April Visiting Teaching Message and Tag

Sorry I'm late with this one.. and I realized I didn't do one for March. This pregnancy has kept me super busy! 

Here is the printable for this month's Visiting Teaching Message


{download yours here}

I cut out the tag, punched a hole in it, and tied it to a cute little Easter basket that I filled with colorful plastic eggs. Inside the eggs I put various little chocolate candies... because really, who doesn't love chocolate!??! 

The tag and message printable are on the same page, so it will print both. Feel free to use just one of them or both! Mount it on some thick cardstock, embellish it with your own stickers, washi tape, or twine. Have fun... 

HAPPY EASTER!! 



Coming Soon -- Little Ark Fabric Line -- PLUS... a HUGE Sale going on NOW!

It is always fun to add new fabric to the shop and these are just too cute NOT to share! I'm so excited {**eeek!} for these new fabric prints to arrive. They are set to get here in a day or two... and YES, I will be stalking the UPS truck! 


I am planning to make at least one quilt using this fabric line to add to the shop... and maybe one for baby #4! These prints are just too cute!!!!! 

This line comes from designer Carina Gardner and is released through Riley Blake. Here is an up-close look at the new prints. Once they are listed in the shop I will link to their listings here so you can get a hold of them too!








Perfect for quilting!! 


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Just in case you haven't been to visit the shop in a while.... everything in the entire shop is currently ON SALE for 20% off! I'm gearing up for baby #4 {due in a little more than 4 weeks} and trying to make room for some new inventory. SO.... I'm having a spring cleaning sale! The discount has already been taken on all items in the shop... so you don't have to remember a coupon code! Woohoo! 



SunButter Cookie Recipe - Peanut Free Cookie Option

One thing you probably don't know about me is that I am a HUGE peanut butter fan! Well... peanut butter and cheesecake!

So, when we found that my son had not only a peanut allergy, but an allergy to dairy and eggs as well ... I literally saw all my favorite foods flash before my eyes. A little dramatic, maybe, but ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that I am the worst person to have a child with allergies because I love peanuts and dairy so much! 

On the upside... I am the best mom for my son because I have learned how to adapt recipes, create some of my own, and hunt recipes down! I stumbled upon this delicious recipe in a magazine I subscribe to called Allergic Living. The recipe is actually from SunButter.  If you or anyone in your family has food allergies you should look into it... seriously! 

Don't these SunButter Cookies look delicious!?! 


They don't taste like peanut butter, but it is very similar and the texture is the same! PLUS, I was able to make this recipe dairy and egg free as well by substituting a couple ingredients!



SunButter Cookies:
from SunButte

Ingredients
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup SunButter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sunflower kernels

Directions
Mix in order as listed. Roll into balls, Dip into sugar; flatten with glass or spatula on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

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This recipe is great because a) it only requires 1 egg which lends itself nicely to egg substitutes, and b) it is already virtually dairy-free! Two biggies in my house. Here is how I adapted the recipe for our needs:

Dairy-Free and Egg-Free SunButter Cookies
adapted from SunButter

Ingredients
1/2 cup dairy-free margarine (I like to use Fleischmann's unsalted)
1/2 cup SunButter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp egg replacer mixed with 2 T warm water
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Same as above, but instead of using a glass or spatula to flatten my cookies, I used the fork method {just like homemade peanut butter cookies}. To me it gave them a more "classic cookie" look. I only cooked mine for 8 minutes and let them cool on the cookie sheet for another 2-3 minutes before transferring them to my cooling rack. This way they don't over cook and they are still nice and soft.



*Chocolate Topped Option



I sprinkled some dairy-free chocolate pieces (we use ones by Enjoy Life) on top of some of my cookies after I took them out of the oven. Once the chocolate had melted enough I used the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate around. The kids LOVED both the chocolate and the regular cookies. I am a purist and just wanted the regular cookies.

As an alternative to a peanut butter cookie, these are not bad at all! My kids don't know the difference and they are really, REALLY tasty. ENJOY!!!