Oh, how this spring of love resembles the
uncertain glory of an April day!” William Shakespeare
Clean and renovated house? Clusters of cheerful flowers
lovingly placed around your main living areas? bunnies and
Girls peeking out of corners of the kitchen?
While spring is not yet evident here in Connecticut, crocuses are rumored to be showing up south of the Mason-Dixon line; Yo
In fact, I saw a pair of blue jays the other day. Yes. Spring is here! It is time to make the final preparations so that the joy of the season is fully evident in your families and in your homes.
If you haven’t dyed your eggs yet, be sure to enjoy this
wonderful tradition before the end of the week. set your
prettiest basket or bowl and fill it with real grass (did you
plant a few rye grass seeds last week?) and organize your dyeing
Eggs for the enjoyment of your children. Add a silk butterfly or
favorite chick or bunny for a charming centerpiece.
Indulge in chocolates while shopping this week by making a
special outing for pink and yellow marshmallow chicks, cream-
filled and malted speckled eggs, and lots of brightly colored eggs
jelly beans. Have fun choosing the most beautiful chocolate, or
white chocolate bunnies that you can find… one for each child and a few extra for special friends. Looking for dark chocolate? freight no. Dove makes amazing little eggs just for you.
It is hoped that you have started a sneaker collection and that you choose
the right one for each child may have become a tradition
himself Heaven forbid mix sneakers in our
familiar. They were assigned in childhood and probably
follow each child into old age.
The tradition of hiding the baskets begins the night before Easter
or early Easter morning. In our house, the basket hunt is the first event on Easter morning. And as my kids got older, the hunt became an impossibly frustrating event. My kids rummage through the trash to almost the point of “I’ve given up.” After all, it’s no fun to get completely discouraged before you’ve had your morning orange juice. So when I feel like one of my kids just can’t figure it out, I start offering hints, hoping for that last “Ah-haa” that still gives me so much pleasure.
This week, bake some Easter treats with the kids to create happy
Spring memories. Special Easter cakes, cupcakes and cookies
go a long way in brightening up the family atmosphere. We make
our favorite Christmas cookie, changing it slightly to evoke the
spring freshness. Again, it’s just a Ritz-peanut cracker
chocolate dipped butter sandwich. At Easter, we buy white
chocolate melts already colored in spring pastels: pink,
yellow, blue and lavender. With a few colorful sprinkles on top, they become “happy treats” that still put smiles on my kids’ faces. And working on them together ensures great bonding time, as well as lasting memories of a happy childhood. Arranged in small Easter tins, they make sweet gifts for friends and family. Or put them in cellophane bags and tie with a bright green or hot pink bow.
Last but not least, if you’re planning a neighborhood Easter egg hunt, be sure to let the adults in on the fun, too. help the
the hostess stuffs a few dozen plastic eggs and brings some goodies
yourself. We usually do a hunt on Saturday mornings, with OJ,
coffee, cupcakes, breakfast pastries and egg casseroles. This year, I was surprised by my new neighbors with their own “block party” tradition; the hunt takes place in a house down the street in the late afternoon in the middle of the week, just before the Seder dinner. So my favorite brunch recipes just don’t cut it. Instead of hosting a big hunt and brunch, this year I’m preparing Easter dinner in our new home.
I wish you all the blessings of Easter!