Looking back to our annual 4th of July parties that we’ve held each year, I think about the paper products that we’ve gone through. Thank goodness for the Dollar Store and very good friends who don’t mind that I’ve “delegated” when planning the menu (everyone brings a dish). I think that people expect “paper” on the 4th, don’t you?

Here’s a peek from last year’s party …

Pool time – always a hit.

Lounging and hanging with friends.

Adults mingling under the patio.

Intimate times, into the evening, as the sun goes down.

Happy 4th to all my family and friends!

Will you be using paper products this weekend?

I made this tart early because I wanted to try it out on my family first. I’ll say that my family loved it, even though my kids are not big rhubarb lovers! If you’re having out-of-town guests, make up the rhubarb sauce ahead of time. Then it only takes a few minutes to prepare, bake, and serve it hot to your guests!

Rhubarb Sauce
1/2 lb. rhubarb, about 2 cups chopped ½” pieces
1/4 cup sugar
Few Tbs. of water
1 Tbs. butter

Put all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Stir. Bring to boil with medium heat stirring occasionally. Turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until soft. Chill.

(This sauce is also awesome served warm over vanilla ice cream!)

4th July Rhubarb Tart
Serves 8-10
2 pastry sheets (17 oz. box) rolled slightly into a large rectangle (follow instructions on the box how to defrost.)
1/2 cup strawberry or orange marmalade jam
2-3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries
Prepared Rhubarb Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup sugar

1) Preheat oven to 400. Spray large baking tray. (Or use 2 smaller trays and make “2″) Place puff pastry sheets on the tray, slightly roll. Pinch or fold the edges up and over.

2) Brush pastry with jam (we used FRESH strawberry jam). Top with bananas, Rhubarb Sauce, and blueberries to create a 4th of July FLAG.

3) Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Delicious served with whipped cream, ice cream, or just plain.

ENJOY!

By the way, I love mix-matching tables and chairs and using paper products on the 4th. My goal is to keep the party simple!

(FUN with girlfriends a few years ago in our backyard! And if you need a quick, easy way to make Sliders for your party, check out my friend Robin’s Blog, Big Red Kitchen. You’ll love this recipe!)

Are you planning on entertaining this weekend?

A Mother’s Love

Erma Bombeck

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I will tell them:

I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.

I loved you enough to insist that you buy a bike, that we could afford to give you, with your own money.

I loved you enough to make you return a Milky-Way— with a bite out of it—to the drug store and to confess “I stole this.”

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.

I love being a mother, and I’ll always think back to how my mother must have felt as a mother. And now I’m following in her footsteps, and thankful for Elliot, Garrett and Abigail – my greatest gifts in life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my wonderful friends! I hope you enjoy your day!

(Top photo: My sons heading to their prom last night!)

Welcome to Home is … Day here at RE! This week we’re sharing …

… an Easter memory!

I’ll start with my story, and then you can link up and share yours, okay?

Home is … sharing holidays with friends and family! And this last weekend I have so memories that I want to tuck away and never forget. Because they have to do with people I love!

What started with a dinner at our friends’ house, soon got moved to our house when they decided to rip out their floors (a little home improvement going on there), so they graciously asked if we would host.

Of course! How could we say no with this new over-sized center island that we just put in our kitchen? See how it’s perfect for a buffet style meal?

We started by using what we had, although we did splurge on paper napkins!

The tulips were in full bloom in our front yard.

Home is … setting the table beautifully. And adding a table on.

And waiting for the company to arrive.

The weather was freezing outside, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time with these beautiful kids.

And great conversation around the table, using place cards and setting the table adult, kid, adult, kid, adult, kid …

And then the real fun began … BINGO.

I have to admit, it was our first time to play Bingo on Easter.

But all 16 of us really got into it!

It all began after we went to church and rejoiced in the celebration of the true meaning of Easter: The Resurrection.

Home to me is being flexible, as in when friends need to move the party from their house to our house.

It’s always worth is when we say “yes!”

I’d love to hear one of your Easter memories?

About Home is …

Each Wednesday you can link up here at RE, to a different theme that I will share in advance … which may be something like a beautiful set table, a snack waiting for your kids when they get home from school, fresh flowers in the kitchen, dishes in your hutch, a meal on the stove (maybe using leftovers), a family heirloom, a yard sale find and how you put it to use, pictures on the walls, music being played in the background … a feeling, a smell, a touch.

What’s exciting about this day is that I will provide you (on my sidebar) the theme each week which will hopefully inspire you!

A few short rules to follow:

1. Just add your name to the description. The photo itself will help people browse. See on Emily’s (Chatting at the Sky) blog how my post came up #25? How simple is that?

2. Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog. Please follow this instruction, otherwise I will have to delete your entry. If you need help with a permalink, click here.

3. Go back to your original post and link this party to that post, and you are may also include the Home is … button from my sidebar, to bring people back here to RE.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN … and Thank You for participating! Remember to visit the other bloggers who link up!

(Winner to the Living Well on Less books … is Isabel. Congrats!)

God sent His Son – they called Him Jesus,
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

The table is set. A beautiful Easter Sunday is about to begin …

Happy Easter Family and Friends!

(Song by Gloria and William Gaither)

Blog friends, don’t forget to link up this Wednesday here at RE to share an Easter memory!

I wanted to share with you my deviled eggs from last Easter! They were tasty and so easy to make, and I found if you follow my simple tips, they’ll be guaranteed to turn out perfectly for your Easter Feast this year! But to start off, do you have a hard time getting a perfectly boiled egg?

How to boil an egg
First, bring your water to a boil, then by carefully using a spoon, drop the eggs down into the water. Set your timer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and add COLD WATER to cover the eggs.

After a few minutes, pour off this water and add more cold water. In about 8 minutes your eggs will be cool enough to handle, and they’ll peel perfectly every time.

The hot water causes the interior of the egg to shrink away from the shell, making it really easy to peel.

Creamy Deviled Eggs
10 eggs
4 oz. cream cheese
3 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3 tbsp. onion, minced
2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced (or 2 tsp. dried dill)
3 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Few tablespoons of milk or cream, as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Using a sharp knife, slice each cooled, boiled egg in half. Place the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Put the white halves into a Tupperware container until you are ready to serve on a deviled egg platter.

If you don’t have a deviled egg platter, then you can cover a standard plate with lettuce leaves and put your eggs on them. The lettuce leaves prevent the deviled eggs from sliding around.

To your yolks, add all other ingredients. Use your hand mixer to beat the eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s a little mini after-dinner concert that we had last Easter …

Stuffing the eggs
Using a kitchen tool or dispenser (or pastry bag) or a quart-size sandwich bag (snip off the tip), squeeze the stuffing out of the small hole in the bag into the egg white halves. This makes it easy to make really attractive deviled eggs.

Put any extra yolk mixture left over after the eggs are filled onto crackers for an additional appetizer and garnish with a half of an olive.

Make the eggs look beautiful

Snip a small bit of the fresh dill and place it on top of each egg

Scatter snipped chives or minced parsley on top of each egg

Layer strips of red peppers; lay them in a criss-cross pattern on top of each egg

Or, do what I did – just leave them plain!

Put the egg platter on top of a pedestal stand or cake dish!

Deviled eggs are so beautiful – you just have to show them off!

More reminiscing …

I bought my plastic egg plate (in photos) at Crate and Barrel last year and I love it because it’s light weight and the price was right!

Are you making Deviled Eggs this year? And do you ever have troubles with getting the eggs to boil perfectly?

(This post is my opinion only. Crate and Barrel did not pay me to write these nice words!)

Oh, and I wanted to share one more thing today. My friend Melissa, from The Inspired Room, is featured on The Pioneer Woman’s blog today! I’m so tickled pink for her! Check it out!

I love the meal that we had this last weekend when our friends came for dinner. We’re really aiming to eat healthier as a family, and it had been awhile since we had steak, so we wanted to treat our guests. When we entertain we usually try to keep it as simple as possible: meat, potatoes, veggies on the grill and a salad and bread.

The lovely part about the evening was that it was our first time to eat outside this year! We hosed down the back patio, pulled out the new umbrellas that we had stored in the shed, and spruced up the entertaining area a bit.

It wasn’t perfect, but the evening temp was perfect, the food was tasty and the company and conversation was soul-inspiring!

First off, my son set the table. Teenage boys don’t know the difference between a salad fork and a regular fork. Or if they do, they don’t really care! So the table was set with salad forks. Now normally I would have just left it, but I do think adults like to use a regular fork with dinner, so I swapped them out. Oh, and he used the larger spoon, but I left that in the setting. I’m always reminding myself that things do not have to be perfect.

The tags were still hanging on the new umbrellas. I purchased a stash of umbrellas about 3 years ago on sale for $19.99, and have stored them in the shed.

We started off with a delicious bean dip, packed with crisp, juicy vegetables. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you in my NEW BOOK. It’s so good, it’s almost a meal!

Getting the food ready to barbeque …

We cut fresh chives from the garden for the potatoes, to go along with the salad and bread.

And fresh flowers from the yard.

The lights were strung and added a beautiful ambience when the sun went down.

In the morning, it looked like this. This is where we had a fire the night before, sitting for hours, talking with the kids, laughing and telling stories. We laughed with each other. We laughed at ourselves! There were some pretty funny moments!

Hosting a dinner party is a way to reflect God’s love through hospitality.

Share the preparation with your friends allows them to contribute to the meal so you don’t have to carry the burden of the cost. And if you haven’t thought about Easter yet, it’s time! My friend Anne and I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out what we plan to serve for Easter Brunch this year.

I’m not sure if we’ll be able to eat outside for Easter this Sunday, but even if it’s too chilly, we can still open the doors and let the fresh air in …

I’d love to hear if you’ve opened your doors to outdoor dining this year? And how’s your Easter menu coming along?

Don’t forget tomorrow is Home is … Day here at RE! Link up and share about a delicious scent in your home! Check out the side bar for the weekly post ideas. You can read more details at the end of this post.

Years ago my friend Hoppi showed me the little inexpensive secret to a simple centerpiece: Buy wheatgrass and display! It seems to have made a comeback, I’ve noticed this spring season, as I’ve flipped through magazines. Some people add flowers or Easter eggs, but I say, keep it simple!

Just this week I purchased 4 individual pots of wheatgrass for $1.19 each.

Place on your favorite pedestal stand.

Find a ribbon in your ribbon stash that goes with the colors for Easter.

Tie around the outside.

Set on your dining table.

Don’t forget to water ever few days.

Simple, inexpensive, elegant, and beautiful.

Do you keep a stash of extra ribbon for decorating ideas?

Oh, and our kitty, Hobbes, loves to eat the wheatgrass … watch out if you have a kitty cat! This picture was taken in our old dining room (before remodel) back in 2006! I just caught her again eating the grass!

(The 2 winners to Lisa Leonard’s necklaces are: Liz (This Full House) and Sheryl R. – no blog. Congrats Ladies! And my friend, Emily (Chatting at the Sky) has a beautiful post on Glimpses of Home today. Check it out and be inspired. This post is linked to Kimba’s DYI Day – Check out A Soft Place to Land!)

Every year, the week of Valentine’s Day, I get “the card.”

For years (5 or 6?) this beautiful homemade Valentine’s Day card would arrive at my door and I’d try to figure out who sent it.

Until about 2 years ago – I asked a friend and I was right. She was the sender!

Even though I know who it is now, the card still comes in the mail – with a simple Happy Valentine’s Day message.

This year … “Happy Heart Day!”

My friend started this, and I can only imagine how long her list must be by now, of friends that receive her cards – anonymously!

I’ll never say who it is, because I don’t want to ruin the surprise (for local peeps!) just in case you get one, too.

Doing things anonymously really does bring joy. It’s just not always about us, but about blessing others!

Don’t you just love this idea? And what are your plans to bless someone on Valentine’s Day?

(The winner of the Hip Hostess apron is Julie, from Less-than-Perfect Life of Bliss! Having fun choosing which PINK apron you want, Julie! ) And here’s a LAST MINUTE Valentine’s idea from The Robin’s Nest – here.

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy
Would someday walk on water?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered
Will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God.

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding
Is the Great I Am

Christmas Blessings from the Coughlin Family!

(Tim Tidball Photography. Thank you Tim!)

Relaxation and family time are key for us during the holidays.

I’ve rushed around way too much in earlier years. And I will admit, it gets easier as our kids grow up and become adults. I think all of our perspectives change as we admit to commercialism, over-indulging (food and gifts), and it no longer feels right.

This last weekend, I am thankful for the simple things.

Little family members.

Snowmen.

Tickle belly.

Good food.

DIY simple table.

Little wonder boy.

Lovely niece (oh, and nephew).

Great family. Period.

I. Am. Thankful.

Thanksgiving is the best holiday to start the “holidays” off with. The focus for me is to stay away from the mad rush.

I love the gift of looking back, and the reminder of what’s ahead.

Are you looking forward to a simple Christmas holiday season like I am?

(A peek back at last year’s Thanksgiving, here. And the year before, here. And come back on Monday for a HUGE Kraft Foods Giveaway!)

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because is it good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country. ~ C. S. Lewis

When life is hard, it can be difficult to lift our thanks up to God. Yet when we lose our ability to be grateful (relationships, sadness, loss, suffering), we double our loss. Whatever the situation, whether we’re cooking the bird, taking pies or side dishes or salads, or heading out to a restaurant with family or friends, Thanksgiving Day is more than the feast. God’s desire is for us is to be deeply involved in each other’s lives … hard times and all.

That is what I love about This Good Day. It goes deeper, beyond the picture …

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, to my family and friends!

I’m over at Blissfully Domestic today, reminiscing about past Halloween nights (written a couple of years ago).

And in the meantime, I have my chicken cooking on the stove (in salsa).

And my cans of beans laid out.

And a very special friend dropped a “new kitchen housewarming” gift by (perfect timing).

We may do Halloween differently this year. We may just put on a pot of Chicken Chili and open our doors, and stay home!

Cider on the stove. Chili in the pot. The kids are older and doing their own things, but our house is always open.

What are your plans for the weekend?

(Photos taken by my husband last Halloween in the corn maze!)

Want to try a yummy dessert? Check out Grace’s (A Southern Grace) Easy Bars, Halloween Style! YUM! And I’m linking to Melissa’s Beautiful LIfe today, because opening our homes to others is a beautiful thing!

What do men want on Father’s Day?

Not a big deal.

Men want to keep things simple.  Maybe a mellow gathering or BBQ.  But nothing elaborate.

Maybe to just relax or go to church.

Or go fishing.

Or take the family on a hike.

Most men don’t want a lot of fuss.

Like my man, maybe they want to ponder and give thanks for God and nature.  Or maybe they’re happy with just a hug!

Since we’re pinching our pennies in our home, and my Mother’s Day request was for our family to get some outside chores done, I thought of some fantastic ideas for mothers to help our kids give to their dads.

They can be either NO-COST or LOW-COST gifts!  

1. Have each one of your kids tell their father what they admire about him. You can do this around the dinner table.  Using words is very meaningful.

2. Have your kids take their “words” and put them into an art project. Generate using their own writing or on the computer, buy a frame from the Dollar Store, or look around your house and find an unused frame lying around.

3. Give the gift of TIME. Ask how he would like to spend the day, and then ENJOY!

These ideas also teach our children that celebrations do not have to be about money!

What words did the Coughlin kids come up with, about their dad?

He’s Courageous

He’s Bold

He’s Wise

As each kid shared with me in detail, I just knew this gift would make their dad feel honored and respected!  Without a doubt!!

Our sons are gone to Mexico this week, building houses, so they’ll have to decide how to honor their Dad when they return.

My husband and I both agree that we’ve been blessed by very generous fathers.

Both of our fathers lost siblings, some earlier in life than they should have.  And as I was visiting with my dad this very week, and talking about his brother and sister who are gone, I saw the longing in his eyes as he remembered back, and missed them.

(Paul’s father on the left, my father on the right)

You’re raised with these wonderful siblings, and then they’re gone – just like that – taken out of this world.

I would feel a horrible loss without my sisters.

(Dad with me, the youngest, and my sisters)

Back to Father’s Day.  One of the greatest things that my husband has done in raising our children has been to encourage our kids to love and respect each other. To build their relationships now. Because one day when we are gone, that is all they will have. Each other!

So make this day simple. Take the opportunity to tell your children’s father that you love him, and express what a good father he is to your children.

And encourage your kids to do the same!

Have you thought about inexpensive ways your children can bless their dad this weekend?

A tradition of mine every Mother’s Day is to send out Mother’s Day cards.

But my focus is somewhat different.  

My focus is on older moms and younger moms.

Moms, that in some small way, I can be of influence to, being a mom of teenagers myself.

And to older moms who, in amazing ways, have influenced my life.

I want to thank my older friends for being a gift to me and for teaching me.

I want to encourage my younger friends, and tell them how proud I am that they are such good mommas.

Did you know you can get 50-cent cards at Grocery Outlet or at a discount store?

50 cents is a pretty reasonable way to tell someone that you care about them.

Have you thought about encouraging a mom, other than your own, this Mother’s Day?

Any kind of lesson that makes the Easter story come ALIVE is worth taking the time for with kids.

And I love it when we can use FOOD to help make a story real!

If you are wanting an impacting lesson to share with your kids, grandkids, or even your neighbor kids – check out my post from last year, Balcony Girls See Easter Come to Life!

The empty tomb is what MAKES EASTER REAL!  The results of not only the story, but also these tasty, meringue beauties – I think you might find fascinating.

For best results, leave the cookies overnight in your oven on Saturday night!  Get the recipe, here!

ENJOY and Happy Easter planning!

For 3 ½ years I’ve opened my home to 6 very special girls.  I call them my Balcony Girls and each time we meet, the girls learn a life lesson. 

Tomorrow being Maundy Thursday, I want to share with you a very simple, easy, valuable lesson that you can share with children this Easter week!
 
I believe it’s the most important lesson that our children will ever learn.
 
It goes like this.
 
Betrayal
Your friend, who you’ve known and trusted for years, has betrayed you. You are shocked and cannot believe it has happened. The daggers go deep into your heart and it really hurts. Betrayal separates, divides and causes strife. It’s very painful when a friend betrays you. It hurts even worse when it is someone whom you consider to be a best friend!
 
Recently my Balcony Girls learned a lesson on Love. It was so appropriate to learn it on Maundy Thursday, as we talked about the feelings of betrayal that Jesus experienced.
 

A bag of money
I randomly handed each girl an item to hold.  And we started the lesson with a bag of money.
 
Bag of money
Small donkey
Plastic rooster
Cross
Handmade sign (Jesus, King of Nazareth)
Crown of thorns
Large nail
Small rock
 
These items, with symbolic meaning, each lead up to the next question, and then the next item …
 
How betrayal feels
We talked about how, when you are sometimes at your weakest (tired, weary, exasperated), it’s easy to pick apart a friendship – to find things irritating to you.
 
It’s easy to disagree with your friend and argue – and then your emotions get the best of you. You start having bad feelings toward that friend and before long, bitterness and unforgiveness have crept in – and division starts taking place in your friendship!
 
A friend, who you always stood by–you have now turned on.
 
Sold for money
This very thing happened to Jesus on Maundy Thursday, when Judas, once a very close friend, let resentment and disagreements settle in his heart. It mounted to hatred toward the person that he once loved, so that he eventually sold his Master for a bag of money.
 
Betrayal happened in a very startling way.
 
Easter story comes alive
We moved through the group and discussed the rest of the Easter items in the girls’ hands, and their meanings, and we walked through the Easter Story like we were there.
 
Having something tangible to hold on to, the girls listened intently while I explained the symbolic meanings and how they related to Easter.
 
This lesson of love ended with the stone.
 
And the stone ended with resurrection!
 

Learn forgiveness
This story of death, forgiveness and new life was perfect for illustrating our friendships with one another. Sometimes we let things get blown out of proportion in friendships, and then we find ourselves in betrayal and disloyalty.
 
I encouraged the girls to learn to choose the route of forgiveness. To remember the bad feeling of betrayal, but to also know the beautiful impacting lesson of forgiveness.
 
Creating a lesson that our kids will easily understand and that will bring impact is the outcome I’m looking for!
 
You can read my exact Balcony Girl’s Lesson of Love from last year, here.  Or other Balcony Girls lessons on my sidebar.