Easter Family Fun

Better-for-You Easter Baskets

Whether you’re avoiding sugar for health reasons or just don’t want to make Easter morning a sugar-fueled three-ring circus, it can be difficult avoiding heaps of candy in kids’ Easter baskets. Here are a few ideas for keeping the candy to a minimum.

BOOKS nursery, a few plants to get them and pocket-sized games to round them up with bath bombs, bubble Got a bookworm in the house? started. out the basket and keep it to a man- bath, skin care, cosmetics and Stack their basket with new reads ageable size. more. This can work with guys, too, from their favorite authors. You can ARTS AND CRAFTS just look for things like soap, beard also include bookmarks, a reading Load them up on crayons, col- A FEW OF THEIR oil and brushes, shave soap, and light, a lap desk and other reading ored pencils, markers, craft paper FAVORITE THINGS toiletry kits. accessories. For younger kids, look and more to keep little hands busy. Combine these ideas, but make it at activity books and throw in a new Younger kids might enjoy coloring on a theme. If your kid loves dino- COUPONS pack of colored pencils or crayons. and activity books while older chil- saurs, grab some dinosaur books, Another one for older members dren may love craft kits that allow mini dinosaur toys, and so on. of your family is to fill up plastic GARDENING them to make finished projects, like Repeat as needed with your little Easter eggs with coupons they can Get them outside with garden- LEGO or jewelry. ones’ favorite things. Trucks, Star redeem. For teens, consider tickets ing-themed baskets full of pint- Wars and more. for a later curfew, extra screen time sized yard tools, seeds, flower pots, GAMES or a night out on your dime. For a sun hat or apron, and potting soil. Load up baskets with a variety of RELAX adults, a coupon for a nap, for tak- You can also include books on gar- games and let the competition For teens or even adults, sched- ing over one or more chores, or dening and, if you hit up your local begin. Look for smaller card games ule some relaxation time and load picking a Saturday activity. EASTER FAMILY FUN | FOOD Easter Brunch Recipes Easter brunch is a great way to bring family and friends together after Sunday services.

Make-ahead recipes make this festive occasion even better, as you can spend more time with your loved ones. Keep reading for some great ideas that will save you time.

HAM AND CHEESE CROISSANT CASSEROLE Recipe is from Betty Crocker.

3 large croissants 1 8-ounce chopped cooked ham 1 1/4 cups, or 5 ounces, shredded Swiss cheese 6 eggs 1 cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoons ground mustard 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoons pepper 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1. Spray a 10-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Cut the croissants in half lengthwise, then cut in half into five pieces. Place the pieces in the pie plate and sprinkle with ham and cheese. © ADOBE STOCK 2. Beat the eggs, half-and-half, honey, mustard and spices. Then pour the eggs utes or until a knife inserted in the cen- 2/3 cup light brown sugar 6 small croissants, torn in bite-sized 3. In a large bowl, beat eggs and over the ingredients in the pie plate. ter comes out clean. Let stand 10 min- 1/2 cup granulated sugar pieces milk, then add baking mix and butter Press the croissant pieces into the egg utes before serving. 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat more. Add in pieces of crois- mixture to moisten completely. Cover 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1. In a 10-inch skillet, sauté apples sant and soak. the plate tightly with foil and refrigerate APPLE DUMPLING melted and cooled and sugars until the apples are tender 4. Add the apple mixture to the soak- at least eight hours but no more than FRENCH TOAST BAKE 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon and the sugar is caramelized. Add vanil- ing croissants. Stir to combine and pour 24. Recipe is from Betty 1 teaspoon ground ginger la and stir to combine. into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Refrigerate 3. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the Crocker. 5 eggs 2. While the apples are cooking, mix overnight. casserole, covered, for 35 minutes. 1 cup milk butter, cinnamon and ginger in a small 5. Heat oven to 350 degrees and Uncover, then bake for 25-30 more min- 2 Granny Smith apples, diced 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick bowl. bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot. EASTER FAMILY FUN | FUN FACTS Easter Trivia While your family is sitting around digesting delicious Easter dinner (more on that in a minute), chew on these facts.

• A medieval Easter game was to pass a boiled egg from child to child. When the clock struck midnight, whoever was holding the egg got to eat it. • Easter is named for the Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre. Her symbols were thought to be the hare and the egg and she was the goddess of the spring and fertility. • Good Friday, the holiday before Easter commemorat- ing Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, isn’t a federal holiday and is a state holiday in just 12 states. • The candy-loving Easter bunny is thought to be a German invention that dates to the Middle Ages. • Americans eat about 600 million marshmallow Peeps during the Easter season. • Cadbury can make more © ADOBE STOCK than 1.5 million Cadbury Crème Eggs in a day. • More than half of people eat a chocolate bunny’s ears first. weighed 15,873 pounds and largest Easter egg hunts ever, • Early egg dyes were made Easter follows 40 days of Lent • The White House Easter was 64 feet around at its wid- which featured 9,753 children from natural materials like (not counting Sundays). Egg Roll started in 1878, when est point. hunting more than half a mil- onion skins, flower petals and • Easter eggs symbolize the a group of children • Easter is the second-big- lion eggs. tree bark. Resurrection and are also a approached President gest candy shopping holiday • Americans spend nearly • When Peeps came out in symbol of spring’s new life Rutherford B. Hayes and after Halloween. $15 billion on Easter every 1953, making just one marsh- and fertility. asked him to host one. • Buying a new Easter outfit year. mallow chick would take 27 • Enough Jelly Belly jelly- • One of the largest choco- stems from a superstition that • The tradition of egg paint- hours. Now, it takes just six beans are eaten in a year to late Easter eggs ever created Easter clothes were good luck. ing, called pysanka, originat- minutes. circle the Earth more than five was made in Tosca, Italy. It • Florida held one of the ed in Ukraine. • In the Christian calendar, times. EASTER FAMILY FUN | CELEBRATIONS Easter Around the World Easter is celebrated around the Christian Prague, world. Here in the U.S., Czech Republic it means bunnies and chicks and baskets of goodies. Other countries, however, have their own traditions. Celebrate a different culture with your family this year by trying out some of these traditions.

AUSTRALIA In the land down under, bunnies are considered pests. So instead, they have the Easter bilby, or rabbit-eared bandicoot. Companies now make chocolate bilbies with the proceeds benefiting the endangered critters.

CZECH REPUBLIC On Easter Monday, men playfully spank women with © ADOBE STOCK whips made of willow and decorated with ribbons. bonfires to ward off witches and the empower liked the used to toss their old items on inducing effect. According to legend, the wil- who fly around on brooms omelets there so much that New Year’s Day. It may also low is the first tree to bloom between Good Friday and he ordered up a huge one to serve to welcome spring, NORWAY in the spring and the branch- Easter Sunday. feed the troops. symbolizing new crops that Norwegian publishers come es symbolize fertility. will be gathered in new pots. out with special crime novels FRANCE GREECE called Paaskekrimmen, or FINLAND Haux, France, cooks up a The town of Corfu hurls HUNGARY Easter thrillers. The tradition Children dress up as witch- gigantic omelet on Easter pots, pans and earthenware Watch out on Easter started in 1923 when a pub- es and beg for chocolate eggs Monday. The dish uses up out of their windows on Holy Monday, ladies. Boys sprinkle lisher promoted its new crime in the streets while carrying 4,500 eggs and feeds up to Saturday, smashing their perfume or water on girls, novel on the front pages of willow twigs decorated with 1,000 people. The story goes household goods in the street. then ask for a kiss. It was newspaper. The ads so closely feathers. In some parts of that Napoleon and his army The custom may come from believed water had a clean- resembled the news that peo- Finland, people also burn marched through the town Venice, Italy, where people ing, healing and fertility- ple didn’t know it was a stunt. EASTER FAMILY FUN | FOOD Easter Dinner Recipes Easter dinner is another great time to gather with friends and family. These seasonal recipes are sure to wow.

PIMIENTO CHEESE DEVILED EGGS Recipe is from Good Housekeeping.

12 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise in half 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp ched- dar cheese 1 4-ounce jar pimientos, drained and finely chopped 1 green onion, finely chopped Paprika, for garnish

1. In a medium bowl, mash egg yolks. Then add mayonnaise and hot sauce and mix until almost smooth. Fold in the cheese and green onion.

2. Spoon the filling into the egg © ADOBE STOCK whites and garnish with paprika. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight, 1 teaspoon salt 4. Broil the chops three inches from 1 1/2 pounds baby red-skinned pota- and cook over medium high heat until covered in plastic, for up to a day. 6 teaspoons honey heat (if you have an electric oven, leave toes, halved just tender, or about seven minutes. the door partially open) for five minutes Kosher salt Drain. BROILED LAMB CHOPS 1. Whisk together dry red wine, on each side or to the desired degree of 4 cups day-old sourdough bread, 2. Pulse the bread in a food processor Recipe is from Southern orange juice, garlic, rosemary, oregano oneness, basting with honey mixture crusts removed to make coarse crumbs. Combine with Living. and olive oil in small bowl. Pour the after three minutes. If using loin chops 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, a tea- mixture into a heavy-duty zip-top bag, instead of rib chops, broil the loin chops 2 cloves garlic, grated spoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper 3/4 cup dry red wine reserving 1/4 cup. Add the lamb chops, for three more minutes on each side. 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and 1/3 cup orange juice seal bag and chill two hours. Freshly ground pepper toss. 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2. Remove the chops from the mari- LEMON PARMESAN 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 3. Arrange the potatoes cut-side 4 shallots, chopped nade, discarding the marinade from the ROASTED POTATOES 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese down on a baking sheet. Roast until 2 tablespoons rosemary, minced bag. Sprinkle the chops with salt and Recipe is from the Food golden and tender, about 10 minutes. 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano, minced pepper, then place on a lightly greased Network. 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, 3 tablespoons olive oil rack in a broiler pan. Put the potatoes in a large pot and then continue roasting until golden 18 2-3-ounce lamb rib chops or 12 3. Stir together the reserved 1/4 cup 1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold pota- cover with cold water by an inch. brown, or about five more minutes. loin chops wine mixture and honey. toes, halved Season with salt, then bring to a boil Serve. EASTER FAMILY FUN | AT HOME Easter Decor Easter is a time to celebrate spring and renewal. To get your house in order for the season, set aside a weekend to do your spring cleaning and Easter decorating. Don’t have any Easter decor or in the mood for some new decorations? We’ve got you covered.

THROW PILLOWS An easy way to decorate for the season is to change out your throw pillows around your home. This is a great time to send off your regular ones to be professionally cleaned and, in the meantime, sub out some festive spring- and Easter-themed pillows. If you’re shopping on a budget, you can also get pillow covers to go over your regular pillows.

© ADOBE STOCK YARD DECOR Inflatables, once the sole TABLEWARE pieces, like egg plates, in a pieces, such as bunny figu- America and other unprece- property of Christmas decor, Since Easter meals with fam- more festive color and style. rines, garlands and more, in dented events, many people is spreading. Now you can get ily are an important part of the pieces that accentuate your are really looking to push the inflatable bunnies by the score holiday, keep an eye out for ACCENT PIECES full-time style. You can find boat out for holidays. This year, to liven up your yard. Also tableware to adorn your Easter Get out vases and celebrate farmhouse, rustic and even get out the Christmas tree — or look for the ever popular gar- table. Choose versatile pieces spring by gracing your table modern pieces in your local buy one on clearance — and den flags — just in time for in shades that complement and mantles with fresh, sea- home store. decorate it for Easter with egg you to start getting your gar- your year-round decor for use sonal flowers. Think tulips, daf- ornaments, bunnies and flow- den back into shape after win- at multiple holidays. White is fodils and force-bloomed DECORATE AN ers for spring. Sit the kids down ter — and festive wreaths for always a solid choice. You can paperwhites. Look for Easter- EASTER TREE and have them make a slew of the front door. get smaller, less expensive themed decorative accent With the pandemic plaguing Easter crafts to put on it. EASTER FAMILY FUN | PLANTS

Bring the Outside In Easter is April 4 this year — a little early for those May flowers, but you can still find a bevy of blooms to decorate your home.

Look for traditional favorites like Easter lilies, with more than 3,000 varieties with a huge amount mean a shorter time to bloom. Local nurseries may tulips and daisies. Let’s learn more about Easter of petal varieties, including double blooms and also offer a variety of pre-made kits, where the bulb blooms and what they mean. fringed petals and those resembling lilies. is already planted and ready to bloom. If your bulbs haven’t been chilled, you’ll need to EASTER LILIES DAISIES do this yourself. Put them in the vegetable drawer These nodding, white lilies are the quintessential Daisies are small white or yellow flowers that are of your fridge. The time you’ll need depends on the Easter flower. Their pristine color symbolizes puri- often the first flower children learn to draw. They type of bulb; ask your local garden center how long ty, virtue, hope and life, and their downturned, symbolize purity, innocence and loyalty. Daisies your chosen bulbs need to sit. trumpet shaped blooms are said to be bowing in work best in cut flower displays, along with other An easy and attractive way to force blooms is prayer in honor of Jesus’ sacrifice. But be careful if spring favorites like lilies and sprays of greenery. using just water and a forcing vase to keep the bulb you have cats in the home, these fragrant lilies are out of the water and away from rot. Fill the bottom toxic to felines. OTHER BULBS of the vase with water and a few pebbles to keep it Other spring bulbs that are popular around stable, then nestle your bulb in the top part of the TULIPS Easter are daffodils, ranunculus, hyacinths, lily of vase. Place it in direct sunlight until the bulbs These traditional spring bulbs wake up from the the valley and paperwhites. If you like in colder cli- begin to root and refill when the water level gets dead, symbolizing Christ’s resurrection. Also, the mates, you can force these bulbs to bloom indoors. less than an inch. spherical, egg-shaped blooms resemble Easter To force your bulbs, first buy from a reputable Once you bulb roots, you can move it to any eggs. Tulips come in a variety of colors and textures source. Look for terms like pre-chilled, which will bright, sunny spot in your home.