Posts by Rachel Schultz

SPRINGTIME SNACK MIX

March 31, 2022

In my homemaking, I like to build up easter to be a more full season event that has a bit of a month-ish long honoring. Similar to christmastime! But instead of how the celebration of the incarnation (christmas) is punctuated by the beautiful start of winter with snow and pine tree decorum, the celebration of the resurrection (easter) is punctuated with the beginning of springtime with flowers, rainbows, and other signs of the new life decorum.

One way to create some family culture around easter is this springtime snack mix! I make an enormous size thing of it and keep it on the counter. We kick off using it by having a movie night on the saturday night before the first Lord’s Day of spring, approximately one month before easter. (Although I put it out a few days before with no tasting allowed to build anticipation!) We love it as a popcorn mix in on movie nights in the springtime.

And a scoop is sometimes served on its own from time to time as a little snack for people. (And naturally David often self serves himself impromptu handfuls throughout the month as well, as he should.) My autumn snack mix is here if you’d like to save it for then!

SPRINGTIME SNACK MIX
Serves like, a 7 and 1/2 gallon thing

Honeycombs cereal (spring-y for the bumblebee part, but they also look like flowers)
Another seasonal or strawberry cereal
Iced animal crackers
Cadbury chocolate eggs
Strawberry yogurt covered pretzels
Pastel m&m’s or sixlets (I prefer sixlets!)
Mini marshmallows

Mix ingredients together.

Note: These ingredients are VERY free wheeling given the nature of this concept! Consider them more ideas.

SPRINGTIME SNACK MIX FOR EASTER SEASON

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

Honeycombs cereal (spring-y for the bumblebee part, but they also look like flowers)
Another seasonal or strawberry cereal
Iced animal crackers
Cadbury chocolate eggs
Pastel m&m's or sixlets (I prefer sixlets!)
Strawberry yogurt covered pretzels
Mini marshmallows

Instructions

Mix ingredients together.
Note: These ingredients are VERY free wheeling given the nature of this concept! Consider them more ideas.

Here are some springtime craft ideas for children, like this painted binoculars, coffee filter butterflies, buttercup flowers, and a rainbows idea.

A BUTTERCUP FLOWERS CRAFT

March 22, 2022

Rachel Schultz

We are not too deep into spring at all before I take down all our winter-y crafts and get some rainbows, rain storms, frogs, seeds or early gardening, bunnies, frogs, flowers, grasshoppers, caterpillars, kites, baseball, butterflies, or bumblebees art projects going. It can make the art corner of the house feel so bright with the seasonal change. First up for your springtime subject matter could be this very quintessential and one of the earliest blooms, the buttercup.

This craft is simple with simple supplies and it might be even a little surprising how nice and realistic these crafted buttercups end up looking.

This project is good for lots of ages, almost any age. Achievable for a toddler, but pleasant and satisfying for older children too. (Wait, I am an adult and I liked it.) All you need is pretty much paper, paint, and an egg carton!

MATERIALS

Paper
Paint
Brushes
Pencil
Liquid glue
Egg carton
Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the bottom half of an egg carton into twelve cups.
Paint egg carton cups and three pieces of white paper your desired shade of yellow.
With pencil, draw twelve background portions of the buttercup flower (rounded star petals).
Cut out background petals.
Glue painted egg carton cups onto background petals with liquid glue to produce twelve buttercups!

All posts about motherhood are here and you may also like these other art time ideas like this painted binoculars craft, coffee filter butterflies craft, and rainbow craft.

BLACK BEAN PICO DE GALLO

March 7, 2022

Rachel Schultz

I once was served something similar to this at a baby shower and it so wow-ed that I was posted up in the back by a bowl of it, steadily enjoying it for the duration of gift opening. (I was pregnant myself, which partly explains it.) You do not have to be pregnant to love it so much you could eat a lion’s share! We really like it at our house. On a day when you want a snack-y thing for lunch it can be the whole meal all on it’s own. Quite filling!

Also you could put it on top of chicken nachos to make them VERY good. Furthermore, just all the normal ways a delicious pico type dip thing could be used and appreciated in and around tortilla chips.

When possible I like to use grilled corn. The grilled rewards you with the dip feeling a little nicer and the lovely char, but the whole thing is good even with simple canned corn!

BLACK BEAN PICO DE GALLO
Makes about four cups

15 ounces black beans
3 ears of corn, sliced (or 15 ounces canned)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
2 avocados, cubed
2 jalapeños, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 limes, juiced (about 4 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeño (if using).

In a separate bowl, stir together red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss pico in dressing.

BLACK BEAN PICO DE GALLO

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

15 ounces black beans
3 ears of corn, sliced (or 15 ounces canned)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ red onion, minced
¼ cup cilantro
2 avocados, cubed
2 jalapeños, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 limes, juiced (about 4 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeño (if using).
In a separate bowl, stir together red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss pico in dressing.

Adapted from Spend with Pennies.