Spring is on it's way !!

Sweetheart Strawberry Tarts

what you need

26 OREO Cookies, finely crushed

1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

1 qt. (4 cups) strawberries, divided

1/2 cup water, divided

1/3 cup sugar

4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Make It

MIX crumbs and margarine until well blended; spoon about 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the crumb mixture into each of 12 greased or paper-lined medium muffin cups. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of each cup with back of spoon. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

RESERVE 12 of the smallest strawberries for garnish. Slice remaining strawberries. Combine1 cup of the strawberry slices and 1/4 cup of the water in small saucepan; bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 3 min., stirring occasionally. Combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in small bowl; stir in remaining 1/4 cup water. Add to strawberries in saucepan; mix well. Return to boil. Cook and stir 1 min. or until sauce is clear and thickened. Cool slightly.

MEANWHILE, pat remaining strawberry slices dry. Spoon evenly into tart shells; top evenly with the strawberry glaze. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with the whipped cream and reserved whole strawberries just before serving. Store any leftover tarts in refrigerator.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Best of Season

Select strawberries that are plump, brightly colored and have a strong strawberry fragrance.

Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles

This Mexican classic, a mixture of tortilla chips, cheese, vegetables and meat, gets an update as a layered microwave casserole.

1 1/2 lb (750 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp (15 mL) Southwestern Seasoning Mix
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) salsa verde
1 cup (250 mL) 33% reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
12 cups (3 L) authentic restaurant-style tortilla chips
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Chihuahua cheese
1 cup (250 mL) crumbled queso fresco (4 oz/125 g) Sour cream or crema (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 1-in. (2.5-cm) pieces with Utility Knife. Combine chicken and seasoning mix in Deep Covered Baker; mix well. Spread chicken evenly over bottom of baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Microwave, covered, an additional 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain using small Colander.

2. Combine salsa and broth in (4-cup/1-L) Easy Read Measuring Cup. Chop cilantro using Santoku Knife. Arrange half of the tortilla chips over bottom of same baker, breaking chips; top with half each of the chicken, salsa mixture and cheeses. Sprinkle with ½ cup (125 mL) of the cilantro. Repeat layers one time ending with cheeses.

3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until cheeses are melted and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup (50 mL) cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 85 mg, Carbohydrate 30 g, Protein 30 g, Sodium 680 mg, Fiber 1 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 2 medium-fat meat, ½ fat (2 carb)

Cook's Tips: Queso fresco, also called queso blanco, is a salty, crumbly cheese that is common in Mexican dishes. Farmer's cheese can be substituted for the queso fresco.

Mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese can be substituted for the Chihuahua cheese.

Authentic Mexican restaurant-style tortilla chips are thicker than other types of chips and keep their texture in this casserole.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts, if desired.

Taco seasoning mix can be substituted for the Southwestern Seasoning Mix, if desired.

STIR FRY CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES WITH STICKY RICE

2 lb. chicken
4-5 carrots, sliced
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
Fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 lb. fresh pea pods
1 sm. bag bamboo shoots
1 med. onion, cut into chunks
1 med. green pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 bottle Kikkoman stir fry sauce

Cook chicken , Heat canola oil in wok, add carrots and celery. Stir fry, when starting to get a little tender, add the rest of vegetables and chicken. Stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add Kikkoman stir fry sauce; simmer for a few minutes. Serve over white or fried rice.

(sticky rice)
Step 1

Soak sweet rice (as much as you want to make in one sitting) in water for at least 30 min
Step 2

Drain rice and place it in cheesecloth and then place cheesecloth carefully in bamboo steamer.

Step 3

Heat water in deep cooking pot until it boils. Make sure you put enough water in to last the whole process--45 minutes or more.

Step 4

Place bamboo steamer containing cheesecloth and rice over pot, making sure that steamer does not come into contact with water.

Step 5

Cover rice with cheesecloth and then cover steamer with an inverted plate or lid of some kind.

Step 6

Steam for 45 minutes and check consistency. It's done when the rice is tender.

Step 7

Once rice is cooked, remove it from cheesecloth immediately.

Step 8

Serve with sauces or as a unique side dish.

Something to think about Shay's Day!

Two Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?



At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its

dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'



The audience was stilled by the query.



The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:



Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.



I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'



Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.



At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.



However, as Shay stepped up to the

plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.



The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.



Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.



Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.



All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'



Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'



As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team



'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.



Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!



AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.



If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?



A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.



You now have two choices:

1. Delete

2. Forward

May your day, be a Shay Day.

I am a Big girl!

For all of you that don't know, kara is now walking now yes! She is so big and I think she will just out grow Lana soon. Lana has been going to preschool and just loves it. She can now write the letter L, man she is getting smart. Both the girls are so cute and growing every day. Lana just started Sunbeams and loves it and kara goes in to nursery in April man time goes by so fast these days, seems like I just had kara yesterday.