Christ is Risen!

Have you ever been to a funeral during the Pascha Season?  The clergy wear white and the faithful sing Christ is Risen.  It's the most honest express of hope in the resurrection there is.  I hope my funeral is following Easter. 

 

 

We are still in the Pascha Season and we still say Christ is Risen... but only for another week! 

 

 

Listen to EIKONA sing the Paschal Hymn with guests singing in various languages. 

http://myocn.net/forty-days-of-pascha-christ-is-risen/

Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen~!

As we rest and put things back in their place, and get back to normal...   I remember the advice a friend gave me as I was moving away from home for the first time.   "Nothing is ever the same after you leave." These words encouraged me as I was far from home, knowing that what I was missing was no longer there.  I was being changed by my new experiences and they were being changed in a different direction by experiences we no longer shared.

I pray that you find a new normal, having been changed by the preparation of Holy and Great Lent.  I pray that as you settle back into your routines you are finding things need to be adjusted.  You might no longer be entertained by the same TV shows or radio stations.  Maybe you are finding life a little too loud and demanding of your attention.   You might even be missing the peace of the worship services.

Christ is risen!  Life is new! 

Galatians 4 (1-7)

 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,  but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

 

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Today's JAR- Just a Reminder

Today's JAR- Just a Reminder: This is the last day we greet each other with "Christ is Risen" The season ends today. Tomorrow we celebrate Ascension and then in 10 days, Pentecost!

Has Pascha changed you or have you returned to "normal" in the past 40 days leaving the news of our Lord's resurrection a faint memory? The days of fasting and extended services aren't a coiled spring where we bounce back where we were. Each Pascha carves out a new normal. Each Pascha Season we build upon who we are and our relationship with God and one another.

Enjoy today in celebration of our Lord's resurrection!

Till next year with health and illumination.

A Natural Red - Even Lucille Ball Would Be Jealous of These Eggs

Need to dye your eggs for Pascha but can't find the dyes in the grocery any longer?  Maybe you have an allergic reaction to synthetic dyes.  I did some research and found a few links and articles on naturally dyed eggs last month.  Here are the directions for naturally dyed red eggs.

 

 

 

STEP ONE - Collect Yellow Onion Skins.  Yes, YELLOW ONION SKINS.  Not red onions, yellow.  If I didn't do it myself I wouldn't believe it either. A large pot of yellow onion skins, when boiled for 30 minutes in 9 cups of water and 3/4 c of white vinegar make a red dye. 

 

 

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making the dye

 

Cooking for my family of three, I didn't start early enough to save for this dye job, so one Sunday I asked for help from a local restaurant famous for their homemade onion rings.  The owner said they must go through a hundred pounds of onions a day!  I thought she was exaggerating, but by Tuesday afternoon she had two grocery bags stuffed and waiting for me. 

 

 

 

Before you prepare the dye, take the eggs out of the refrigerator so they can come to room temperature.  This will limit the cracking.   Also, I understand medium eggs dye better than large eggs. 

 

 

 

I crammed the one bag of skins into my large pot.  (I saved the other bag in case this didn't work.) As it turned out, one bag was more than enough. 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured 12 cups of water and 1 c of white vinegar over the skins and smooshed them down.  The original recipe called for 9 cups of water but I had so many skins and didn't think they would get wet enough, but they smoosh down very well.  There was more than enough dye.

 

As I did with the dolmathes, I inverted a plate and weighed it all down with my glass measuring cup before I boiled the skins.

 

 

 

 

It's Working!

 

 After 30 minutes of boiling the water...

 

 

 

 

Cook for 30 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Strain the skins in a colander, saving the dye in a clean pot.  It's a good idea to strain them again with a mesh strainer to remove little bits that can stick to the eggs when cooking or you can use coffee filters in the colander.   

 cooking the eggs

 

Place the room temperature eggs into the dye and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and cook, simmering eggs for 15 minutes.  (You can let the eggs sit in the dye water for 30 minutes before heating the water.)
 

Still had my doubts.

During:

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!

 
Hot out of the pot they looked very brown.  I was a bit disappointed.  But as they cooled they turned redder.  They camera took some liberties and makes them look redder than they were. 
 
When they are just cool enough to touch, dip a rag into a small bowl of olive oil, and coat the eggs. 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

 

FINE PRINT:

Our legal department says we are not liable for any spills or splatters

so be sure to wear an apron and use glass or stainless steel.

And although we can't endorse any particular company, (I love Yankee Candles)
we encourage you to light a sweetly scented candle. 
When you are working with onions, vinegar and boiled eggs, it can get a bit stinky. 

 

 

 

 

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