French Toast Easter Scavenger Hunt

We are on the countdown - just 4 more days until Easter! For me, I want Easter to be meaningful for my family, and yet not too complicated or busy. We always decorate eggs and have Easter egg hunts but this year I was looking for just a little bit more.

So when I was asked to participate in the #Hallelujah Easter campaign, I was thrilled. SugarDoodle.net provided all the traditions I would need. Our Easter Family Home Evening was a success with all of the activities and printables I shared yesterday, and now all my focus can be on this weekend. If you are looking for a simple, meaningful tradition for your family's Easter, perhaps you can join me and my family as we use the beautiful resources below:

In an effort to use a basket full of fresh backyard eggs, Colette from My Computer is My Canvas started experimenting with a French Toast Bake Recipe that has quickly become a family favorite.  Plus, with Easter just around the corner and the #HALLELUJAH Initiative gaining steam, she recently related each of the ingredients to the Savior; making this recipe not only a great Easter-Eve Lesson, but also a delicious Easter Morning Breakfast Tradition!

To get started, print off the Scripture Scavenger Hunt PDF and let your kids dive into the New Testament to learn more about the Savior as they fill in the blanks to complete the recipe!  A couple of the scripture clues are a tiny bit tricky, so be sure to use Page 2 to find extra clues.

Next, it’s time to get baking!! After many attempts with this recipe (and fails) – Colette finally identified the perfect bread for her French Toast Bake... bagels! They are soft AND dense which allows them to effectively soak up the egg mixture and maintain their shape for soggy-free baking. A fun twist to this might be Cinnamon Swirl bagels or even gluten-free ones for those intolerant.

From there... just follow the recipe! Cut bagels into 1⁄2” cubes, make and beat the egg mixture, then pour over the bread.

Be sure to recruit your kids to help you, they’ll have fun making the recipe with the clues they found! Colette likes to mix the cubes and egg mixture in separate bowl to make sure the bread gets well coated – in fact, for that step, she relates how the tempest was raging and the Savior calmed the storm... so get those cubes tossing and turning like a ship at sea!  As noted in the image above, this is a “make ahead” recipe and it should be refrigerated overnight.  This allows extra time for the bread to adequately soak up the egg mixture. Then, before baking, prepare a brown sugar crumble and “spread” it across the top, just like the Palm Branches were spread for the Savior as he entered Jerusalem! (Crumble recipe included on the cards.)

Colette has provided lots of printables for us...just click on the following links:
Recipe cards + an easy toprint PDF to do the Scripture Scavenger Hunt with our families!

The final step? Take a picture of your family making it, baking it or eating it and share it on Social Media with the #HALLELUJAH!

Lastly, as the final highlight, I knew I wanted to include this new, spectacular video in our family's Easter festivities.

May your Easter be festive and focused on the Savior of the World, is my hope for you my dear friends!

XOXO,

Jamie

A Simple Easter FHE #hallelujah

Easter is fast-approaching and we've started our annual family traditions for this glorious holiday.

Last night for our family home evening lesson, we opened the glorious gifts that our Savior has given us with these gorgeous nesting envelopes created by Heidi Swapp. As we reflected on the gifts of Easter, the Spirit filled our home.





{You can download these free printables for the nesting envelopes here}

Then, for our Family Home Evening activity, we made these adorable Easter baskets courtesy of Melissa Esplin. Our children chose the recipients of these Easter goodies and we plan on delivering them in the next few days. Not only are these little baskets absolutely darling, but they are decorated with symbols. {You can find the free printables here.}

{As a little side note: we've made a goal this year to do one service project per month as a family. Last month on Valentine's Day we visited the local care center to sing songs and this month for Easter we will be delivering these Easter baskets.}

UPCOMING TRADITIONS:

This weekend we have plans to decorate Easter eggs, go on plenty of Easter egg hunts, and do a few new traditions that I will post about tomorrow.

What Easter traditions does your family celebrate? Please take a moment to share below - I love to read your ideas!

XOXO,
Jamie

The Race of Grace

More than ten years ago, the spring snow still frozen in icy patches here and there on the yellowed grass, my body was poised in runner’s lunge on the rubbery track, every muscle quivering in anticipation. I filled my lungs with cool, spring air, and the gunshot blasted — sending me off on the 400-meter dash.

My old, weathered gym shoes methodically hit the track and my steady breathing kept time with my steps. I started out strong, like I always do in this mid-distance race, leading the pack as we rounded the first bend. Even so, it was hard to judge how I was doing when the lanes play tricks on your perception.

The straightway stretched further than I recalled and I questioned my sanity in running the race that requires an all-out sprint for the whole quarter mile — the race deemed “the killer race.” Just the thought reminded my legs how tired they already were.

Still I ran on, hoping that maybe this race would be different.

Today, I know you’re weary. You give your all day after day, but this race of life is more taxing than you ever expected.

I know. I've been there too...

***To read the rest of my post, click here and join me over at DaySpring's (in)courage website where I am so honored to be guest posting today. {And while you are there, don't forget to sign up to receive free daily encouragement delivered straight to your inbox.} 

Join me today as I share a lesson I learned from a dear high school track teammate. And as you read, let the words breathe encouragement into your heart.