Besides being the holiest time of year for Christians, Easter also just might be the most adorable holiday ever. With all the bunnies, chicks, and colorful eggs, it is hard to imagine anything cuter. As a result, I find it’s the perfect time of year to get creative in the name of making the holiday more festive.
Last year, however, I was so deflated that I almost missed the opportunity. In 2015, we buried my grandfather a week before Easter, which cast a sadness over the holiday. My heart simply wasn’t interested. But the day before we celebrated, my then 3-year-old son asked about the Easter Bunny. And it was enough to make me think that we needed to go all out at the holiday table. It is what my grandfather, who was most committed to living the sweet life, would have wanted. So, I kicked into high gear and my determination resulted in the images above. I literally pulled these details together in one day. Here’s how:
- Deviled Chicks – Make a small pin hole in the bottom of eggs you’re planning to hard boil to prevent cracking. Add a bit of vinegar to the water, too. Gently boil the eggs. Cool the boiled eggs. Clean them. First, cut the top of the egg (instead of cutting it in half as you normally would. I used an espresso spoon to carefully remove the yolks. Make your usual deviled eggs. In a pinch, I often just combine egg yolk, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, lemon, and mayonnaise. Some people like paprika on top, and if you fall into that category, include it in the mix from the start, so it blends and does not influence the look of your chicks. Finally, simply use a cake decorating bag (or a Ziploc bag with a hole in the corner) to pipe the devilish part of this dish into the bottoms of the eggs. Top each one with the other piece of egg white. Use carrots, cut into tiny triangles, for the nose and peppercorns or capers for the eyes. Some people add more (slightly larger) carrot triangles for feet under the egg, but I didn’t. I just placed the chicks on a bed of spinach.
- A Happy Bouquet – To say my family was feeling drained and down last year on Easter would be an understatement. We needed something on the table to put a smile on our face (besides the food, which is always a good bet). And I had lots and lots of plastic eggs from the dollar store. Since the Easter Bunny could not possibly fill them all for the hunt, I decided to put them to good use. I placed a small cup inside one of my best crystal bowls. I put some tape under the cup to hold it in place because I had to move the centerpiece from my home to my brother’s home, where we celebrated. I then purchased an affordable and colorful bouquet from the supermarket and arranged the bouquet in a way that was pleasing to me before placing it in the vase. I then put the plastic eggs around the bowl to cover the cup inside the bowl. Voila!
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries – I often make chocolate covered strawberries. They are pretty simple. You wash and dry the strawberries, melt chocolate chips in the microwave (at 30-second intervals), then dip and coat the strawberry with chocolate, place it on parchment paper, and place it in the fridge to set. Then, pick out your favorite little dish. Use some of the leftover melted chocolate on the bottom of your purchased chocolate bunny and stick it in the center of the dish. Let it set and add the strawberries around it. Couldn’t be simpler and what a wow effect!
Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.