

14. It’s a landlocked state, but Nebraska does, in fact, have a Navy, which was commissioned in 1931 by Lt. Governor T.W. Metcalfe.

15. On April 18, 1945, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded in the sky over Dundee, a section of Omaha.

16. Home to the the largest hand-planted forest in the United States, The National Forest at Halsey spreads across more than 90 thousand acres of land!

17. Omaha, Nebraska, is home to one of the most famous billionaires in the world, Warren Buffett.

18. In Nebraska in 1986 for the first time ever two women ran against each other for governorship of a state.

19. Nebraska is a popular place with refugees, who move to America from impoverished and war torn countries.

20. Before Nebraska became a state in the U.S. union, it passed the Homestead Act in 1862.

21. There’s a six-foot-tall statue of Chef Boyardee in Omaha.

22. The state of Nebraska is nowhere near an ocean. However, there is a lighthouse that stands along the road in Ashland, Nebraska.

23. In the late 1800s, a law created in Lehigh, Nebraska forbid merchants from selling donut holes.

24. The world’s largest stamp ball can be seen at the Leon Myers Stamp Center at Boys Town in Nebraska.

25. The University of Nebraska in Lincoln is home to the largest weight room in the United States.

26. The nation’s smallest city hall is in Maskell, Nebraska, being home to about 70 residents since 1930s.

27. Until 1945, Nebraska was known as the “Tree Planter’s State.”

28. All owners of bars in Omaha are required to sell beer while they prepare soup.

29. Ten mammoth fossils are buried under an average square mile of land in Nebraska.

30. There is only one person living in Monowi, Nebraska.

31. Nebraska is in the bottom third of the United States most populated states, having a total population of about 1.8 million people.

32. Many celebrities call the Nebraska home, such as, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Gerald Ford, and Nick Nolte.

33. The amount of land used to produce corn and livestock in Nebraska is greater than in any other state in the U.S.

34. With a diameter of 7 inches, a hailstone which fell in Aurora, Nebraska, during a June 22, 2003 storm was one of the largest hailstorms in the U.S. history.

35. Lincoln City has the mildest maritime climates.

36. Omaha is renowned to be the home for a 3000-foot bridge.

37. Hastings was named in honor of Col. Thomas D. Hastings, a prominent railroad contractor.

38. Kearney is one of the cities in Nebraska that were formed thanks to the construction of America’s railroads.

39. Bellevue is the oldest town in Nebraska, it was established in 1822 for fur trading.

40. The Nebraska Crane Festival puts a spotlight on the sandhill crane migration in Kearney.

41. Omaha has been the home of the College World Series since 1950.

42. Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer from Lithuania who lived in Omaha, supposedly invented the sandwich roughly between the years 1920 and 1935.

43. At the age of 15, Evelyn Sharp became the youngest female pilot in the United States.

44. A natural geologic formation, designated the Chimney Rock National Historic Site, is one of the most famous landmarks for pioneer travelers on the Oregon Trail.

45. Lincoln is the one of the best destinations for lovers of surfing and kiting.

46. On April 10th, 1872, more than a million trees were planted in Nebraska.

47. Omaha has played host to the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials for three consecutive trials.

48. North Platte was named after the eponymous river that flows through it.

49. The town of Norfolk was settled by German Lutherans in 1865.

50. The city of Fremont was named to honor the American explorer and politician John C. Fremont.

51. Lincoln City has a memorial statue of Abraham Lincoln on the NE 22nd Street.

SOURCE: ALLAMERICANATLAS.COM

Coach

Today is Craig T. Nelson’s birthday (born in 1944) and I thoroughly enjoyed him in the series Coach.  This article from Mental Floss details some interesting facts about the series.

From Mental Floss:

Before Parenthood, Craig T. Nelson starred as college football coach Hayden Fox on Coach, a sitcom that most people would be surprised to realize ran for nine seasons and 197 episodes, from 1989 through 1997. On the 20th anniversary of the series’ finale, we’re taking a look back at the original show that started it all.

1. MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY WAS ACTUALLY THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.

Even though the first seven seasons of Coach were set at the fictitious Minnesota State University, series creator Barry Kemp graduated from the University of Iowa’s Department of Theatre Arts, and paid homage to his alma mater by giving his main character a similar name as legendary Iowa football coach Hayden Fry. The exterior shots of the show were from the Iowa campus as well.

2. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY’S MARCHING BAND PLAYED THE SHOW’S THEME SONG.

John Morris composed the opening number for Coach, which doubled as Minnesota State’s theme song. Iowa State University’s football marching band won a 1995 college marching band contest to have their version of the theme song play on the show, which ran during the opening credits until the end of the series.

3. TWO REAL-LIFE MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITIES POPPED UP AFTER THE SHOW BEGAN.

When Coach premiered on February 28, 1989, Minnesota State University was a fictitious college. In 1998, Mankato State University became Minnesota State University, Mankato. On July 1, 2000, Moorhead State University became Minnesota State University Moorhead.

4. CRAIG T. NELSON THOUGHT ABC HATED HIM.

Craig T. Nelson was persuaded by Barry Kemp to audition for the network. The actor was so convinced that ABC wasn’t enjoying his efforts in their initial meeting that he left early. To his surprise, they offered him the part the very next day.

5. JERRY VAN DYKE AND NELSON HAD TO WORK ON THEIR CHEMISTRY.

In an interview with Popdose, Jerry Van Dyke, who played defensive coordinator Luther Van Dam, said that he and Nelson had to work on finding their chemistry when the show began. Though he says that they’ve remained friends and talk all the time, Van Dyke admitted that Nelson was “not easy to get along with” and that “he’s pretty much a loner.”

6. IT WAS JERRY VAN DYKE’S FIRST SUCCESSFUL TV SHOW, AT THE AGE OF 57.

Van Dyke had previously—and infamously—starred on the one-season sitcom My Mother the Car in 1965, which TV Guide ranked as the second worst television show of all-time in 2002. Kemp specifically wrote the part of Luther Van Dam for the actor because of his “everyman quality.”

7. DICK VAN DYKE MADE AN UNCREDITED APPEARANCE ON THE SHOW.

It had to happen sooner or later. In 1993, during the show’s sixth season, Jerry Van Dyke’s brother, Dick, appeared on the show as a partygoer who walks across the screen when Luther insists that he can’t be related to anyone at his family reunion in “Christmas of the Van Damned.”

8. CHRISTINE ARMSTRONG WAS A REGULAR IN ELVIS PRESLEY MOVIES.

Actress Shelley Fabares, who played Hayden Fox’s girlfriend-turned-wife on the series, co-starred with The King in Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake.

9. CHRISTINE ARMSTRONG ALSO SANG A NUMBER ONE SONG.

Fabares sang “Johnny Angel,” which was the number one song for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962.

10. CLARE CAREY GOT THE ROLE OF COACH’S DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE WAS THE MOST BELIEVABLE MIDWESTERNER.

Clare Carey, who played Hayden’s daughter Kelly, was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in Santa Barbara, California. But in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Carey said that what got her the role was that, “They thought I was the most believable Midwesterner!”

11. DAUBER’S FIRST NAME WAS MICHAEL.

Coach‘s Michael Daubinksy was usually only referred to by his nickname, “Dauber.” In one episode, even Hayden didn’t know who Michael Daubinsky’s girlfriend was speaking of when she referred to him by his given name.

12. DAUBER IS THE VOICE OF PATRICK ON SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.

Bill Fagerbakke’s run as Offensive Coordinator Dauber ended in 1997, the same year that he successfully auditioned to voice Patrick Star on SpongeBob SquarePants. For the first few years of SpongeBob, he referred to Patrick as “AquaDauber.”

13. SHOWRUNNERS BEGRUDGINGLY AGREED TO TAKE PART IN AN ABC CROSSOVER STUNT IN ITS FINAL SEASON.

Competing with the 39th Annual Grammy Awards on February 26, 1997, ABC had characters from The Drew Carey Show, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, and Coach meet each other in Las Vegas on a night called “Viva Las Vegas.” Craig T. Nelson refused to take part, so Luther ended up on The Drew Carey Show getting into a bidding war with Mimi in Sin City. (For what it’s worth, Ellen DeGeneres also refused to take part.) The title of that night’s installment of Coach was “Viva Las Ratings.”

14. THE SERIES FINALE OF COACH REFERRED TO A CLASSIC SHOW WITH ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SERIES ENDINGS OF ALL TIME.

In “Leaving Orlando,” Hayden return to Minnesota to find three brothers—Larry, Darryl, and Darryl—in his cabin. Yes, the same Larry, Darryl, and Darryl from Newhart, which was also created by Barry Kemp.

15. NELSON, VAN DYKE, AND FAGERBAKKE REUNITED ON TV IN 2004.

Nelson played police chief Jack Mannion on the CBS drama The District, which was on the air from 2000 to 2004. In “The Black Widow Maker,” Van Dyke played what he described as a “cranky and brusque” small-town judge, while Fagerbakke played a kindly officer who was described in the script as “better suited to being a florist.” Though, in 2015, it was announced that a reboot of the show would be coming back to screens, plans to resurrect Coach were eventually scrapped.

SOURCE: MENTALFLOSS.COM