Get Ready For Easter With Vintage Dinnerware

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Charming vintage dinnerware can make your holiday gatherings even more special. Pretty pale colors, shiny glassware, and bold clear accent pieces are reminiscent of the colored Easter eggs, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks and other treats that many of us remember from our childhood Easter baskets.

Easter was one of the big holidays at our house. Ham, mashed potatoes and cherry pie were sure to be on the menu. And colored Easter eggs, of course, to eat plain or turn into deviled eggs.

To serve the afternoon dinner, Mom pulled out the big oval platters, large serving bowls, glass pie plates and other "best" dishes that were only used for Sunday family gatherings.

You can combine old and new dinnerware to put together a beautiful Easter table setting at your home this year.

Start with a theme. It could be a motif (like bunnies or chicks) or a color scheme (like yellow and white).



Choose tableware in light pastel colors and white. Lots of vintage wares in pale yellow, green and pink are in shades that go with home-dyed, colored eggs. These particular tints aren't often found in new dinnerware, but they are readily available in the vintage market.



Select glassware and accent pieces in rich shades like red, purple, green or orange. The big, bright jelly beans that we had 40 years ago are still available at Easter time. And, if you leave your eggs in the dye bath longer, you'll also get these deep, vibrant colors.



Use centerpieces and decorations based on common spring themes of bunny rabbits, baby chicks, and spring flowers like daffodils and tulips. All these things symbolize new life, a traditional Easter theme. Older dinnerware patterns feature these motifs, as well as use gingham, dots, checks and other border designs that can help tie your color scheme together.

Pretty vintage dishes can add to a beautiful Easter table setting, an enjoyable special meal, and inspire you to create new and different table settings throughout the year.

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Chocolate Hot Cross Buns And Easter Eggs

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Going to the local supermarket in February and seeing rows and rows of Chocolate Easter Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies in all sorts of decorative colors, sizes and packaging and Hot Cross Buns appearing next to loaves of bread is an exciting visual experience of anticipation or one of disgust that Easter in our society has come to this. I love chocolate so I get excited.

The enormous volume that is stocked in all of the supermarkets and shopping centres tells me that I am not the only one that enjoys buying, giving, receiving and eating lots of Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns.

As a child growing up in Australia I have fond memories of the Easter Holidays. Sometimes we would go away for a few days on a holiday and other times we would spend it at home. No matter where we were The Easter Bunny always delivered a Chocolate Easter Egg in the middle of the night and I remember waking up to a brightly colored foiled covered egg.

We would spend Easter Sunday lunch with the family. I would wait eagerly at the window watching out at all the cars going by for my Nana to arrive in her little white mini knowing that a chocolate easter egg would be presented to me on arrival. I was never interested in eating lunch and my brothers and sisters and I would eat a token amount and disappear to consume chocolate Easter eggs until we felt really sick.

Over the Easter holiday period we would have Hot cross buns grilled under the griller or baked in the oven with butter spread over them for snacks. Hot Cross Buns tend to have a "burp" factor in some people (and now I am older I am one of them). I am not sure whether it is the spices or the yeast but I have discovered that Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are fine to eat and don't "repeat" on me. They are delicious fresh from the oven or heated up in the microwave and I have discovered that they are even better with chocolate hazelnut spread instead of butter!

Easter is a great time to spend with your family and eat lots of chocolate Easter eggs and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns. Happy Easter!

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Cute Easter Crafts For Kids

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Easter time! A time to celebrate new life and new beginnings. Here are some cute Easter craft ideas your kids will enjoy made from common items found around the house.

Pop bottle Easter Basket

Here is an Easter basket idea that uses the bottom of a plastic soda bottle.

Supplies Needed:

1 or 2 Litre soda bottle

Scissors

Paper punch or stapler

Glue

Tissue paper or other decorating material

Parent to cut off the bottom of a soda bottle. This will be your basket. Trim the edges cleanly. Parent to cut a ½ to 1 inch ring from the soda bottle, cut in half and use one half as the handle. To attach the handle, use a paper punch to put a hole in the basket where the handle should be attached. Punch a hole at each end of the handle. Use yarn or ribbon to attach the handle to the basket. Decorate as desired.

Easter Egg Collage

Give your child a large egg shape cut-out from construction paper. Have your child decorate with sequins, scrap fapric, foil, buttons crayons, markers, etc.

Easter Lambs

Have your child trace their hands on black construction paper. Cut handprints out. Place handprints upside down so that the four fingers are the legs and the thumb is the head. Have your child glue cotton balls to the body. Add wiggly eyes for the eyes.

Juice can Easter Bunny

Supplies Needed:

Frozen juice cans (glue white paper around)

Construction paper ears (white outer and pink inner)

Nose (pink)

Wiggly eyes

Feet (white)

Cotton balls for tails

Black construction paper strips for whiskers

Glue

Have your child assemble rabbits by gluing rabbit parts onto juice can.

Palm Branch Easter Craft

Supplies Needed:

Green construction paper

Green pipe cleaner

Glue
Cut out a leaf shape from green construction paper. Glue a green pipe cleaner to the middle of the leaf. Let your child cut slits in the leaf.

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Tasty Edible Easter Crafts For Kids

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Edible Easter crafts are a fun activity for kids of all ages. These Easter recipes are a great way to spend some quality family time together and satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. So get out the Easter candies, get ready to bake and let's make some edible Easter treats.
 
Easter Craft Idea #1
 
Edible Easter crafts are always a favorite in our house. Not only do we have a blast making these items but eating them is just as much fun. One of our favorites is an edible bird's nest. This is a finger licking good craft project for kids of all ages.
 
How to Make an Edible Birds Nest
 
Supplies
 
Chocolate Cake Mix
Paper cup cake holders
Cup Cake Pan
Crumbly Chocolate Bars (like Butterfingers)
Easter Candy Eggs
Marshmallow Peeps
Frosting
 
Bake the cupcakes as directed and let cool. Give each child a cupcake, candy bars, Easter candy eggs, frosting and peeps. Have the kids frost their cupcake and then add the crumbly chocolate bar (breaking into stick like pieces) around the outer edge to form the nest. Then add Easter egg candies and the marshmallow peeps. These cute nests are totally edible and will look great at your Easter dinner table.
 
Edible Easter Craft Idea #2
 
This Easter egg "treat" tree is easy, inexpensive and delicious.
 
How to Make an Egg Treat Tree
 
Supplies
 
Broken Tree Branch or Sticks
Empty Plastic Container (like from margarine)
Floral Foam or Styrofoam ball
Plastic Easter Eggs
Easter Candy
Ribbon
Hot Glue
Construction Paper
 
Decorate the outside of your plastic container by covering with colored construction paper. Place the floral foam in the container and stick your tree branch part way through the foam. Fill up several plastic eggs with Easter Candy. Hot glue a piece of ribbon to the top of the Easter egg. Hot glue a loop at the top of the ribbon and hang on the branch. Repeat adding eggs until you have a fun and tasty looking "treat" tree. Place this cute little tree out where everyone can grab an egg for their tasty treat.
 
 
Edible Easter Craft Idea #3
 
Have a wiggly, jiggly good time with jell-o mold Easter treats.
 
How to Make Jell-o Easter Treats
 
Supplies
 
Easter Shapes Jell-o Mold
Jell-o
Cool Whip
Easter Candies
 
Make up the jell-o and pour into the mold. Let this set up. Then remove from the mold and set them on the plates. Plop on some whip cream and get ready to decorate. Using the Easter candies, decorate your jell-o Easter shape. For Easter eggs use different colored candy to make them colorful. For Easter animal shapes, add candies for the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Eat right away or refrigerate for later.
 
These tasty edible Easter crafts will have you and your kids "hopping" with tons of fun. Although edible crafts are fun and yummy, they won't last long. So don't forget to make some Easter crafts for kids using other craft supplies so you can decorate your house with these crafts your kids make. 

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A Frog Can Be Part of Your Easter

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Easter Bread is very traditional in most holiday meals.
There are recipes that have been handed down from grandma's
mother up to and including the "mom" making the Easter
meal. There are also some symbols that have endured the
generations - namely, rabbits, chicks, bonnets, and tulips.
But there is one that should be part and parcel of Easter, namely,
the frog that makes everyone think Spring. Spring and Easter
were made in heaven so both should be enjoyed.

You can surprise guests at your holiday meal with a bit of
"whimsy" when they sit down to eat. Having Spring Frogs
alongside each plate may startle a few but in the long run, it
will be a meal to be remembered and then some.
You start out with five frozen dinner rolls, thawed but still
cold to the touch. Then you will need 1 beaten egg. For the
body of your frog, press two rolls together and this should form
an "egg" shape. Place the body with the pointed end up on a
cookie sheet covered with either parchment paper or non-stick
spray. For the back legs, cut one thawed roll in half. Form each
of the halves into a crescent shape. Place each crescent roll on
the sides of the body, in the back, and at the bottom. Cut another
roll in half to form the back feet. Roll each half, making one end
thicker than the other end. Flatten each wider end and cut two
very deep slits to make three toes. Place each frog foot horizontally
along the bottom of the body and the hind legs. Spread the toes gently.
Cut the last roll into thirds.

To form the front legs and the feet,
roll and flatten each of the pieces the same as you did for the
back legs. Cut two slits in each of the rolls to form toes. Attach
the legs where the body and back legs join. Spread the toes gently
apart. Shape the remaining piece of roll into two large balls and
two small balls. With your thumb, push a deep depression into
the middle of the two larger balls to form "eye" sockets. Place
these sockets on each side of the narrow end of the frog body.
Set the smaller balls into the sockets. Cut a nice happy deep smile
from one side of the body to the other. Brush your frog with
the beaten egg and let it rise about 30 mins. Bake for 20 mins.
until a nice golden brown. After ten minutes of baking, take the
frog out the oven and make the mouth opening a bit larger with a
knife. Return frog to the oven and finish baking. Set him on a nice
plate of green Easter grass, and add a few "treats" around him/her.

Fun, yes, and a different take on the usual Easter breads, but a very
welcome addition. Your Easter frogs will become a family favorite
and you just may have to make them several times during the Spring
season -

Something to think about,

©Arleen M. Kaptur

March, 2008

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Chocolate Easter Eggs

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Chocolate Easter Eggs are what many people give at Easter, at least in Australia. We came home with so many Easter Eggs from school and kinder that I was tempted to open an online store.

The problem with commercial chocolate is that the ingredients are not particularly good for our health. The main ingredient in most commercial chocolate is sugar, followed by a number of other ingredients such as milk solids, cocoa, cocoa butter, lecithin and flavors. Who knows what 'flavors' means anyway? This is a good way to hide nasty additives in my opinion. Then there is also the heat treatment that removes any goodness from chocolate.

Commercial chocolate can also impact your health. Children who are amine responders will often become aggressive, which makes for fun times with siblings, along with other food intolerance symptoms. Other family members might become tired or lethargic, cranky or moody and others might get a case of irritable bowel syndrome.

My recommendation if you insist on having commercial chocolate Easter eggs is to buy organic, fair trade chocolate. Yes, chocolate can be good for you; the ultimate is to have raw chocolate as it has huge health benefits. The anti-oxidant value in raw chocolate is higher than some super foods combined. It also has other nutrients such as magnesium, chromium, iron and amines.

For those who suffer from food intolerance symptoms, you need to be aware of the amines in chocolate. While some of the amines in raw chocolate are important for your body, I recommend you heal your body first, before putting that next piece of chocolate in your mouth.

A great alternative to giving out chocolate Easter eggs is to give a small toy chicken or novelty item that children can play with. They appreciate this just as much as chocolate Easter eggs and I talk from experience here.

If your children are old enough then I recommend you make your own raw chocolate Easter eggs. It is a great way to come together at Easter and enjoy the treats afterward.

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Spring Honeymoon Ideas

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Planning a spring wedding? Then it is also time to make your honeymoon arrangements. Take a look at these great ideas for spring honeymoons.

Outdoor enthusiasts have lots of fun options for springtime adventures. One of the best is to take a trip out West for spring skiing. On many of the big mountains in Colorado, Utah, and British Columbia, there is plenty of good skiing left well into April. It can be a lot of fun too, as you will have lots of snow combined with sunny days and pleasant temperatures. Not only that, but lift tickets can be less expensive in the spring than in the peak winter season.

To promote the spring skiing season, many of the large resorts have festivals and special events in March and April. There are concerts, parades, and even Easter egg hunts! Combine that with the fantastic shopping and restaurants at some of the more posh ski destinations like Aspen, and you will have a honeymoon that offers endless fun things to do. Dining at ski resorts is not limited to burgers grabbed in the ski lodge, either. Plan on some romantic dinners in cozy little bistros. Dress up a cashmere sweater with a couple of Swarovski crystal bracelets for the perfect ski resort chic dinner outfit. (If you wore Swarovski crystal bracelets for your wedding, it will be especially fun to wear them again on your honeymoon.)

For those who are tired of chilly early spring weather, think about a honeymoon to a warm weather destination. By late spring, south Florida and some of the closer Caribbean islands will be reaching very comfortable temperatures. If you want to be assured of perfect beach weather, plan on heading further south to a spot like Aruba, which has highs well into the mid-80s by March. Just try to avoid scheduling any trips to popular destinations that will be overrun with college students on spring break!

The dessert Southwest is also very beautiful in the spring. Well past the monsoon season, but before the oppressive summer heat sets in, Arizona and New Mexico are extremely pleasant. Chill out by the pool at a fabulous resort, or visit the artists' galleries in Taos, Santa Fe, or Albuquerque. Maybe you can even pick up a unique piece of pottery or a painting to display in your new home. That would make a wonderful honeymoon souvenir.

Culture lovers may wish to consider a spring honeymoon in Europe. You are not guaranteed fantastic weather, but as long as you avoid Easter week, you should be assured of much smaller crowds than in the summer months. If you want to get close enough to the Mona Lisa to see the brushstokes or spend a few minutes admiring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome without being jostled by a swarm of tourists, going in the spring is your best bet. And who cares if the weather is not perfect when you can spend your evenings enjoying romantic dinners in some of the best restaurants in Europe? Bon Voyage!

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