FREE PRINTABLE - Pascha Cards

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're all having a great Holy Week thus far. I know personally, ours has been exhausting already and we haven't even gotten into the thick of it yet... But that's what I love about Holy Week! It's so tough and you're working so hard to prepare your house/kids/mind/spirit/church/everything for Pascha! Then the feast comes and it was all totally worth it and it's just a teeny tiny glimpse of what our Royal Banquet will be like in heaven. I was just thinking today about how awesome this opportunity is. To get to live out the resurrection each year and fast and push ourselves spiritually is such a beautiful blessing from the church. It also dawned on me this morning as well that we get the opportunity to adjust our fasting and Holy Week practices each year. So maybe after Holy Week this year, we look back and say, "That was a little too much for the kids." or "Maybe we didn't need THAT much food for Bright Week..", or "I felt like I was so distracted by my phone/tv/work this past Holy Week." These are some things I have found myself saying in Bright Weeks past. 

Well, Lord willing, next year we have the opportunity to do it all again and focus more on what's important. I try to be graceful to myself as I think about what I would have done differently each year, but also earnestly ponder adjustments for next year to make Lent more meaningful for our family. What a blessing from the fathers to look the death and resurrection of our Lord in the eye each year, and to ponder the final judgement, but then have the freedom and grace to grow even more in the next Lenten season. It's like annual practice for the Last Judgement. I know, I know, that's the point. But today, I got to think on it for a bit and mull over the beauty of it for about 3 whole minutes before being called away by crazy toddlers. 

Wishing you all a blessed Holy Week! Here are some Pascha cards that I made for our kiddos to color and decorate. If you like the illustrations, they are from our Pascha to Pentecost coloring book available here. 

LINK TO CARDS HERE

"Old Calendar" Orthodox Children's Calendar

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

We are excited to let you know that we are going to open up a window for pre-orders for this Old Calendar version, April 10 - May 10!

A little backstory: this all started back in December of 2016, when Marian Adams literally had a dream about collaborating with Abigail Holt to create a calendar for Orthodox children-- something with activities to keep them involved, and in a format that was easily accessible to children of all ages. She approached Caroline Gann and asked her if she would be interested in jumping on board as our graphic designer, and we were off! We launched a Kickstarter to fund the printing costs, were fully funded in a week, and sold out of the amount we had originally planned on printing before we even sent it to be published. The Orthodox Children’s Calendar includes original illustrations of children interacting with their faith, saints’ days with original drawings of those saints, and it highlights fasting periods, American holidays, and church feasts. There is an additional page following each month with a craft, recipe, and memory verse that correlate with the month. Draw Near Designs is the company that we founded along with the calendar, and now it includes other educational materials for Orthodox children.

Our original calendar was based on “New Calendar” (Gregorian calendar) dates, and one of the most common requests we got was “Is there an Old Calendar (Julian calendar) version?” So this year, we are leaving the answer to that question in your hands! In case you don't know, the Julian ("old") calendar celebrates church feasts and saint's days 13 days apart from the Gregorian ("new") calendar.

Last year, we launched a crowdfunding opportunity on Kickstarter to gage interest in a “New Calendar” Orthodox Children’s Calendar. The idea was warmly received, the Kickstarter was fully funded within a week, and before we even went to print we sold out the original amount planned!!!! It was incredible! This year we are hosting a 30-day crowdfunding opportunity to measure support for an “Old Calendar” version for 2019. We decided to offer our own crowdfunding opportunity in lieu of a Kickstarter for the simple reason that we wanted to save our supporters money. So, we will open up a month long pre-order window at our website, running from April 10 (Bright Tuesday)- May 10. If we raise $3338 in pre-orders for the Old Calendar version and donations, then we will make it! And if we don’t, then the pre-orders and donations will be refunded, and we’ll have our answer.

We will update our blog (www.drawneardesigns.com/blog) and social media weekly (on Facebook at Draw Near Designs, and Instagram @draw.near.designs) with progress towards the pre-order goal. If you are passionate about this project and would like to give a monetary donation, look for the DONATE option at the bottom our website, and any amount you put in there will go directly towards the goal. You will also be able to donate an additional amount when you pre-order the calendar, or if you would prefer you can mail a check to Draw Near Designs at 3005 Boaires Ln, Louisville, KY 40223. There will be a banner on the website to give updates on our progress, and other special donation opportunities like adding a saint to the calendar! 

Here’s a breakdown of the amount we need to raise: the total amount needed is $3338. 60% of that is the printing costs of 250, spiral bound, 52 page, full color calendars.  23% of is shipping costs (shipping the calendars to your homes). 10% is graphic design costs and 7% is taxes and fees.

So it’s pretty simple-- if there is enough support to fund a printing of an Old Calendar version of the Orthodox Children’s Calendar, we are happy to do the work and create it for you! Additionally, this pre-order window actually offers the calendars at a discounted rate ($20/calendar + $5 shipping), compared to the retail price of $21.95 + $5 shipping from last year. So all you folks who wanted an Old Calendar version-- help us make this happen! Pre-order copies as Christmas gifts for all the children in your life (they will ship to you in the fall, PLENTY of time for Christmas), tell your friends, and if it’s really important to you, consider a monetary donation. If you have any questions, please send us an e-mail at drawneardesigns3@gmail.com.

As always, THANK YOU for your support! We can’t wait to make this calendar available to even more families and children.

In Christ,

Caroline Gann, Abigail Holt, and Marian Adams

The Draw Near Designs Marketplace

Hello, friends of Draw Near Designs! Marian Adams here today, and I am going to share a little more about why we created the Marketplace, the artists featured, and our vision for the future. 

As Draw Near Designs has grown, we have gotten to know so many incredibly talented Orthodox Christians, and there were many artists and makers that I hadn't known about until starting this business. I realized that there wasn't a hub anywhere connecting the Orthodox artists, makers, and smaller business owners. As our outreach and website traffic grew, I began to think, why not create what I wish we had? So I proposed my idea to Abigail and Caroline, to devote a section of our business to supporting other artists, help them gain exposure, and create a one-stop-shop for products from these Orthodox artists. Understandably, there was some skepticism and questions, but they both agreed to give it a try. We began contacting some artists, and the Draw Near Designs Marketplace was launched on March 8, 2018. 

Now for a quick introduction to the artists featured: 

These matryoshka flour sack towels are a best-seller (and my go-to Christmas gift!)

Dacha Designs is a small business owned by Matushka Anastasia in Seattle, WA (yes, the same incredibly talented woman behind the Study Journal for the Theotokos' Entrance into the Temple that Draw Near Designs illustrated). She is passionate about reusable, practical home goods, and her classic designs, high quality materials, and attention to detail make her products perfect to buy for your own home or as gifts.

This pysanky egg towel is the perfect decoration for Pascha, and doubles as a Pascha-basket cover!

She screen prints each item by hand, and her designs often reference her Russian heritage. Purchasing her products not only supplies you with practical, reusable towels and bags, but supports a priest's family! 

Next up, we have Emilia's Post!

Hailing from California, Kelsey Lawson, an Orthodox Christian mother of 2 young boys is the artist behind Emilia's Post. She describes her shop as "Art prints inspired by faith, beauty, and home." Her beautiful calligraphy, incredible illustrations, and thoughtful choice of subject matter immediately caught my attention, and I have several of her prints framed in my own home! 

Many of her prints feature prayers and quotes from saints, but there is even a quote from The Chronicles of Narnia and Charlotte Mason in there! 

Another Kelsey is at the helm of another small business featured in the Marketplace: St. Tabitha's Workshop!

Swaddle your baby in crosses! Such a perfect gift for a baptism or baby shower. 

Kelsey Moore is an Orthodox mother, and after noticing a lack of Orthodox-themed fabrics available, started designing her own on the website Spoonflower. Her products, all made with cloth that she designed, are both beautiful and carefully crafted.

What a fun way to make Name Days really special!

Her attention to every last detail make the swaddle blankets and Happy Name Day bunting banners (and more!) items that your family will treasure and use for years, if not generations, to come. (Her Happy Name Day banners sold out within a day, but they will be restocked soon!)

The next artist featured is Michael Elgamal, an Orthodox Christian in Canada, who goes by the handle Creative Orthodox wrote and illustrated Anastasis: The Harrowing of Hades.

Anastasis is a full color graphic novel, that explores what happened to the Old Testament souls in Hades, and the consequences of Christ's decent into Hell. The book is full of Biblical references, writings from the Church Fathers, and gripping storytelling. At only $14, this is definitely worth adding to your collection! 

Abigail Holt, one of the artists behind Draw Near Designs, also runs her own Etsy shop, Abigail Art Company. Abigail's a mother of 2 young girls, artist, and loves high-quality paper! She and her husband keep a large flock of chickens, and have several sheep in their urban farm. 

High quality letterpress printed by Oblation Paper and Press

Abigail Art Company features a variety of Orthodox-themed cards, everything from Pascha cards, to "Memory Eternal", all illustrated with her nature and folk-inspired style. She also has gorgeous, high quality letterpress 5x7 prints available that feature a saint with a meaningful quote. 

Beautiful cards!

And of course there's me, Marian Adams. I am the artist behind The Green Paintbrush. I am a mother to 2 girls, and my favorite color is (you guessed it!) green. I love products that have more than one purpose, so my prints are just the right size to also be used as cards, or they can be displayed.

The border is inspired by lavender, chamomile, and cornflower tea. 

I also have art available on shirt, tote bags, notebooks and more over at the website Threadless. My illustrations often combine a quote that inspires me, paired with my love of nature. I also offer a coloring book in the Marketplace-- a silly, rhyming alphabet book that I originally wrote and illustrated for my daughter. 

Our motto for the Draw Near Designs Marketplace is "Collaboration not competition". We hope to continue to fill the Marketplace with high quality goods from Orthodox artists and small businesses, and provide a resource for unique, meaningful gifts. By Christmastime, we plan to have an even larger variety of products available to truly be a one-stop-shop for Christmas shopping while also supporting Orthodox artists around the country! 

With love in Christ, 

Marian Adams

Anastasia's PB&Strawberry Oatmeal!

As shared on our stories today, Anastasia's peanut butter and strawberry oatmeal recipe! This one is SO easy and makes for the perfect protein-packed snack in a hurry! Feel free to print out and share. More glorious recipes can be found on her blog, lettuceattend.com.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili - slow cooker style!

As shared on our stories today, Anastasia's slow cooker Lenten chili recipe! Feel free to print out and share. More glorious recipes can be found on her blog, lettuceattend.com.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole (Vegan)

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole (Vegan)

Guys. It's the last post of our Week of Lenten Recipes. I'm bummed cause it's been so much fun testing these recipes and sharing them with people all over the world! BUT next week, we're going to have more Lenten goodness for you all! We've got Instagram takeovers from:

Anastasia McAdams of Lettuce Attend - March 4​

Melissa Naasko of Fasting as a Family - March 7​

They're going to be sharing their Lenten tips and meals, and be a constant reminder that we're all in this, working out our salvation, together. Feel free to email or message us your questions to pass them on to them!  ​

I'm sharing this super hearty recipe today cause I wanted to show what delicious Lenten entrees can look like. The secret to this one is the SAUCE. Who knew just some canned tomatoes + cilantro + garlic powder could help pull together a whole casserole so beautifully?! 

Also, did I mention it's a SLOW COOKER recipe?! Yay!! Assembly takes around 15 minutes and you just set this baby aside for 4-5 hours and serve with rice. Bam. Done. 

Vegan Vegetable Sammies

Vegan Vegetable Sammies (Oil-free, or not!)

I have a friend who likes to joke about the "food titles" for different fasts. For example, the Lenten fast = the Hummus fast, the Nativity fast = the Lentil Soup fast. I think, for our family, the Lenten fast could easily be called, The Veggie Sammies fast. Every other week during lent, I make up a tupperware container of this mix and we eat it for lunches for the week. The best part is...it's super flexible! 

For example: If your family is eating oil this fast, you can sub out the red wine vinegar in here for olive oil. I usually add in any random leftovers that need to be used up. These usually include: white beans, zucchini, canned tuna... you get the picture. I usually keep the tomato-cucumber-pepper base and alternate the other mixin's. For our family, this mixes it up juuuuust enough that we don't get completely sick of the recipe by Pascha, but it still makes the recipe effortless. 

Plus, LOOK at how fresh and delicious this mixture is. Boom. 

Hop to it, y'all here's the recipe!

Greek/Lebanese Green Beans

Greek/Lebanese Green Beans

I'm sure some of you guys don't even need a recipe for this one, but I wanted to share because this recipe is crazy simple, filling, and of course, Lenten. 

So in case you haven't seen a theme here, we're trying to keep these recipes

1. delicious for the kiddos,

2. Simple by using as few ingredients as possible, 

3. filling and nutritious. We are trying to avoid your kids needing a snack break every hour. Cause to me, that seems to defeat the point of the fast. 

I also wanted to take the time today to add a little note reminding everyone that this is a judgement-free zone. It's between you, your family, and your spiritual father to decide what is the best way to go about the fast. Plus, there is a HUGE learning curve for the Lenten fast... I'm not just talking about the food part. I've heard several priests say that it took them nearly 10 years before they could fast "completely". That was a nice reality check for me.  

Full disclosure: I am not doing the full fast since I'm nursing, but I'm trying my best and will maybe have one meal a week that's non-lenten. I can be kind of legalistic and tend to overdo the fast, especially since I've only been at this for 4 years now. I call it "that convert zeal"! Because of this, I've learned so much from listening and heeding the advice of other people in the parish (for me, talking with moms who've been pregnant/breastfed before has really helped), who keep me in check, keep me from getting sick (most of the time), and cope with my stubbornness - ha! Also, shout out to my mother-in-law, the Gypsy, who two years ago, basically made me eat a burrito during the fast when I was pregnant and still trying to fast. You've really helped me keep things in perspective. I learned a lot from that moment. 

I told you, I'm stubborn. I''m working on it. Love to you all! My God bless us all this lent as we struggle together to grow closer to him by overcoming our desires and negative habits. 

Coconut Whipped Cream (Vegan + Oil Free)

Coconut Whipped Cream (Vegan + Oil Free)

Yes. Vegan. Whipped Cream. In under 10 mins. Let's go. 

"the good stuff"

I love this recipe because it's so easy to make, the kiddos love it, and you can really easily adjust the sweetness level to suit your family's preferences. Yes, if you haven't figured out by now, I'm the crazy mom who tries to limit her children's sugar intake. (Sorrynotsorry!)

I just love this recipe during Lent. It helps remind me that we can treat ourselves without being extravagant in what we eat and without making a recipe that takes forever and sucks up time that we could be spending in prayer or with our families. 

My favorite way to serve it is in a bowl with fresh fruit. If I'm feeling so inclined, I'll top it off with some maple syrup and serve it with those lovely Cardamom-Lemon Biscotti we made earlier this week! 

Also, if you're feeling really fancy, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of either cinnamon or cardamom (seeing a theme here?) to the bowl when you add in all the ingredients. It will be so yummy and simple!

*BONUS* Save the coconut milk that you drain from the can and use in smoothies for breakfast. Or, just drink it straight! It's crazy good for helping you stay hydrated! Have fun!

Vegan White Bean "Fondue" Dip

Vegan White Bean "Fondue" Dip with Veggies

I usually do my best to stay away from what I call "cheater" recipes during Lent. By that I mean trying to replicate an everyday recipe in a vegan fashion. I don't really have a problem with it, it's just not how I cook in general. 

This recipe is one of my few exceptions. I don't really consider it a "cheating" recipe because we never have fondue in our house, so to us this is just a neat way to eat bean dip- ha! However, I think the nutritional yeast in the recipe kind of screams [PRETEND CHEESE] haha. Sounds like I'm in denial, right? 

I love how the dip all comes together so quickly! You can assemble the whole thing in 10 minutes. Again, this allows for more family or prayer time, and less time that your toddler can spend clinging to your leg asking to be picked up. ha!

This is another recipe from my girl over at My New Roots. I love everything she makes because it's always simple, mostly vegan and cheap! One amazing thing I've learned from reading her recipes is that white beans are a fantastic way to make your recipes creamier, denser, and richer in protein all in one go! That handy-dandy trick is showcased beautifully in this recipe!

Some ingredients you may or may not have seen before:

Nutritional Yeast: This is a flaky, deactivated yeast that is frequently used as a natural cheese substitute because of it's cheesy flavor. You'll see shortly! You can find in almost any grocery store nowadays - it's usually in the health-food isle. 

White Miso: This is a fermented soybean paste that is actually great for your digestive system and can be used to make miso soup! I like to keep a little jar on hand and drop a tablespoon or two into some warm stock when my family starts to get sick - it's very versatile! You can find this in the refrigerated section of your health food store.

If you don't already have these in your home, I highly recommend purchasing them for this recipe and playing around with them! They really make this dip special!

To serve:  

I usually serve this dip family-style on the table along with a big bowl of dipping items. These include things like:

• Celery
• Carrots
• Slices of baguette
• Broccoli
• Peppers

Honestly, just chop up whatever is easy and you know your kiddos will eat! Have fun!