We are finally into Spring! The trees are blooming and the flowers are growing. If you have tulips, daffodils or hyacinth, you may already have blooms but most certainly have buds if nothing else. It is a season of rebirth and growth. Doors and windows are flung open to air out the house from the staleness of winter air. We emerge from our homes more and more to enjoy the weather and start working in the yard. It is so nice and one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is not too hot yet.

Have you ever gone for a walk or lain in the backyard and just lost yourself in the beauty of Spring? Have you ever walked the path and reveled in God’s glory? Evidence of God is everywhere you look if you can just be still enough to see He is there. The birds take flight. The flowers bloom. Bees produce honey from the pollen. Babies are being born. The trees grow and produce fruit and nuts. From the blades of grass to the clouds in the sky, God’s beautiful creation is evident.

As a child, I would lie in the grass and read books and transport myself to a new world with every page I turned. I still lie in the grass, but these days it is to watch the birds fly by, to listen to the wind in the trees, to smell the fragrance of the fresh blooms on the peach trees. I give thanks for the beauty and blessings around me. If you will allow yourself the opportunity to be still, there is no telling what observations you may make. Sometimes you see a bird you didn’t expect. Sometimes a brightly colored beetle. Maybe you could catch a glimpse of a deer or a raccoon.

Speaking of observations, I was struggling to get this column put together and my intro was done in bits and pieces and so were the recipes. I put the column together and then went back and realized I used chicken in almost every one of these recipes. I try to mix it up when I put my columns together unless I am doing a specific theme. Well, this time it was not intentional, but it reminded me of a couple weeks ago. Our graphic designer made the comment since I did a column for the birds, I should do a column of the birds. Well this one is definitely of the chicken. I will work on another column and put one together with different recipes for different types of birds as I did like that idea.

More time outdoors means less time for cooking unless you are grilling. This is a season for fresh fruits and vegetables, salads and sandwiches, light dinners that are quick and easy to fix. It’s not hard to spend so much time outside you don’t have much time left for cooking dinner for you and your family. This week’s recipes are easy to put together and don’t take much time to cook either especially if you have leftovers (such as chicken) you can use to help make these dishes. Make your list and meet me in the kitchen for just a few minutes.