It's that time again! Time to start working on eggs for Lithuanian Festivals!

First we have the 100th Anniversary of the Knights of Lithuanian to be held July 25-27 in Boston!
At the moment I am working on updating my egg collection by first completing past eggs designs, creating new designs, and adding newer colors to the mix. 

This festival is going to focus on the traditional Lithuanian designs from folk designs, folk architecture, and old traditions such as dancing.

As a result stay tuned for new designs such as a lithuanian castle, people dancing, etc!

If you have any design ideas... anything! Someone said hummingbid and it quickly became one of my favorite designs.  Someone else said mermaid, and that too became a great egg I never expected to make but was so glad I did.  Even a kitten playing with a ball of string has the potential to turn into a fantastic egg design! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Chicken with Noodles

 

This recipe is an amazing option for anyone who needs to get rid of veggies most everyone has in their fridge, that bag of noodles always lingering in every cupboard, and that bag of frozen peas bought but never used in a few months.

 

You will need:

 

a large stock pot (5 quarts or more)

1 pound chicken (I used ham in the picture... a great substitute if you have it cooked already and need to get rid of it)

3 cups water

3-4 carrots sliced thick

2-3 celery stalks sliced thick

1 1/2 onions sliced

1 bag of frozen peas

salt, pepper, tyme, sage, and other seasonings

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

(if you do not use raw chicken, add some chicken stock)

3 cups wide noodles (i used shells like the size for velveeta cheese)

2 cups milk

3 Tablespoons flour

 

In your stock pot add water, seasonings, (feel free to add more), garlic, and sliced raw chicken (if you decide to use an already cooked meat - do not add it here)

 

Add sliced veggies and if needed, chicken stock (see above).  After allowing veggies and meat to cook (if using raw meat - 20 minutes roughly - until meat juices run clear), remove meat. 

 

Add noodles and cook until noodles are roughly done (they can be a little firm because you arent done yet and they will continue to to cook) - roughly 5-8 minutes. 

 

Add 1 1/2 cups milk to the broth and frozen peas. In a side bowl add remaining milk and flour together until combined (no lumps).

 

Add milk and flour mixture to the meal.  and allow the dish to cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.  At this point if you removed the meat, add back into the dish.  If you stared out with pre-cooked meat, add the meat to this dish at this point.

 

Mix the meat into the dish and enjoy!

 

Meet Albus... aka Albbie!
Adopted by myself and my fiance Rob in January, this little guy is the first dog I have ever owned! Albbie is a rescue dog from the SPCA.  He was half off... I'll never understand how you can discount an animal... because he was in the shelter for about 5 months or more. 

Albbie had a brother and was first adopted with him. However his brother did play, but to the point that Albbie was getting bullied. The family who adopted both Albbie and his brother decided they would rather the hyper dog and brougt Albbie back to the shelter. Albbie waited alone for his new family to take him in. Rob and I came, and he just laid there.  He didn't want treats and he certainly was not going to run up for us to pet him.  However, he looked sweet.  For that reason alone we thought we would bring him home and try to give him a place to call his "forever home."


Albbie is a sweetie.  He barks rarely.  Actually I think I can count on one hand how many times he has barked since we brought him home.  He is almost 7 now and likes mainly to sit by you and sleep.  He plays when one of us comes home, by bouncing in the air waiting to be caught mid bounce.  He doesn't play catch or chew on toys, but instead nuzzles the couch or your lap. 

Albbie ran away over a month ago.  He was so stuck to our side we stopped using a leash for taking him to the bathroom.  It worked well for a few weeks, but then one day he took off.  I do not have children, but the feeling was terrible.  I felt sick and didn't want to do anything but look for him.  The kindness of our neighbors was amazing.  One man kindly made us amazing flyers and signs to post all over the place.  People started looking for him everwhere. I saw many people driving around, calling his name, and keeping a general eye out for him.

After a week, we lost hope just to find him laying outside on top of the cage we put out for him with food.  He came running back in covered in dirt, ticks, and full of worms.  But we were overly excited to have him back.

Now Albbie stays on a leash at all times outside.  He gets his adventures on his walks with us and we hope to keep him with us and happy for a long time.

Once Easter Ends... the Dust Bunnies Get Evicted

Time for Spring Cleaning!

Now that Easter is over, it's time to get full swing into cleaning out the house!  This being my first home and my first Spring cleaning, I am oddly excited.  Everything from Dusting the ceiling fans to washing windows it exciting me (until I start doing it I am sure).  But first, a plan must materialize:

First things First:

The Plan:

- Finish all laundry, fold and put away
- Iron remaining items
- Store away all fall and winter clothing (space saver bags)
- Empty out cupboards of food and supplies
- Throw out old outdated food
- Vacum and wipe shelves
- Put away food
- Wipe down counters and mop kitchen floor
- Clean bathrooms, including drawers and cabinets
- Clean the toilets and tubs, mop bathroom floors)
- New sheets on bed and store away flannel and fleece (winter) bedding
- Find misc. items under beds and in closets. Either find homes or throw out or donate
- Go through books and movies, donate unwatched movies and unplayed games
- Clean windows inside and out
- Wood clean floors (kill all dust bunny armies... leave no survivors)
- Personal Goal: Empty all items from unused master bedroom and clean room to the point of having the ability to purchase the bed set for this room with tax refund.

The Timeline:

Although this looks like most lists people have online, the timeline is always key.  I hope to have this all completed in under 2 weeks.  Starting today with the laundry and iron to dos, we shall see how I progress.  It is almost impossible to fulfill these goals exactly how you want, but if I can get 2/3 of the items done on this list I will be one happy camper.

As it is, the dust bunnies are taking over and frankly, I think my one cat was taken prisoner.

Wish me luck, and good luck to everyone and their cleaning goals this spring!!

Easter is Coming - Egg Time!!

Time to get cracking... hm... poor choice of words....

Now that I'm out of school, working as a lawyer, and in my first home... (updates on those to follow in the next few weeks), it is time to get the egg factory underway.

Etsy shop not open this season... Read on for ordering options...

I have been both dying eggs, trying out nw designs, and making sure old standbys are available.  However, because I have so many new responsibilities, my Etsy shop will not be open this season.  Instead I am taking orders at craft shows, my e-mail (christine.luschas@gmail.com), personal request, and store consignments.  Those avenues are already too much for me to deal with.  If you really need an egg or want something special please contact me one of those ways.  I check my e-mail daily.

Recently I decided that my blog has been neglected so long I need to try to make a monthly post about anything.  Maybe I will even clean my house and try a DIY project from Pinterest in order to make it on the site with a photo of my own.

In the meantime, I am signing off with a wish of good luck for all those egg artists out there working away until the end of this month.  I will try to post again before Easter is over!