Tea & a Craft for the 5th Sunday in Lent

Today's weather could not have cooperated better if I had asked it to. A dark gloomy morning gave way to a bright and brisk afternoon ~ just in time for our weekly tea-and-a-craft! So, after our lessons were all done (more or less) it was time to gather the boys 'round the table for a little snack, a quick craft and some chat about this Sunday's gospel.

First thing first ~ I read aloud from our Magnifikid and then Bookworm read aloud the story of Lazarus from our Children's Bible. The boys were familiar with the story and recalled seeing it acted out at VBS last year.

This passage in particular stood out:

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

(Now this certainly gave us something to discuss!)

Once our conversation slowed, it was time for some refreshement, and this time our snack doubled as our craft! I had heard of resurrection cookies before, but in this month's issue of Take Out magazine, I noticed a brief mention of something called resurrection rolls. They sounded intriguing, so I looked them up online, and found further instructions here.

In addition to a can of refrigerated crescent rolls, these were the main ingredients:

Cinnamon-sugar, melted butter and marshmallows; yesiree, the boys dove right in!

Each marshmallow was first dipped in melted butter and then rolled in cinnamon-sugar, before getting wrapped up in a triangle of crescent dough:

They baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Now, I think the rolls are actually supposed to stay closed; ours burst open as they baked (oozing marshmallow all over my cookie sheet). By the time they had cooled, and were ready to show to the boys, they looked like little caves and were definitely empty inside.

(Note: Next time I will be sure to get the 10 ounce can of crescent dough instead of the 8, and I will be more careful about pinching the dough tightly closed over the marshmallows. I might even cut back a bit on the cinnamon measurement - the mixture was yummy but a bit pungent.)

Here's Bookworm showing you his roll:

And here's Crackerjack's cracked open:

This was quite easy and fun ~ a nice symbolic craft for the season. It would be easy to do this with a group of children at an Easter party, and I also think it would make a special family breakfast on Easter morn. Quite delicious with coffee or punch (and portable for those backyard egg hunts). You could set out all the ingredients the night before, so the rolls are ready to assemble early Sunday morning.

Before I go, I must show you the beautiful Hellebore I purchased at the grocery store last night. I have wanted one for so long! (Especially since Rebecca showed us hers two years ago!)

The Hellebore is also called the Lenten Rose because it blooms right around Lent each year. An early bloomer is most welcome in the garden, especially up here in the northeast! I will do my best to tend my little "rose" until it warms up enough to plant it outside. (I have just the corner for it!) Sometime before I move it out though, I will have the boys sketch it for their field journals, as a sign of early spring.

Well, now I'd best wrap up; I've kept you all long enough! It's 4:00 anyway ~ time to tidy and cook. On the menu tonight: turkey meatloaf, maple acorn squash, roasted potatoes and garlic breadsticks. Good hearty late winter fare. :)

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday, and I hope to see you all again sometime tomorrow!

Comments

[Angela]

Oh yes, (just reading through other comments!!), hellebores DO grow in the west!! I live in dry, cold eastern Washington, and it is definately one of my "carefree reliables"!! they come in many beautiful colors too. and the deer don't like them!!

[Angela]

I love my hellebore, which simply came up when we cleared the ground after moving into our house!! It is always the first thing to bloom in the spring (well, just after the crocuses, but it is much bigger and prettier), makes a nice, carefree little shrub afterwards, and is one of the few things to grow well in shade. A bonus is it makes several new little starts which I can dig up and put other places, and give to friends :). But it must take quite awhile to make larger plants, as these starts stay little for awhile.

I love your ideas and am collecting several of them for future reference in my "holidays and celebrations" notebook!

[Lori]

Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I love the message that goes along with it and will definitely share this with my girls.:-) Lori

[Dana]

Thanks for posting about the resurrection rolls. We made these a few years ago with some friends, and I'd forgotten all about them! We'll have to invite some friends over the week before Easter and make some. And, I like how yours turned out looking like an empty cave! And, ours, too, ran out on the baking tray. :-)

[Leticia Velasquez]

I have a lavender version of the Lenten Rose which I was told is the Candlemas Rose. It blooms outdoors this time of year, I suppose if you lived in a warmer climate, it might bloom at Candlemas.
I wonder if they are different colors of the same flower?

[Mary]

can you please share your turkey meatloaf recipe?

[Michele]

Such a great idea to bring this coming Sunday's Gospel to the kids level, and yummy too! I am sure they will always remember how yummy...I mean how important faith is! ;)
I think we will do this as our treat this Sunday. God Bless

[Jennifer]

Oh Dawn, I've always wanted a Lenten Rose! I had never seen one growing up in the West, do they grow there??? I had never seen one, simply read about them (probably in a Tasha book - LOL!). Enjoy your lovely Hellebore!

[deezie]

Beautiful flowers and another beautiful post. Love the way the snack came out
deezie

[Rebecca]

The Hellebore is just beautiful, Dawn! I am so happy to see you acquired one for yourself. I have to go outside tomorrow and uncover mine from under a few inches of snow to see if it is blooming yet. It always amazes me that it can bloom this time of year, even under all the snow. Enjoy!

[Stacie.Make.Do.]

I used to make those rolls as a girl - only we called them "balloon buns". My sisters used to make jokes about that, I tell ya! We used balls of regular bread dough.

[Mary Katherine]

I love that the telephone pole makes a cross right above your Have Faith window!

[Genevieve]

Dear Dawn,
I was almost in tears when I read, "Have Faith" on your blog, a picture from the window of your home--this has seemed liked such a long and difficult Lent. My window sill reads, "Lent Repent" and I think I need to change our message!! yours has so much more HOPE in it! Thanks!

[patience]

Dear Dawn, this is the quintessential Sun and Candlelight post to me - full of warmth, happy activities, joy in God, kindness and sharing to your community, beauty, gentleness, nature, and delicious food. I'll certainly be back for tomorrow's post - S&C is one of my daily visits; it always makes me wishful and try with my own home and schooling just that little bit harder.

[kozimom]

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy visiting with you each day! I love all your ideas - they spur me on to doing new projects and faith building lessons. Thanks!