Many of us are more than ready to say goodbye to Winter and hello to Spring.  This is a good time to start thinking about the fast-approaching Spring season.  Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread will be upon us in no time.  Many ladies in the faith start going through their kitchen cabinets and freezers to isolate food items that need to be used up.  A lot of women buy extra loaves of bread on sale and store them in their freezers, but now is the time to stop purchasing any  extras and using what you already have.  

      Items not to be found in all your dwelling places during the Feast include anything that contains leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda, and yeast.  The most obvious items to use up are bread, biscuits, rolls, buns, pastries, cookies (unless unleavened, of course), most flour tortillas, cake mixes, muffin mixes, crackers (except most varieties of Triscuits), and self-rising flour.

      Many new believers will be keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the first time.  They will inevitably ask: “What can I eat during the Feast?  It seems like a lot of things are not allowed to be eaten.”  

      There are plenty of items to eat.  All fruits and vegetables are fine, and so are pasta, beans, clean meats, poultry, clean fish, and rice.  In addition, all dairy products can be consumed like milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream.  Most corn tortillas (both hard shell and soft shell) are fine as they do not contain any leavening.  So as you can see,

you have many great choices.  Please be sure to check all labels when doing your shopping. 

      The Spring season is a very exciting time.  Passover is a time to renew your commitment to Yahweh by partaking of the emblems of grape juice and unleavened bread.  Feast of Unleavened Bread is a time to “clean house,” both physically and spiritually.  Let us make this season a memorable experience. 

     Ladies, here’s a really easy recipe if this is your first time making unleavened bread.  This also freezes well, so you can make it ahead of time and keep it until you need it for Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Happy baking!

4 cups flour

1 t. salt

2/3 cup cooking oil

1 1/3 cups milk

Sift flour and salt in a bowl.  Mix oil and milk well; then pour into the flour and salt; stir into a firm dough.  Roll onto wax paper, making it as thin as pie crust.  Cut into thin strips about 1 1/2 inches wide.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees until slightly brown (about 15 minutes).  You can sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar if you like.  Roll thin for crisp bread. 

Leafy Greens—lettuce, kale, spinach, and escarole are all high in nutrients.

Whole grains—brown rice, quinoa, barley, and oatmeal have plenty of healthy fiber.

Berries—rich in antioxidants which are known to combat disease.

Olive oil—one of the healthiest “fats” you can add to your diet.

Tomatoes—super high in lycopene, which can help one maintain a youthful skin texture.

Nuts—almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, brazil nuts—oh, the variety!  High in healthy fats, vitamins, and protein.

      Many believers in Yahweh go no further in their lives than reading the Bible and following a list of do’s and do not’s.  But is this all that Yahweh expects of His people?  Most of us race though our days giving little thought to spiritual things, except maybe saying a quick prayer of thanks before gulping down our lunches.  At the end of our busy days we fall into bed exhausted and dissatisfied with life.  How can we have a more balanced approach to life?

      A life that is only about working and going to school isn't a happy life.  Deep, lasting contentment comes from balance, connection, and a sense of meaning.  We must realize that this life is not all there is.  We must always keep the Kingdom firmly in mind.

      One way to keep balance in life is being thankful.  There are actually studies that indicate that grateful people had better self-esteem, more energy and felt more alert.  Before you go to bed at night, try listing at least 3 things you are grateful for and spend a moment reflecting on them.  You may sleep better if you fill your mind with nice thoughts before turning in for the night.  Also, make it a point to thank others as often as possible.  This will make both you and the other person feel better.

      Another way of balancing your life is practicing acceptance.  Acceptance is not resignation, nor self-indulgence, nor an excuse for bad behavior.  Acceptance is knowing that you don’t control the universe—Yahweh does.  Yes, you should do your part in making the world a better place by living like Yahshua did when He was on the earth, but you cannot change certain things.  For instance, you can positively witness to others about your faith, but you cannot force them to accept your faith as their own.  We must honestly come to a place where we lay our burdens at Yahweh’s feet and stop fighting against His will.

      When life begins to feel overwhelming, turn down the noise, and turn up the quiet.  All the sounds of modern life create a relentless clatter.  Sometimes we can’t even hear ourselves think.  Even Yahshua sometimes needed to get away from the crowds.  We are no different.  Whenever you get the chance, take a walk in a park and really enjoy the peaceful sounds Yahweh created—a bird’s

song, the rustle of trees in a gentle breeze, or a bubbling brook.    

      Spend an hour a day with peace and quiet.  Pray to Yahweh and fight the urge to think about problems in your life and all the things you need to do.  Just clear the clutter out of your mind and focus on praying.  Sometimes you will have to learn to say no to many activities to have a more balanced approach to life.  Also, when things get tough, reach out to other believers.  A phone call or an email can do wonders for both you and the other person.  Stay balanced! 

      The following quick fixes may sound a bit offbeat, but they really work!

1.  A wide candle can be used as a pin cushion.  The wax helps pins and needles slide in and out of fabric more easily.

2.  If you’ve lost your bathtub plug, use a golf ball as a substitute.  It stays in place and rolls back in if dislodged.

3.  Remove greasy fingerprints on walls by rubbing the area with a slice of white bread.

4.  Clean bathroom mirrors with shaving  cream, then wipe with a soft cloth.  It helps keep the mirror defogged after showers.

5.  Clean small copper items with a cotton swab dipped in ketchup.  Rub off with a cotton cloth and they’ll gleam!

6.  Ripen green tomatoes in a paper bag with a ripe apple for a couple of days.  Don’t put more than 6 tomatoes in the bag.

7.  Get rid of teacup stains by rubbing with a cut lemon.  Dip the lemon in kosher salt if you need more scrubbing power.  Then, wash the cup in hot soapy water.

8.  Never store raw onions in plastic containers—the plastic will absorb the odors.  Instead, store them in airtight screw-top glass jars.   The onion will last up to a week if stored this way.

9.  Check to see if a cake is done by sticking an uncooked strand of spaghetti into its center.  If there’s moist batter on it when you pull it out, the cake needs to bake longer.  If it’s dry, the cake is done.

10.  To get pet hair off car seats or the sofa, run a rubber glove over it.  The hair will stick to the glove.

11.  Shower curtain sticking?  Rub hair conditioner on the rod and the rings will glide smoothly.