Spring is in the air... or at least we thought it was two weeks ago. Then... rain, rain, and more rain. So, against the popular poem, March went out like a lion as opposed to a lamb and hopefully April will start with some sunshine that we are all yearning for. This time of year, we want to see the colors of Spring outside as the plants, trees and flowers start showing signs of hope that Spring is in fact upon us.
With Spring comes the Easter holiday. Funny how every holiday has colors associated with them, and fittingly, Easter's are the pastel colors of Spring. Not only do holidays have the traditional themed colors, but traditional food pairings as well. While different family traditions and cultures may vary by recipes or main courses, the one thing that everyone can associate Easter with is EGGS! So, in the spirit of colors and food, we thought that we would give some tips on Decorating Easter Eggs... but not necessarily the "traditional" way.
With only a few days left before Easter, now is the perfect time to decorate those eggs. You don't have to use the traditional "dye kits" that you buy in the store, there are other ways to color and decorate your eggs.
Dye your eggs "naturally!" How you say? Hard Boil Your Eggs in advance so that you give them time to cool in the refrigerator before dyeing. Bring the following ingredients to a boil for 20 minutes (separately) for your natural colors to use as dye. You only need one of the ingredients per color, we are giving you suggestions.
Yellow - Lemon or Orange Peels, Carrots
Red - Cranberries and Raspberries
Blue - Blueberries, Grape Juice, Red Cabbage
Green - Spinach leaves
Brown - Tea or Coffee
Orange - Chili Powder or Paprika
There are many other things out there that you can try and experiment with. Be creative... the longer you leave the ingredient in the boiling water, the darker the color will be. As soon as you are done boiling your food, strain the liquid and let it cool to a warm temperature. Then, take your cooled eggs and color as desired. When using "natural dyes," it is best to leave the eggs sitting in them for 5 to 10 minutes to really saturate the shell and soak up the colors. It takes a little longer, but is a neat and different way of doing things. Remember to turn you egg occasionally in the dye for even coloring. Take out and let dry.
When it is time to clean up, take your "food" that you boiled and use it as compost so there isn't any trash or garbage associated with your Easter Egg Fun!!
Want less of a mess, try coloring and decorating your eggs with crayons, markets, glitter, tissue paper and glue, foil Easter candy wrappers and other crafty things that you may have laying around the house!
Happy Easter and Happy Egg decorating!
With Spring comes the Easter holiday. Funny how every holiday has colors associated with them, and fittingly, Easter's are the pastel colors of Spring. Not only do holidays have the traditional themed colors, but traditional food pairings as well. While different family traditions and cultures may vary by recipes or main courses, the one thing that everyone can associate Easter with is EGGS! So, in the spirit of colors and food, we thought that we would give some tips on Decorating Easter Eggs... but not necessarily the "traditional" way.
With only a few days left before Easter, now is the perfect time to decorate those eggs. You don't have to use the traditional "dye kits" that you buy in the store, there are other ways to color and decorate your eggs.
Dye your eggs "naturally!" How you say? Hard Boil Your Eggs in advance so that you give them time to cool in the refrigerator before dyeing. Bring the following ingredients to a boil for 20 minutes (separately) for your natural colors to use as dye. You only need one of the ingredients per color, we are giving you suggestions.
Yellow - Lemon or Orange Peels, Carrots
Red - Cranberries and Raspberries
Blue - Blueberries, Grape Juice, Red Cabbage
Green - Spinach leaves
Brown - Tea or Coffee
Orange - Chili Powder or Paprika
There are many other things out there that you can try and experiment with. Be creative... the longer you leave the ingredient in the boiling water, the darker the color will be. As soon as you are done boiling your food, strain the liquid and let it cool to a warm temperature. Then, take your cooled eggs and color as desired. When using "natural dyes," it is best to leave the eggs sitting in them for 5 to 10 minutes to really saturate the shell and soak up the colors. It takes a little longer, but is a neat and different way of doing things. Remember to turn you egg occasionally in the dye for even coloring. Take out and let dry.
When it is time to clean up, take your "food" that you boiled and use it as compost so there isn't any trash or garbage associated with your Easter Egg Fun!!
Want less of a mess, try coloring and decorating your eggs with crayons, markets, glitter, tissue paper and glue, foil Easter candy wrappers and other crafty things that you may have laying around the house!
Happy Easter and Happy Egg decorating!
