Easy Easter Desserts and Crafts
Six-week-old “Floppy,” a miniature lop, feasts on dandelions in my flower garden. (Obviously, I need to spend some time in my garden!)
Easter has always been a special holiday for me. From the time I was a small child, I’ve enjoyed attending Sunrise Service and then feasting on a big breakfast or brunch. The Easter Bunny visited our house while we were at church, and I couldn’t wait to get home and see what he had left in my basket. I also looked forward to late afternoon when my five cousins and I (plus our parents, too) would gather at my grandparents’ farm for our annual egg hunt. In addition to searching for candy-filled eggs, there was a bag of candy with each of our names on it.
It’s been nearly 50 years since the first Bruns family egg hunt was held, and our tradition is still growing strong! Literally. Now there are four generations – and 36 people – searching for plastic eggs in a two-acre yard. It’s not usual for cousins to play tricks on one another, finding and then re-hiding someone’s bag of candy in a tree, a flower box or even an old John Deere planter box. We’ve searched for eggs in all sorts of weather from wet and soggy conditions to snow banks. It looks like this year we could be in for a real treat with warm, dry spring weather.
We cut a branch off a tree, spray painted it and adorned it with dyed eggs.
Throughout the years, my crafty mom has done many things to make the season extra special for us. Nearly every year we blew out and colored eggs for our egg tree. (I finally did this last year with my kids. Then I saved it in the basement, so we could use it again this year. Somehow I feel guilty about this.) We also colored hard-boiled eggs that were then turned into my mom’s infamous potato salad. (Since I can’t make potato salad like Mom, I don’t see any need to boil the eggs!) Another year Mom made Easter baskets, in the shape of a rabbit, for each grandkid. (I had fun doing this last year with my Girl Scout troop, too.) I also remember, as a small child standing on a kitchen hair, helping her mix up a cake that we then decorated as a bunny.
Perhaps this will be the year that my kids and I bake a Peter Rabbit Cake. It definitely fits my main criteria for a recipe: quick, easy and delicious! These criteria are also why I plan to try my hand at making Mosaic Jell-O for our family potluck this Sunday. Chances are, I’ll put my “Jell-O Salad” in a bowl instead of making bars. (I honestly can’t bear thinking of Jell-O as a bar. Bars, in my humble opinion, should be thick, rich and chocolaty!)
In case you’re interested in a new recipe for your own Easter brunch, I’m including recipes for some of my favorite breakfast casseroles below. I’m also including some cute ideas for Easter crafts to keep little hands and minds occupied.
Make your own Easter basket by reusing a plastic gallon milk jug.
Easter brunch ideas:
Easter basket ideas:
