AN APPLE A DAY - DAY 125 OF 365 DAYS TOWARD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE - THINKING ABOUT BREAKFAST

STILL GETTING ORGANIZED IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY - THIS WEEK: BREAKFAST
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

As promised last week, in our adventurous quest to organize our lives in the search for healthier life-styles, we have begun the journey together of organizing the food prep in our lives, as well as hoping to make cooking at home easier, faster and healthier for all of us. 

A little work up-front will pay off in the long run.  I've done some organizing of our breakfast menus and recipes for you!

As a first step in this little stroll through the land of healthier eating and working in an organized kitchen; I have created 4 weeks worth of nutritious and delicious  menus that follow the basic eating plans we have discussed in previous articles.   (There are a few minor variations where flour and sugar are used here and there, but for the most part, these recipes follow what we have agreed to use as our eating plan.  

We emphasized that we would leave off any type of refined flours and breads and only use whole wheat breads and flat breads.  

We decided to leave off sugar and butter except for when we desire to use them in our one FEAST DAY a week.  

We agreed only to use extra-virgin olive oils for cooking instead of vegetable oil or any other type of oils. 

The bulk of our eating will consist of whole, organic fruits and vegetables and everything will be made from scratch at home in our own kitchens.  

We will only use lean meats occasionally, and mostly from chicken, turkey and fish; with the exception of some beef and pork in moderation.   

 Most of these recipes are make-ahead recipes that will only involve you setting aside a little bit of cooking time one day a week to prepare ahead.  

Almost all of the items can be frozen, and the bulk of these recipes will keep for up to 3 days safely in your refrigerator and up to 3 months safely in your freezer.  

Feel free to mix and match and repeat or re-arrange as you like.  You know what works best for you and your own lifestyle.  You know your own goals for health and weight loss and nutrition.  

I am setting the menus up for variety so as not to get bored with the eating plan; and I am trying my best to follow the established eating plan of every other day being a fast day, and every other day being a moderate day, except for every seventh day being a feast day when you can eat any way and anything that you please.  Life should have its little rewards so that we never feel defeated; however, the more you eat healthy, the more your appetite will change to conform to what is good for you.  You will find your taste changing and you will notice that you DESIRE healthier foods. 

So flex my plan into your plan and your goals.  If you prefer one recipe over the other, just mix them the way that works well for you.  There is a grocery list after each week that conforms to the items I have chosen for that week’s menu.  This is designed  to make grocery shopping simple and easy.  If you change the order of the menus, just change your grocery list accordingly. 

If you REALLY want to do easy, have the same meal all week and that will cut down on your grocery bill and your prep time tremendously, but I chose to mix it all up because I didn’t want to get bored with the same foods every day. 

Use what works for you.

I will state here again that I am not a medical doctor and do not claim to be a health expert; so if you have medical issues, consult with your doctor before following any eating plan.  This one was formed from my own limited self-education and experimentation in my own life.  You know what works for you, and your doctor can back that up. 

Most everything (with the exception of a few feast days, is something you could easily take with you to wherever you are going and/or eat in the car if you must.  I often eat breakfast at my desk at work just after I arrive.  I have a cup of coffee before I leave the house to tide me over until I can get to a place to sit down and eat without interruption.

Once you do the first few weeks of cooking ahead and freezing, you will have a lot already prepared in your freezer for later; so the work will become less and less as you go along, and the grocery shopping list will get smaller too. 

I will also list all the equipment you will need to prepare these meals.  That should be your first purchase before getting ready to shop and cook.  Check out what you have on-hand and purchase the things you find missing from your kitchen.  I would encourage you to buy the best instead of skimping on this task.  Once you have purchased the right equipment for your kitchen; you should be able to use it for a lifetime.  How many things can you say that about these days?

So good luck with the first month of healthy, simple, easy to prepare and convenient breakfasts!  I hope you enjoy every bite!

Next week we will do this same thing for lunches; so don’t forget to check the AN APPLE A DAY blog next Thursday for those new menus, meal plans and grocery lists. 

Please understand that I’m experimenting with this right along beside you; so when we hit snags or need to make improvements and changes we all will need to comment and share.  I cherish your comments.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR ALL MENUS

Food Processor:  buy one that will process food and mix smoothies too according to the setting you use.  If you have a smoothie blender, and want to chop your other food by hand, that will work too.

5 old fashioned Ice trays

1 large roll parchment paper

1 large roll of aluminum foil

3 large cooking trays that will fit inside your freezer, about 1 inch in depth (not flat, but with a short section around the sides.)

Plastic spatula

Wooden spoon

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray

12 small canning jars with lids that seal

Muffin Tin that makes 24 mini muffins

Muffin Tin that makes 12 regular sized muffins

Pepper grinder

Cheese grater (if your food processor doesn’t do this for you)

Sharp knives in different sizes for cutting, slicing and chopping

2 boxes of gallon sized freezer bags (zip-lock is good)

1 box pint sized zip-lock baggies

1 large biscuit cutter

1 skillet (any type you like)

Muffin/cupcake liners (regular size and mini-sized)

Waffle Iron

1 large mixing bowl

1 medium sized mixing bowl

1 small mixing bowl

Set of Measuring cups

Set of Measuring spoons

1 gallon sized glass measuring cup with a pour spout

Tote bag for carrying food on the go (if you can get one that is insulated that might be nice.)

Black permanent marker

Whisk

Pastry brush

Chopping board

Bakers wire cooling racks

MENUS – FOR WEEK ONE

Day 1 - Fast Day:  Strawberry/Banana Smoothie (Freeze some extras.)

Day 2 - Moderate Day: one apple, one bag of Lemon Blueberry Granola (freeze some extra.)  One pint of skim- milk.  You can either drink the milk, or put in on your granola and eat the granola as cereal.  The granola is very good simply to use as a crunchy snack right out of the bag; eat however you prefer.

Day 3 – Fast Day: Mixed-Berry Smoothie (Freeze some extras.)

Day 4 – Moderate Day : 1 orange cut into bite sized slices.  1 Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito. (Freeze the extras)

Day 5 – Fast Day: Mango-Pineapple Smoothie (Freeze some extras)

Day 6 – Moderate Day:  Fresh Honeydew slices and 1 Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin (Freeze the extras)

Day 7 – FEAST DAY! -1 bowl fresh strawberries with whip cream on top, Cinnamon Waffles And Honey. (Freeze the extras)

GROCERY LIST FOR WEEK ONE:

2 large containers of fresh strawberries (freeze any you do not use this week)

1 large container of fresh spinach leaves

1large tub of Greek Yogurt

1 gallon skim-milk

1 large bag of organic flaxseed

1 organic apple

2 4-stick boxes unsalted butter

1 jar lemon honey cream

2 dozen bananas (freeze what you do not use this week for the rest of the month)

2 boxes regular rolled oats

1 bag dried pineapple chunks

1 bag chopped walnuts

Local organic honey

Vanilla extract

Sea salt

1 bag dried blueberries

1 fresh lemon

1 fresh orange

1 lb. ground Italian Sausage (if you do not eat pork substitute ground turkey)

3 dozen organic, cage-free eggs

1 block cheddar cheese

Fresh pepper corns

2- 8-pkgs. of 9” flour tortillas

1 bag frozen mangos

1 bag frozen pineapple chunks

1 bag frozen mixed berries

1 honeydew melon (cut up and freeze any leftovers)

1 lb. Whole wheat flour

1 lb. All purpose flour

Baking powder

Baking soda

Ground cinnamon

Ground nutmeg

Spray whipping cream

Cornstarch

Buttermilk

Granulated sugar

Extra virgin olive oil (quart size)

RECIPES FOR WEEK ONE:

FREEZE AHEAD  STRAWBERRY/BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

3 Bananas

1 pint cleaned strawberries with the leaves removed

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!  Freeze the pre-measured fruit portions for this drink in plastic bags in order to use the next time.  Keep a gallon of milk ice cubes frozen in order to use with all of the smoothie recipes.  Once frozen you can put 6 cubes inside the individual fruit bags. 

FREEZE AHEAD LEMON BLUEBERRY GRANOLA:

(Makes 2 quarts)

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup Lemon Honey Cream

½ cup dried pineapple chunks

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 teaspoon salt

½ cup dried blueberries

2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

Directions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Melt butter and honey cream in a small sauce pan.  Mix oats, walnuts and salt together in a large bowl.  Drizzle butter and honey cream mixture on top of oats and walnut mixture and stir to coat well.  Spread into baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with blueberries and lemon zest.  Stir and press down to form large chunks of granola.  Let cool and store in airtight freezer safe glass containers.  (To freeze leftovers pack into freezer safe jars without any air pockets leaving about ¼” headspace at the top of the jar.  Defrost overnight at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate; that will make the fruit tough.  You should have enough of this frozen to keep from re-making the next time.  

FREEZE AHEAD MIXED BERRY SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 Banana

1 pint mixed berries (buy the frozen ones at the store)

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Note:  Freeze the pre-measured fruit portions for this drink in plastic bags in order to use the next time.  Keep a gallon of milk ice cubes frozen in order to use with all of the smoothie recipes.  Once frozen you can put 6 cubes inside the individual fruit bags.  Just pull out and add the rest.

FREEZE AHEAD STRAWBERRY/BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

3 Bananas

1 pint cleaned strawberries with the leaves removed

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Freeze the pre-measured fruit portions for this drink in plastic bags in order to use the next time.  Keep a gallon of milk ice cubes frozen in order to use with all of the smoothie recipes.  Once frozen you can put 6 cubes inside the individual fruit bags.  Just pull out and add the rest.

FREEZE AHEAD SAUSAGE, EGG, SPINACH AND CHEESE BREAKFAST BURRITO:

(This recipe makes 16 burritos which can be wrapped individually and frozen to be eaten one at a time)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage

1 cup of fresh baby spinach leaves

16 eggs, beaten

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded

16 – 9 inch flour tortillas

Directions:

Brown the sausage in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.  Add the eggs and sprinkle in the salt and pepper.  Stir all together well and set aside for about 20 minutes to cool.  Shed your cheese and set aside.  Arrange 16 squares of waxed paper into lines.  Place one tortilla on each piece.  Top each tortilla with ½ cup sausage-spinach-egg mixture and sprinkle each with the shredded cheese.  Fold over one side of each burrito (length-wise against filling.)  Fold in both small ends.  Then fold over the last side.  Place each burrito seam side down on the wax paper and wrap.  Then wrap each burrito in a piece of foil.  Place the wrapped burritos into the gallon-sized plastic freezer bags.  Zip, removing as much air as possible and place them in the freezer until needed.  (These can be frozen for up to 3 months, just label and date with a marker.)  When you are ready to eat them, just unwrap from foil and waxed paper and microwave on high for 2 minutes. 

FREEZE AHEAD MANGO-PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 Banana

½  pint frozen mangos (buy the frozen packages from the store)

½ pint frozen pineapple (buy the frozen packages from the store)

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Freeze the pre-measured fruit portions for this drink in plastic bags in order to use the next time.  Keep a gallon of milk ice cubes frozen in order to use with all of the smoothie recipes.  Once frozen you can put 6 cubes inside the individual fruit bags.   

FREEZE AHEAD WHOLE WHEAT BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

5 bananas – very ripe

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.  In a food processor add the bananas, yogurt, honey, vanilla and eggs.  Pulse together.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.  Fold in the nuts.  Pour the batter in muffin liners and bake for 25-30 minutes in a muffin pan.  (Makes 18 muffins that can be frozen for up to 3 months.)  Put them into small baggies and put the small baggies into gallon bags, removing air and freeze.  Thaw about 10 minutes before eating.  They are so good, whether you have them hot from the oven or cold from the freezer!

FREEZE-AHEAD CINNAMON WAFFLES

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

½ cup skim milk

¾ cups olive oil

2 eggs separated

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Heat waffle iron.  In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, milk, olive oil and egg yolks.  Set aside.  In a separate medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients, whisking until just mixed.  Fold in egg whites until just combined.  Pour batter onto pre-heated waffle iron, cooking to desired crispness.  Remove waffles, separate sections and allow them to cool.  Place cooled waffles in a gallon sized plastic bag.  Freeze left-overs to reuse another day. When ready to eat, remove desired number of waffles, cook in toaster or overn until desired crispness is reached. 

MENUS -  FOR WEEK TWO

Day 8 – Fast Day: Make-Ahead Apples and Banana Fruity Oatmeal

Day 9 – Moderate Day:  Pieces of cantaloupe cut up inside a jar, 1 Breakfast Sandwich. (These can be frozen and you will only have to cook once a month.)

Day 10 – Fast Day:  Make-Ahead Blueberry and Walnut Oat Meal. (Extras keep in the refrigerator for three days)

Day 11 – Moderate Day:  Egg, Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Breakfast Burrito (already frozen from week one) and a cluster of purple grapes

Day 12 – Fast Day: Make-Ahead Ginger, Apricot, Cherry, Almond Oatmeal (Extras will keep in the refrigerator for three days)

Day 13- Moderate Day: Herbal Egg Whites and Feta on an English Muffins  (Freeze the extras and you will not have to cook the next time) and one fresh sliced orange.

Day 14 – FEAST DAY!: 1 Lemon Poppy Seed Scone (freeze the extras and you will not have to cook the next time.), a cluster of red seedless grapes and 1 Breakfast Sandwich (Frozen from Day 9).

GROCERY LIST FOR WEEK TWO:

5 organic apples (any flavor you like)

1 cantaloupe

1 box steel cut oats

18 cage-free organic eggs

Skim Milk (quart size)

1 pkg. bacon (if eating pork)

1 pkg. sliced cheese (favorite kind)

6 English Muffins (whole wheat)

2 pints fresh blueberries (freeze what isn’t used in plastic bags)

Purple Grapes (seedless) (freeze any unused for other meals)

Red Grapes (seedless) (freeze any unused for other meals)

1 bag slivered almonds

1 fresh orange

1 bag dried cherries

1 bag dried apricots

Ground ginger

1/2 gallon purchased egg whites

1 quart half-&-half

Fresh basil leaves (freeze leftovers chopped in ice cube trays)

Fresh chives (freeze left overs chopped in ice cube trays)

1 jar basil pesto

1 package crumbled feta cheese

Package English Muffins (12 per pack)

Spelt Flour

Bag of sugar

Buttermilk

Unsalted butter

Vanilla

4 fresh lemons

1 bag confectioner’s sugar

Poppy seeds

RECIPES FOR WEEK TWO:

MAKE AHEAD APPLES AND BANANA FRUITY OATMEAL:

Ingredients:

Honey

Apples, chopped very small

Bananas, chopped very small

Steel cut oatmeal.

Directions: 

Cook the steel cut oats as directed on the package.  Add apples, bananas and honey as desired and stir.  (These can be made in a large batch with the oatmeal prepared and stored in small individual sized jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just put the chopped fruit desired in a small plastic bag on top and mix other ingredients in on the day you carry to eat.  Seal jar again and drop into your tote bag.)  Carry a plastic spoon and this makes for a good grab-n-go breakfast-take-along.)  Heat for one minute in the microwave to warm.

FREEZE AHEAD BREAKFAST SANDWICH

Ingredients:

10 large eggs

1 cup skim milk

1 tsp. kosher salt

6 slices bacon (optional)

6 slices cheese (either cheddar, Monterey Jack or Swiss)

6 English Muffins

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk eggs together with milk and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Spray a 9 x 13 cooking tray with cooking oil.  Pour the eggs into the pan.  Place on the lower rack in the oven.  Bake until the eggs are puffed around the edges with golden spots, and a paring knife inserted in the middle comes out clean (25 – 30 minutes)  Cool completely.

Fry the bacon – this is optional if you do not eat pork.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon down on it in a single layer with no pieces overlapping.  Turn up the edges of the foil to catch the grease.  Place bacon in the upper rack of the oven and bake until bacon is crispy (about 15-20 minutes)  When done, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  When the bacon is completely cooled and drained break each piece in half to make them fit on top of the sandwiches.  Finish the bacon and egg cooking; then toast the English muffins, cut side up on a baking sheet, until the edges are toasted.  Set aside to cool.  Using a spatula to lift the eggs out of the pan and onto a cutting board, take a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass will do) and cut 6 rounds out of the eggs.  (You don’t have to waste these scraps, use them for cooking some of your lunch items later, or freeze for breakfast casseroles.)  Assemble the sandwiches by laying the bottom halves of the English muffins in a row on your counter.  Top each one with an egg round, a slice of cheese, and 2 pieces of bacon.  Finish by adding the muffin tops.  Wrap each sandwich in a square of aluminum foil.  Use a permanent marker to write the contents and date on the sandwich.  Put all the sandwiches in a freezer bag or container.  (These will freeze for up to one month.) 

MAKE AHEAD BLUEBERRY AND WALNUT FRUITY OATMEAL:

Ingredients:

Honey

Walnuts, chopped very small

Blueberries

Steel cut oatmeal.

Directions: 

Cook the steel cut oats as directed on the package.  Add blueberries and walnuts and honey as desired and stir.  (These can be made in a large batch with the oatmeal prepared and stored in small individual sized jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just put the chopped fruit desired in a small plastic bag on top and mix other ingredients in on the day you carry to eat.  Seal jar again and drop into your tote bag.)  Carry a plastic spoon and this makes for a good grab-n-go breakfast-take-along.) Heat for one minute in the microwave to warm.

  

MAKE AHEAD GINGER, APRICOT, CHERRY, ALMOND OAT MEAL

Ingredients:

Honey

Slivered Almonds

Dried Apricots, chopped small

Dried Cherries, chopped small

1 Tsp. Ginger

Steel cut oatmeal.

Directions: 

Cook the steel cut oats as directed on the package.  Add ginger, apricots, cherries, almonds and honey as desired and stir.  (These can be made in a large batch with the oatmeal prepared and stored in small individual sized jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just put the chopped fruit desired in a small plastic bag on top and mix other ingredients in on the day you carry to eat.  Seal jar again and drop into your tote bag.)  Carry a plastic spoon and this makes for a good grab-n-go breakfast-take-along.)  Heat for one minute in the microwave to warm.

FREEZE- AHEAD HERBED EGG-WHITES AND FETA ON AN ENGLISH MUFFIN

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1-1/2 quarts purchased egg whites

1-1/4 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

¼ cup basil pesto

¼ cup salted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

12 whole wheat English Muffins, split

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with baking spray.  Set aside.  Whisk together the egg whites, half-and-half, and salt in a large bowl.  Stir in the basil and chives.  Pour the egg white mix into the prepared baking sheet and bake on center rack until the egg whites are set and lightly browned around the edges, 18 – 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass cut eggs into rounds.  (Use the scraps for something else later, salads, sandwiches, freeze for future egg casseroles, etc.)   To assemble the sandwiches, spread a thin layer of butter over the cut side of the English muffin bottom, spread a thin layer of pesto on the cut side of each English muffin top.   Place one egg round on top of the buttered half of each English muffin.  Top each egg round with 1 tablespoon of feta cheese, close the sandwiches with the top halves of the English muffins.  If not serving immediately, tightly wrap each sandwich with aluminum foil and store in re-sealable bags in the refrigerator or freezer.  When ready to reheat place them uncovered in a 325 degree F regular or toaster oven until they are warmed through (approximately 30 minutes)  These can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months.  Label appropriately and date.  

LEMON POPPY SEED SCONES

Ingredients:

For Scones

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for forming scones

1-1/4 cups spelt flour

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup poppy seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon zest

For Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar, plus more if needed

1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice plus more if needed.

Directions:

Line a baking sheet that will fit inside your freezer with parchment paper and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the cubed butter.  Using your hands or a pastry cutter, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small, course peas.   In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Add to the dry ingredients.  Using a wooden spoon or flat spatula stir until the dough gathers together in an uneven ball.  Let the dough sit for 10 minutes to allow the whole-grain flours to soak up a bit of the moisture.  Take out a large wooden board and sprinkle generously with flour before turning out the dough onto the surface.  With well-floured hands, quickly gather the dough into a ball and pat or push it down so that it’s circular in shape and about 1 inch thick.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Place the wedges on a prepared baking sheet and place in freezer.  Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  Place scones in freezer bag and label.  Store in the freezer until ready to bake later. 

To bake:  preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Arrange the scones to they are lying flat on the sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until tops are lightly brown.  Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

While cooling, prepare the glaze:  Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice with a fork.  Adjust consistency with a little more sugar or lemon juice as needed, if too thick.  Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm scones with a fork or spread with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with the extra poppy seeds.  Allow to cool completely before serving. 

These will keep in the freezer as frozen for baking for two months.  Date your package with a marker and label what is inside.  (This is one of the few recipes that you will have to make from home, so plan this one on a day off.)

MENUS FOR WEEK THREE

Day 15 – Fast Day:  Freeze Ahead Apples And Oranges Smoothie

Day 16 – Moderate Day: 1 Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin (already frozen from Day 6 Week One)  and 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries.

Day 17 – Fast Day: Freeze Ahead Raspberry and Mango Smoothie

Day 18 – Moderate Day:  Herbed Egg Whites and Feta on An English Muffin (already frozen from Day 13 – Week Two) and 1 cluster of purple grapes.

Day 19 – Fast Day: 1 Apple and 1 bag of Lemon and Blueberry Granola (already made ahead and frozen on Day 2 Week One)

Day 20 – Moderate Day: 1 sliced orange and one Breakfast Sandwich (already made ahead and frozen on Day 9 – Week Two)

Day 21 – FEAST DAY!:  One bowl of fresh blueberries, One banana, 1fried egg and one piece of bacon.

GROCERY LIST  FOR WEEK THREE

Orange Juice

3 Apples

Fresh Spinach Leaves

1 large Plain Greek Yogurt

Skim milk (quart)

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 bag frozen mangos

1 bag frozen raspberries

Purple Grapes

1 fresh apple

1 fresh orange

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 fresh banana

Sliced bacon

RECIPES FOR WEEK THREE

FREEZE AHEAD APPLES AND ORANGES SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

2 Bananas

½  pint chopped apple

1 cup orange juice (juice from a fresh orange

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

(Remember to freeze extra fruit and ice cubes ahead for next time)

FREEZE AHEAD RASPBERRY AND MANGO-SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 Banana

½  pint frozen mangos (buy the frozen packages from the store)

½ pint frozen raspberries (buy the frozen packages from the store)

¼ cup spinach leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

6 cubes frozen milk

1 Tablespoon flax

Directions:

Dump ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

(Remember to freeze extra fruit and ice cubes ahead for next time)

MENUS FOR WEEK FOUR

Day 22 – Fast Day:  One Apple sliced into thin slices, leave the peal! 

Day 23 – Moderate Day:  Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito (already made and frozen ahead from Day 4 – Week One), 1 Banana

Day 24 – Fast Day  Mixed Berry Smoothie (Frozen Ahead with those made  on Day 3 Week One)

Day 25 – Moderate  Day: One Blueberry Bran Muffin, one orange sliced.

Day 26 – Fast Day: Mango Pineapple Smoothie (Frozen ahead from  Day 5 Week One)

Day 27 – Moderate Day: One Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito, (Made and frozen ahead in Week One) Several slices of honeydew melon.

Day 28 – FEAST DAY!  Mini Frittatas and a Lemon Poppy Seed Scone (made and frozen ahead in Week Three)

GROCERY LIST FOR WEEK FOUR:

1 fresh apple

1 fresh banana

1 fresh orange

1 dozen eggs

Buttermilk

1 fresh lemon

1 box bran cereal

1 bag pecan halves

1 honeydew melon

Deli sliced ham

Grated parmesan cheese

Fresh parsley

RECIPES FOR WEEK FOUR:

BLUEBERRY BRAN MUFFINS

(This recipe makes 12 – Freeze the extras!)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

½ cup olive oil, melted and slightly cooled (although still liquid)

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

¾ cup sugar

2 cups bran cereal

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup pecan halves, optional for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coconut oil, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, lemon zest and sugar.  Stir in the bran cereal and both flours and mix well until thoroughly combined.  The batter should be pretty stiff.  Carefully fold in the blueberries.  Prepare 12 standard sized muffin sleeves in a muffin tin and fill each to the very top with better.  Scatter the tops of the muffins with the pecan pieces.  Bake for 35 minutes; or until the tops are firm and slightly brown.  Let cool for 15 minutes before removing muffins from tins.  Serve warm or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap individually and freeze in gallon bags for up to 3 months.

MINI FRITTATAS

(Makes 8-10 mini frittatas)

Ingredients:

8 eggs

½ cup skim milk

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

4 ounces ham, chopped

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray 2 mini muffin tins, each with 24 cups each with nonstick spray.  Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper and salt in a large bowl to blend well.  Stir in the ham, cheese and parsley.  Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture.  Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter.  (These can be frozen and reheated for up to 3 months)

MENU FOR LAST THREE DAYS OF A 31 DAY MONTH:

Day 29:  Fast Day:  Raspberry and Mango Smoothie  (Already prepared and frozen ahead from previous weeks)

Day 30:  Moderate  Day  1 Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin (Already prepared and frozen ahead from previous weeks) with small bowl of fresh pineapple chunks.

Day 31:  Fast  Day:  1 box raisins, 1 orange and 1 banana

GROCERY LIST FOR LAST THREE DAYS OF 31 DAY MONTH:

Fresh pineapple chunks

Small boxes of raisins

1 fresh orange

1 fresh banana

RECIPES FOR LAST THREE DAYS OF 31 DAY MONTH:

No new recipes to worry with; no new meals to cook; all have been frozen ahead and you should have some left over for next month; so make those menus go around what you already have prepared in advance so that you may use it all up before it becomes too old or freezer burned.  Don’t you love how the grocery shopping got less and less with every week?

I am excited about these new breakfasts and how they have been organized. I hope they make our lives much easier, and much healthier.  I would love to hear how things go for you! 

Good luck; and stay turned to AN APPLE A DAY next Thursday for the same type of menu for lunches for a month.

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 157 KNOWING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABERNACLE

WHY DO ALL THESE DETAILS MATTER TO US NOW?

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Now Moses has received the proper instructions from God about what is to go inside the tabernacle; and God is telling Moses exactly how to construct the actual physical tabernacle itself. 

As with everything else we have studied; the instructions God gave Moses in building the tabernacle were very symbolic.  Almost every element of this very special tent called the Wilderness Tabernacle has a meaning underneath the surface. 

We will discuss those meanings further; but first let’s think about why they were meant to be so significant.

Exactly what is God saying to mankind with the example of this wilderness tabernacle? 

God is actually saying many things; but today before we start analyzing what the tabernacle is built of and the symbolic meaning of such things;  let’s look at why all this symbolism matters. 

 

Sir Martin Lord Rees, a famous scientist and astronomer, has explained that the universe is shaped by six mathematical constants, which; had they varied by even a millionth or a trillionth of a degree; would have resulted in us having no universe at all. 

Keeping this in mind and considering how mind-boggling that thought is to us; let’s also consider the fact that a few Torah scholars have discovered that the construction of the wilderness tabernacle is based on the same theory and scientific principles as God’s creation of the universe. 

Thus; the tabernacle becomes for us a symbolic reminder of the whole universe that God has created. 

To carry this thought just a step further; consider that the Divine Presence of God within the tabernacle is symbolic of the fact that His Divine Presence exists throughout the cosmos.

 

Thus, the tabernacle is a man-made structure of a God created design that focuses attention on a divinely created universe. 

This divinely created universe is precise and mathematically exact; but just one slight change in calculations and life on earth would no longer exist. 

When we read Psalm 104:24; “How many are your works, Lord; in wisdom You made them all.” We know that the proper translation of the word “wisdom” means “precise, exact craftsmanship.”

The only other such man-constructed, God designed space in the holy scriptures that speaks of such precise craftsmanship is from the passages of the instructions that God gave to Noah on how to build the ark. 

When men make changes in God’s precise order of the things of the universe, there are  consequences.  Both Noah and Moses had to follow specific instructions and do it all EXACTLY as God designed.    This was one message we learned by observing the scriptures about the construction of the tabernacle. 

Everything God does has more meaning than meets the eye.  

We must learn to see with the eyes of our souls.  

This deeper meaning is not seen by many living in the world today, simply because they do not want to know the truth of the message.  They only want to know what THEY think, what THEY see and what THEY want to do.  They don’t really care to look deeper into God’s way.   

God’s precision and order matters.  

Change just one little thing about God’s order, and/or His original plan, and the rest of everything else changes too.  

God put man on earth to keep the order He originally designed.  For mankind that means we must be careful about what we say, think and do.  It ALL must conform to God’s pattern.

 

There is great wisdom in the words of Rabbi Sacks who has said:  “There is a precise choreography to the moral and spiritual life just as there is a precise architecture to the tabernacle.” 

We must align our minds, hearts and souls to the creator of the universe.  It matters in the end, and to be precise; it matters all the way through till the end.

The ark of Noah was constructed with two purposes in mind:  

1)  To protect the godly living on the earth and 

2) to destroy the ungodly living on the earth.

 

This tabernacle in all of the precise dimensions given to Moses acts symbolically the same.  

In the end of the story – our bodies along with God’s Holy Spirit living within them become the living tabernacles that all of this symbolism describes.  In these last days of mankind – we are nothing but walking tabernacles, or little tents that contain portions of God’s glory.  

When God makes his move; as He finally did in the days of Noah, and the world as we know it does not exist anymore; will your tabernacle carry you through to the next place?

It will be a whole new, fresh, clean place where nothing ungodly can enter.  It will be the New Jerusalem which God will send down from Heaven. 

Will you meet God’s specifications; or will you be lacking in the proper clothing for this New Holy City? 

Will you be covered in the blood of Jesus and filled with God’s Holy Spirit? If you don't have these clothes; all you have to do is ask.  God answers every prayer from every soul on this earth.  He is waiting to hear what is on your mind.  He will help you; but you must decide to call on His name.  

If you are not willing to call on God and conform to His very generous and easy requirements; your earthly tabernacle will be destroyed with the rest of the world whenever the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. 

So you see the importance of these very specific dimensions and instructions for the things of the tabernacle which Moses is now hearing and which we are about to study.  They carry huge implications for eternal life in God’s universe.  A wise person will learn from all of these specific elements of the tabernacle and implement what he learns into his days here on earth.  A foolish person will walk away saying “none of those things are important.”

What path will you choose?

With this strong and significant introduction; we will be discussing more of the building of the wilderness tabernacle in the weeks to come. 

Be watching for the next session in COME AS A CHILD LESSON 158 posting next Thursday.

PEN ART - A WINTER LOVE STORY

It is traditional to tell the story of Eshter during the time of Purim.  Have you ever pondered this beautiful love story?  Here it is for everyone to read only a few weeks before we come to the celebration of Purim.  It would be good to re-read it on that day and firmly plant it's happenings inside your mind's eye; for many say the message is very prophetic.  Read it for yourself and decide:

THE STORY OF ESTHER AND THE KING

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Once upon a time in the great land of Persia there lived a king named Achashveyrosh.   Please don't worry if you are unable to pronounce his name the Jewish way, just say Xerxes instead, which is the Persian translation.  Xerxes is a lot easier to roll off the tongue.  There were actually three generations of kings named Xerxes, and Achashveyrosh was one of these three.

Of course every king has a beautiful queen, and Xerxes had Vashti.

In the third year of his reign Xerxes threw quite a lavish party. It lasted for 180 days.  The food was abundant and the wine flowed freely.  The crowd that the king invited to come grew in progression.  First he invited all the people of his court, then he invited all the dignitaries of the area, then he opened wide the doors of the palace to all the people of the capitol city of Shushan.

Xerxes wanted the beautiful Vashti to appear before him at the feast so that he could show off her excellent beauty.  For some reason, and there are many different theories about her reasons, Vashti refused to come before the king.  This blatant, public refusal made the king very angry.  His subjects and chief advisors did not make matters any easier for the king.  The advisor, named Haman, insisted that the Queen's refusal to the King meant disaster to every household in the kingdom.  She was setting a very wrong example for the other wives.  If the King could not even control the actions of the Queen, how on earth could any of his subjects keep order in their own homes?  One has to wonder about the motives of Haman even this early in the story.  Was he jealous of the queen's power over the king?  Did he fear being found out by her?  No matter; what was done was done.  Haman kept insisting that this was a terrible problem, and he suggested that the King set a good example for the kingdom and do away with Vashti.  Giving in to the peer pressure of his subjects, the King ordered that Vashti be banished from the kingdom.  Some even believe that she was put to death.

When the party was over and the King was sober,  he deeply regretted his hasty decision.  Now he was a very lonely King with no one beautiful to gaze upon.  As a matter of fact, he had to look at the ugly faces of his royal staff day in and day out.  He missed the beautiful Vashti.  The greedy ambitious Haman probably noticed this and wondered if he had made a grave mistake.  Perhaps the king would turn on him because of this lonely state which the King was in.  As he watched the king mope around the palace a plan was formed to change the situation before it had time to get out of Haman's control.  The king was quickly advised and convinced that he should search the kingdom high and low for the most beautiful girl in the land and make her his new queen.  Scouts who were experts on beauty were sent out to the far corners of the city to gather all the most beautiful young maidens and bring them to be prepared to meet the king. 

The king had an employee named Mordecai.  Mordecai was a Jew, but the King had not really paid any attention to this fact.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon instead of returning to Jerusalem as part of the remnant of the Jewish people who had taken advantage of the decree from King Cyrus which released them from captivity.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon and he had been blessed in the land of Persia.  He was prosperous in the employment of the King, and he had used his prosperity to raise up his beautiful niece.  Many historians have wondered whether he was also secretly using his prosperity in the land to secretly fund the return of more exiles to the homeland.   

Mordecai had adopted his uncle's daughter.  She was named Hadassah.  This Jewish name

meant "myrtle."  It was the Jewish tradition in those days for the myrtle flower to be worn on the head of a bride at a wedding feast.  The Jewish women loved the myrtle flower, and Hadassah's mother and father had given her this lovely name probably hoping that it would bring her favor with God. 

While living with Mordecai in the land of Persia, she was called Esther. Esther was the Persian translation of Hadassah.  Most Persian names were perversions of Jewish names and picked to honor pagan gods.  However, the Persian name despite its perversions did mean "a star."  It was said that Esther was as beautiful as the morning star and legend has it that Mordecai often quoted Psalm 22 to her, which was instructed by David to be used as The Chief Musician played a song called The Hind of The Morning, which is just another way of describing The Glory of God and the hope that it brings.  

Esther was raised up to put her hope and trust in God and to wait for the Messiah that David gave prophecy to in this Psalm written one thousand years before the Messiah was born.  I like to believe that the words of David and the Messianic psalm were often sung from the lips of this beautiful young maiden as she went about the chores of her daily life in the House of Mordecai. 

Esther's mother and father had been assassinated by cruel men who were Agagites, the hateful descendants of King Agag.  These men hated the Jews.  They were a cold, hateful and murderous people who considered it an honor to kill anyone of Jewish descent.  Haman, from Xerxes court, was also an Agagite.  Esther's father's name was Abihail.  He was a Benjamite.  The Benjamites were hated more than any other tribe by the Agagites.  It was this tragic hatred that brought Esther to be an orphan and eventually find her home with Mordecai. God is continually working for good in all things, even tragedy.

Mordecai loved Esther as if she were born to him.   He was careful to raise her well.  Mordecai was known in the gates and among the Jews left in Persia for his excellent knowledge of the scriptures.  Esther had been taught the scriptures from the day she came to live with Mordecai.  She was raised to honor and keep the commandments of God.  These things were reflected in her demeanor, in her dress, in her diet, in her daily habits in every way.  She was devoted to prayer and seeking God's will in all that she did.  In Mordecai's house they lived as devout Jews, but Mordecai did not flaunt his Jewishness in the court of the Persian King where he did his work.  He simply used his prosperity to the glory of God and went humbly about his days. 

One day Esther's quiet life in the house of Mordecai was disrupted by the King's beauty experts scouting the land for the most beautiful virgins for the King.  They had seen Esther in the streets, and they had noticed her great beauty.  They had followed her home, and Mordecai was quickly informed that she had a great destiny to fulfill at the palace.  She seemed to have no choice in the matter.  As they took the trembling Esther away Mordecai only had time to whisper one word of caution to her; "do not reveal your true identity to these people, do not tell them of your Jewish heritage."  He was probably thinking of her safety, knowing the evil Agagites, such as Haman, who worked in the court of the King.  Mordecai had learned to protect himself from these men, but Esther was innocent of such hatred.  He quickly advised her, and she was gone.  The house of Mordecai must have felt very lonely that night.

 

Before Esther could imagine what was happening to her she was whisked off to live among the other concubines of the King.  She was to spend months preparing to meet her day of destiny.  There was a whole staff of servants who were masters of beauty preparations for the women of the King's court.  Esther was given a choice of what she would like to adorn herself with when her time came to go to the King.  She very wisely passed on the gaudy bangles and babbles the other girls were grabbing.  She asked her advisor what would please the King.  He was amazed, as this was such a wise question which no other maiden had ever even thought to ask.  He immediately recognized the fact that Esther was special, different, one who could handle the life of royalty.  He chose a simple necklace for her.  It turned out to be the one that her parents had given her at birth which made a reflection of The Star of David when held to the light, one that had been taken from her when her parents were murdered.  Esther was amazed at this, but she said nothing.  By some miracle her very own necklace had made its way to the treasury of the King and by chance or destiny; this will forever remain a mystery; it had made its way back to the possession of Esther.  

She did not reveal this secret to anyone, but she took the necklace and cherished it and wore it close to her heart everyday after.  She returned to days and days and days of beauty preparations.  The King's advisers  tried to get her to eat the King's rich food, but she refused, preferring to maintain her simple kosher diet of fruit and vegetables and to abstain from forbidden foods.  She was able to hide in the chambers of the palace for a long time, then one night she was called to the King's chambers. 

Legend has it that the King compared everyone to the portrait of Vashti hanging across from his couch. When each new maiden arrived he would have them stand in front of it.  He compared their beauty to Vasti's and no one could ever equal or surpass it.  No one that is, until Esther.  

When Esther stood before the King he did not even notice Vashti's portrait, for Esther's beauty was far more beautiful and she took his breath away.  The portrait of Vashti was removed and never returned after the King laid eyes on Esther.  He fell instantly in love with her and soon asked her to be his queen.

So the little Jewish girl became the Queen of Persia, all the while remembering Mordecai's advice and never revealing her nationality.  Esther retired to a quiet life in the court of the Queen, going into the King's chambers whenever he chose to summon her.  Mordecai visited her whenever he could. 

One day Mordecai was sitting in the King's gates when he overheard an evil plot of the king's chamberlains to assassinate the king.  He quickly went to Esther and told her of this plot in order to save the life of the king.  Because Esther was quick to take Mordecai's vigilant message to the King, the plot was foiled.  Mordecai's service and loyalty were duly recorded in the king's royal diary, called The Chronicles of The King. 
   
Soon the selection of a new queen, and the heroic deeds of Mordecai were forgotten by the kingdom.  The talk of the kingdom was all about Haman.  The wicked man had been very successful and he had gained much power in the kingdom.  The king had appointed him to be Prime Minister of Persia.  Haman decided, since he had been given such a rise in power, that everyone should bow to him.  Most did bow, but Mordecai, knowing Haman's wicked heart, refused to bow to him.  This made Haman very angry and he quickly went to the King, knowing that Mordecai was a Jew, and asked the King to authorize a royal decree to annihilate the Jews from the land.  Haman cast lots to determine the day this was to happen.  It was decreed to be Adar 13 of the coming year.  On this day all Jews were to be executed and wiped off the map of every province and every nation of the earth. 

Mordecai, hearing the evil intentions of Haman sent a message to Queen Esther.  He told her the plot of Haman and asked her to go to the King on behalf of the Jews. The time had come for Esther to reveal her identity.

Esther had not been called to the side of the King for at least a month.  She was terrified to receive the news of this horrid plot from Mordecai.  There was a strictly enforced rule that no one could see the king uninvited, not even the Queen.  Being a woman of faith and prayer, Esther fasted and prayed for three days.  She asked the servants who waited on her to fast and pray with her.  Then she bravely gathered her courage and set out to see the King. 

In an amazing act, totally unexpected by the court, the King not only spared Esther's life, but offered her up to half the kingdom to express her wishes to him.  

All she asked initially was that the King and Haman join her for dinner.  Of course they did, and the King once again inquired of his Bride to know her wishes.  Her only reply was to tell him that she was planning another banquet and she wished for him to attend and to bring Haman along with him.  Deeply curious by now, and intrigued by this little string of events, the King once again agreed.

Haman was feeling so important!  Being invited to a private banquet of the King and Queen twice in one week!  Who else had ever been given such an honor?  He swelled with pride.  He bragged in the streets of his great position in the kingdom.  He went home and told his family how powerful he was and how rich and famous they were in the land. 

After the second banquet, in which Esther requested just one more audience to reveal her request to the King, Haman could not contain himself.  He was invited once again!  His head was as big as a house, and he could barely hold his three cornered hat on his head because of his swelling pride.  He hurried home to do some more bragging, but on the way he met Mordecai in the street.

Of course, Mordecai did not bow to him and Haman's anger outweighed his pride.  In his rage he decided to build a gallows with which to hang Mordecai.  He planned to speak to the King about this the very next morning.  He wanted to get Mordecai out of his way for good so he could go on and enjoy the rest of his day while he banqueted with the King and Esther again.

Pride always comes before a fall, and Haman was no exception to the rule.  

That night the King could not sleep.  Since he would be awake anyway, he ordered the Book of Chronicles that documented his reign to be brought in and read to him until he found himself sleepy.  It just so happened that the reader turned to the page that documented the day that Mordecai exposed a plot to assassinate the King.  This reminded the king that the good man, Mordecai,  had not been rewarded for his good deed.  The King determined to set the record straight.  No good deed to the King should ever go unrewarded. 

As Haman arrived the next morning anxious to get on with the murder of Mordecai, the King asked him a question.  "What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?"  Haman's pride went into overtime and he mistakenly thought the king was referring to him.  

Haman loved to be honored publicly, so he quickly answered that such a man should be brought a royal robe that the King himself had worn, and a horse that the King himself had ridden, and a royal crest should be placed upon this man's head, then one of the King's most trusted nobles should robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming before him that "this is what is done for the man the King delights to honor!"

The King loved this idea!  

Imagine the horror of Haman as the King commanded him to get the robe and the horse and do just as he had described for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King's gate!
 
 Haman was between a rock and hard place.  He had to obey the king's commandment.  So he got Mordecai ready and lead him around the city proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor."  It was a bad day for Haman, but things got progressively worse as the evening came.

It was time for the banquet with the King and Esther.  At a crucial point in the banquet Esther did share her request with the King.  First she declared that she was Jewish.  Next she begged the king to spare her people.  One of the attendants of the King told him of the gallows that Haman had built to have Mordecai hanged upon.  All of this made the King furious with Haman.  He ordered that Haman be hanged on his own gallows.

Esther's people were saved.  

The King could not reverse his decree, but he allowed the Jews to defend themselves.  

The King replaced Haman with Mordecai as Prime Minister, and Esther lived happily ever after in the kingdom surrounded by those that she loved.