pretty easter eggs

This year I’m trying a new approach

to decorating Easter eggs.

Natural dyes can be found in your pantry and fridge.

Look at these beautiful colors!

So unique!

White markers work beautifully on colored eggs.

Just start with a pattern and go with it!

I like to mix faux eggs

with real, dyed eggs for my vignettes

on the dinner table

and around the house.

Wooden eggs in a pale

robins’ egg blue

are my fave.

Faux pink eggs would work great 

for a floral display like this!

How about a sweet little tattoo

or decoupage for your eggs?

Those pretty metallic tattoos are a fun choice!

Blooming spring branches

are the perfect place

to display your Easter creations.

via good housekeeping

ciao! fabiana

a few egg-cellent ideas

Just a little Good Friday Easter egg inspiration…

Graphic patterns on pastel eggs

are easy to pull off using stamps made out of

bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard..

I love this blue and white decoupage idea

that’s easy to replicate using pretty paper and Mod Podge.

Wooden eggs painted in a two-tone ombre look is fun!

Everyone loves Jelly Bellys!

what’s your favorite flavor?

I especially love Pina Colada and Root Beer.

Brass candle holders used as egg cups…

brilliant!

And now for a few adorable recipes…

Info on this wood bark cake stand can be found at the end of this post.

ORANGE CHAMOMILE CAKE

For the Cake:

2 1/2 c. whole milk

8 chamomile tea bags

Cooking spray

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

2 c. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 lb. confectioners’ sugar

3 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Plus: Bunny Sugar Cookies and chamomile flowers, for decorating

TOTAL TIME: 1:50

1. Make the cake: Place milk and tea bags in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until warm to the touch (do not let it boil), 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and cool completely; discard tea bags.

2.  Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 4 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3. Beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until incorporated. Divide batter among the prepared pans.

4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans, on wire racks, 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

5. Make the frosting: Beat butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer to low and gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in orange juice, vanilla, and salt. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

6.  Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and top with 1/2 cup frosting; repeat two more times. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting (save 1/4 cup frosting for bunny tails). Add bunny sugar cookies.

YIELDS: 16 SERVINGS

Recipe Courtesy of Country Living

Lemon Pudding Cake

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp,

      plus more for the dish

1 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole milk

1/3 c. fresh lemon juice

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease shallow 2-quart oval baking dish.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and egg yolks in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and mix to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in milk and lemon juice (batter may look curdled).

3. In second bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. Stir one-third of whites into lemon mixture, then fold in remaining whites until combined.

4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and place dish in roasting pan. Add enough boiling water to roasting pan to come one-third of the way up baking dish. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake until light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

5. If desired, place a bunny cutout on top of cake, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully lift away template and serve.

Yields 6 servings

Edible Crudité Garden Patch

Spread about 4 cups of hummus in a 9 x 13 baking dish, and then spread 1 ½ cups of ground pumpernickel crackers or pumpernickel bread to cover completely. Place your adorable garden veggies in even rows, as you would in a vegetable garden, and trim as needed. Recipe courtesy of the Food Network.

ciao! fabiana

Shop here for this fun cake stand, 

as seen above.

photo credit:

1,2,4,5  Martha Stewart

3,6,7,  Country Living

8  Good Housekeeping

9 Food Network

my three favorite cooking shows

Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel

Extra Virgin is a sassy, fun show starring actress Debi Mazar and her husband, Gabriele Corcos who are a quirky combination of New York and Italian cultures. I love their energy and their love for each other and food. I've been a fan of Debi's for years, and Gabriele compliments her style so well. 

They cook simple Tuscan foods like pizza, biscotti, panzanella, bolognese sauce, pesto, roast chicken and tiramisu.  Their recipes are all natural and pretty easy to make. Don't have a pizza oven? Try cranking up your oven to 500 and cooking a fresh pizza.  I buy pizza dough at my local pizzeria, Massimo's. You won't be disappointed. 

Even if you don't cook, they are fun to watch, and who knows, they might inspire you to make a little bruschetta.  

             
Tiramisu

Recipe courtesy Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Prep Time: 40 min, Inactive Prep Time: 3 hr 0 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups brewed coffee, cooled
• 2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone
• 5 eggs, separated
• 14 ounces savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers)
• 4 ounces sugar, plus 2 tablespoons or more, for the coffee
• 2 shots rum or Italian Marsala, optional
• Pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate, to garnish
• Special equipment: Moka coffee pot that serves 12 (3 cups coffee)

Directions

First prepare the coffee using a Moka machine big enough to serve 12 (about 3 cups) pour it in a bowl and allow to cool off, add 2 tablespoons sugar or sweeten to taste.

Mix the egg yolks with 2 ounces sugar, and mix until you obtain a creamy light mixture. Work the mascarpone in a bowl using a wooden spoon, making sure you eliminate any lumps, then add the mascarpone to the sugar-egg mixture and continue to mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites, pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 ounces sugar, until they reach a somewhat firm, but fluffy consistency, then add them to the mascarpone mixture. Stir in the rum, if using.

Dip the savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers) in the coffee, and one by one lay them flat into a 7 by 11 pyrex tray, making sure you do not soak the cookies, as you want to make sure they maintain their firmness. Once the first layer of cookies has been laid out, spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

Now, again, prepare another layer of coffee-dipped cookies, cream and cocoa powder. Garnish the top of the cake with the shaved dark chocolate.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours so the flavors can marry and the tiramisu can settle.

Serves 8

Cook's Note: Because you are working with raw eggs, it is mandatory that you use the freshest product you can find. Organic, free-range eggs are good enough, unless you have a neighbor with a chicken coup...in that case, get his!

Test the eggs by putting them in a bowl of water: if they fall to the bottom they are fresh and safe, if they come afloat they are ready to be tossed!  *RAW EGG WARNING

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David Rocco's Dolce Vita on the Cooking Channel

David Rocco's show is set in Florence, Italy, which I love because every episode features a romantic snippet of Italian life.   He also travels to other regions and cooks up simple magic from their local traditions and foods. 

His food is simple, healthy and rustic.  Some of the recipes I've tried include the Caprese Salad, Grilled Radicchio, Mussels alla "my way", and Pumpkin Soup.  New recipes I'm dying to try are Pizza Pasta, made from left-over spaghetti, and Zia Orsola's Spinach Risotto.

One of the things I love about this type of cooking is that Italians are resourceful.  They use leftover bread to make meatballs, panzanella or bread pudding.  And they use leftover spaghetti to make a Pizza Pasta.  All you need to do is add eggs and parmesean cheese.  It's simple and brilliant!  Here's the recipe:

Pizza Pasta

Cook Time: 5 min Level: Easy Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 2/3 pound leftover spaghetti with sauce
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a bowl, beat eggs with freshly grated cheese before tossing with leftover spaghetti. Make sure the spaghetti is fully covered with the egg. Add a dash or two of salt, to taste, noting that the leftover spaghetti is already seasoned with salt.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. To test oil temperature, drop a piece of spaghetti into the pan. If it sizzles upon contact, the oil is ready.

Pour the spaghetti mixture into the pan and flatten it out like a pancake. Fry for 2 minutes on high heat, or until golden brown.

To flip the pasta, cover the pan with a plate larger than the pan, and hold it covered. Flip the pan and plate together to transfer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Two Fat Ladies on the Cooking Channel

Warning!  These "ladies" can be annoying to some, but I find them quite endearing.  My seven year old son and I love watching them together.  You can't ask for anything better than that!  So, now on to Clarissa and Jennifer (the one with the glasses). These two chubby British gals just know how to cook. 

They start and end every show arriving and departing on their vintage motor-cycle and side car. They smoke and joke, and it's fun to watch.  Their cooking style reminds me of Italian cooks in that their meals are usually simple and rustic, and they use fresh ingredients. 

They cook things like Coq au Vin, Welsh Lamb Pie, Tomato Summer Pudding and Stuffed Artichokes (recipe below).  It's comfort food British style.  The shows airing on the Cooking Channel are reruns.  Jennifer died in 1999, but their show doesn't seem dated and the food is still enticing .  

 

If you google their names and read their bios, you'll find they have lived very bawdy, interesting lives.  They've even been parodied on Saturday Night Live by Brendan Fraser and  Darryl Hammond!  Hysterical!

                       

Stuffed Artichokes

Recipe courtesy Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright

Prep Time: 30 min  Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min  

Ingredients

• 6 large globe artichokes
• 3 ounces fresh bread crumbs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated
• 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, cut in half
• 2 ounces black olives, stoned and chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Olive oil
• 1/4 pint (1/2 cup) white wine

Directions

Remove the large outside leaves from the artichokes. Cut 1-inch off the top of the remaining leaves and scoop out the choke from the center of the artichoke.

Make the stuffing by mixing together the bread crumbs, onion, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, capers, olives, and salt and pepper to taste.and fill the center of the artichokes.

Cover the bottom of a heavy casserole, large enough to hold the artichokes comfortably, with olive oil. Heat until it is warm, then add the artichokes. Pour over the white wine, cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour.

Yield: 6 servings

ciao! fabiana

planning my Easter table

Planning my Easter table is so easy with the fun and so budget-friendly with the goodies that I get at Oriental Trading! This year, I chose a few key items for my table as well as a few little treats for the kids. Of course, the adults will love the treats too! 

This is the kids table, set with fancy scalloped edge paper plates, fun glasses, bright napkins and then to finish off the look, a cute little take-home gift. Each of our young guests will get to take home this darling little flower pot filled with real Easter grass and planted in the middle is a tasty chocolate lollipop!

At the center of the table is Oriental Trading’s long wood box filled with lush green wheat grass and surrounded by tiny purple wax flowers. This Easter grass will come in handy when we’re hiding Easter eggs throughout the house, but for now it’s a gorgeous living centerpiece. 

This versatile wooden box can be filled with so many different plants, flowers and candles and it can even be painted a fun color for a future holiday table. 

Each place setting is ready with fun scalloped edge paper plates in mint green, hot pink napkins, and our little chocolate friend that’s all planted and ready to bring smiles to young faces. 

This “Easter Grass” keeps growing, so the kids will have fun giving it a haircut! They can even draw silly faces on the pots when they get home and they’ll have a new easy to take care of little pet! And there’s no mess like you have with traditional Easter grass. That stuff is soooo messy!

I love the adorable moss bunnies that I got at Home Goods. They’re simple but have lots of personality. 

Next to those are the silver lanterns. I use them so much year long! I always have candles in them and they’re one of my favorite ways to add a little ambiance when evening arrives. 

They even look great outside the front door lighting the way for guests.

Setting the table is easy with just a few key components to get you started. These little pots were so easy to put together and really only took a few minutes to make.

I’m so looking forward to Easter with the family! What are your plans? Will you be hosting a group at your home?

And, it all came together like this: 

 Dinner Plates: Wedgwood

 Scalloped Edge Paper Plates: Oriental Trading

Napkins: World Market

Flatware: World Market

Water Glasses: vintage

Wooden Flower Box: Oriental Trading

Flower Pots: Oriental Trading

Wheat Grass: Mother’s Market

Chocolate Bunny Lollipops: Oriental Trading

Flowers: Trader Joe’s

Moss Bunnies: Home Goods

Eggs in Nest: Home Goods

Silver Lanterns: Oriental Trading

Market Basket: French Basketeer

Salt & Pepper Shakers: vintage

Pink Lemonade: Trader Joe’s 

Here are some of the other looks I’ve 
put together using pieces from Oriental Trading.

ciao! fabiana

Thank you to Oriental Trading for sending me these products to review. 

The opinions expressed in this post are truly my own.