We've been outside...

Playing and sowing seeds (lettuce, swiss chard, lima beans...and a long list of others yet to be planted) in our backyard garden.We are also getting ready for Pascha, the day we celebrate our Lord's Resurrection! Lots of church services, more than usual, we will try to go to as many as we can. Reading the Bible and being in church, partaking of the sacraments, looking at the icons of the saints, who are example to us all, help us on the path to salvation. I find that this time is hard, I tend to judge others, when I am not doing all that I can...am I really on the path to salvation or meandering off to distractions? I need to look at myself and try to improve...to become a kinder and more helpful person.I've baked some kulich (click here for the recipe), a wonderful sweet bread. I will bake more and make cheese to go with it. Want my recipe?

Cheese-pascha (here's my homemade cheese instructions)

3 lbs farmer's cheese (instead I used my homemade cheeses)

1/2 lb salted butter (softened)
1/2 c. raisins (I didn't put any in my cheese-pascha, just decorated it with them after)

1/4 lb finely chopped almonds (didn't use them this year)

1 3/4 cups sugar
3 egg yolks (I made coconut macaroons with the left over egg whites)

1 whole egg

1 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (scraped the seeds from the center of a vanilla bean instead)

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Combine with cheese (adding nuts and raisins, if desired) and cream. Cook in large pot over medium head until mixture bubbles, stirring occasionally (about 1/2 hour). When cool, add vanilla, place mixture in mould lined with cheese cloth. Refrigerate and allow to drain, unmould and decorate! Spread on top of kulich and enjoy!!!We also have wonderful eggs, thanks to our 2 hens, Clementine and Nutmeg! Clementine is the white and tan one, she's an Ameraucana, and just started laying eggs a month ago, a beautiful pastel blue-green colour... and Nutmeg, the Rhode Island Red, gives us the brown eggs.