Church Lady Easter Eggs!

Back story: When I lived in Calgary I worked at a restaurant and every Sunday we had a usual table of the "Church Ladies". They were a group of older friends who attended a United Church together every week. Each Easter they made these Easter eggs as a fundraiser. I wanted MANY of them but by the time Sunday brunch rolled around they only had one left. Telling me, "You will only need one."

They were right! Sweet and rich, stored in the fridge and slice a piece off whenever you need a fix. One was enough!

Today I found my recipe for them and made a batch...made some adjustments and voila....Easter Eggs!

To be noted...these are NOT a healthy treat!!

Fondant dough:
1/2lb soft butter
1tbsp vanilla
3/4 tbsp salt
1 15oz can of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
3lbs icing sugar (I used approx 1kg bag plus a 500g minus about 1 or 2 cups as I used...either weigh it or guess)
Cream butter, vanilla and salt. Add sweet milk and beat till smooth. Gradually add sugar...it will become too stiff to use beaters so use hands. Knead this until it is smooth and shiny...almost like a pie dough.

Divide into 3 equal parts. With one ball add yellow (I say orange!!) food coloring and knead till color is well blended. Divide this into 18 equal balls.
Cut the remaining 2 lumps into 18 parts. Flatten out the white lumps and place 'yolks' in center and wrap white around this and form into egg shaped balls (with yolk hidden in center).
Set these on waxed paper and into the freezer.

While these are cooling...

Melt in a double boiler:
1 pkg of chocolate (I used unsweetened dark baking chocolate)
1 square of paraffin wax (I used about a 1 inch X 1inch square)
*I also added about a cup of white chocolate chips to get rid of them.
Melt slowly on low stirring every now and then.

When smooth and shiny take cold eggs out and dip and roll in melted chocolate and place back on wax paper until hard. Lick fingers occasionally being sure to wash hands after each lick haha.

You can also make a harder icing to decorate them...but the thought of more sugar added to these sends me into shivers!!

Taaaa-daaahhhh Easter Eggs! Wrap in pretty wrapping and you are a hero!

*this is in no way my original recipe and all credit goes to the ladies of the Calgary United Church...or whomever they got it from!

ps next time I cook something I think I better take pics of the steps haha

AMAZING DEALS!! Gifted Imaginations!!

When I had my kids, I was all about getting vintage toys...the same toys I had while growing up and had such fond memories about.

*AHEM* Have you ever tried looking for a certain toy in good shape on ebay? What a PITA!! Not only do they want an arm and a leg, ESPECIALLY for shipping...they consider those toys Vintage!

Vintage eh? Makes me want to cancel my ebay account lol.

So scrap that idea...I started getting into good....NO greatly made toys. Toys with educational value, toys that were made to last. I came across this website about a year ago....I am obsessed. Best toys EVA!!

Well, they broke my heart the other day. A message over the magical waves of facebook informed me they were closing out forever!! *gasp*

Good news? They are having a HUGE, mega, mind blowing sale on the remaining stock...hold it, wait for it...

50% off!!!!!

I'm talking brand names like Melissa & Doug, Bilibo, Groovy Girls, Green Label Organic, Manhattan Toys...etc etc!!
They have great prices...and for sure a slowly dwindling stock...because *sob* they are closing out at the end of the month!!

Like this month...like APRIL!!

Head over to http://www.giftedimaginations.com/  use the promo code: "Spring"    for the 50% dealio!

Seriously....I never wanted to turn this blog into a promotion one, just my usual rants...but this site deserves to be mentioned...and since I enjoy most of your company (silly readers)....I pass on my smarts to you.

Go....browse...haul out your hubbys credit card you hid from him...shhh I didn't mean that :O ....stock up for next Christmas...buy a bus load and gift it to me...bahaha.......you can thank me with praise! :D

The 4 Shades of a Parent.

I've been in hiding lately...actually I have about 4 new posts in the hopper and just can't bring myself to post them. I'm not sure why. It's not that I am a shy person when trying to express a thought (read: big mouthed know it all)...it's not that I don't enjoy a good debate...I don't know what it is.

I had a great idea about "Different parenting styles" posts...but the thing is...my parenting style is most likely very different then yours...if I write it I never mean my way is better, because believe me, YOUR parenting style is nothing like mine. Everyone does it differently.

According to psychologists (Baumrind, 1967) there are four basic styles of parenting:
Authoritarian
Authoritative
Uninvolved
Permissive

Lets break it down...a la DJ Lance (Yo Gabba Gabba, 200?)

Authoritarian parenting is basically the parents establishing rules and the children are expected to follow them. You don't want to follow the rules? You get punished. Simple as that. I am the parent, I am the ruler, these are my rules and its because "I said SO!".....I'm a little of this. My main rules of the house that fall under this heading include SAFETY and RESPECT. You WILL use manners if you want something, if I deem something as unsafe and you put yourself (or family) in danger you WILL get punished. Simple...and by da' Jesus I have said "Cause I said so!" quite a few times already in their short 3 years of existence.

Authoritative parenting is basically the same as above with set rules and guidelines ONLY instead of firm punishment they can be more open to questions and thoughts regarding the rules when broken. More on letting the child self-regulate their own actions and more supportive in the learning aspect of WHY they felt the need for breaking a set guideline. "You broke my rule, why did you do that? Why do you think I asked you not to? How do you feel about that?" I would like to say I fall under this category more then the latter...but really at three years old mine would totally take over the household and it would be a whole Lord of the Flies sh*tstorm brewing...my kids sense weakness and strike! J/k....I grasp this concept more then not, I think in order for a child to firmly understand a rule they need to be talked to and feel open to ask questions...."BUT WHYYYYYYYY?"

Uninvolved Parenting? They have very few demands or rules on their children. They are very detached (IMO) fill their basic needs of food and shelter but that's about it. No rules, no connection, no worries. Kind of like throwing toast at your kids, turning on the TV and sitting down at a kitchen table and ignoring them while you write a blog entry....WAIIIIIITTTTT a minute....that's what I'm doing....anyhoooo nothing to see here, move along :O I'm teasing...as I finished that sentence the boy just pulled his sisters hair to get her toast...and his butt is in the corner as we speak haha

Permissive parents are ones who simply spoil a child or are 'FRIENDS" with their children. There are very little rules or restrictions or expectations places on them, they are free to simply be. We have all seen this type. "My Little Johnny took a rock and scratched the paint on your new truck? Ohhh he's just expressing his emotions. Isn't he creative?" This style is the LEAST of the qualities in my repertoire. I'm sorry, I have many friends, and none of my friends take their diaper off and poop paint on the walls, none of mine wake me up in the middle of the night to throw up in my face. haha....ok that's a little far.

In my opinion, being only ONE of these types of parents is not good. You should have a nice mixture of all 4 qualities. Strict enough to have rules and expect them to follow. Have rules but allow certain rules to be up for discussion when the time is right. Punishments for rule breaking but allowances for debate. You need to take time for yourself, but not to the extent of letting your kids rule the roost. You need to be a sort of friend...not a "hey buddy, lets chill out." but a parent who allows their kids to open up to you without fear of punishment...you need mutual trust. You can't crack the whip without letting a child know where they went wrong.

We, as parents have a tough job. There are always people out there to judge you and wait for you to screw up in your parenting. There is always people who think they do/did a way better job with their kids then you are. If you live your life worrying about what others think of you you might as well have never had kids. These are YOUR kids, you will survive.

The way I see it...I haven't done everything right, I will never do right in some peoples eyes and I may have screwed up ensuring my kids will end up in jail or something, but I'm involved and TRYING. If we all wake up in one piece the next morning and happy then I did my job...today is a new day. :)

You don't have to agree with my opinion...that's the wicked thing about the internet...theres a red X at the top of the screen...