An Easter Tradition

Every year when I was a kid, I used to dye Easter eggs with my mom and sister.  Sometimes we would paint them or draw on them with crayons, the wax coming through the paint to reveal our designs.  It was nothing fancy, some food colouring in water and vinegar, some crayons, a little inexpensive paint.  But to a kid, it meant at least an hour of excitement and fun.  I was never the best artist in the world, but I could place an egg in a bowlful of coloured water and create something beautiful with barely any skill needed.

Last year I started the tradition with my son.  Instead of dying his eggs, he painted them using an egg holder from the dollar store.  This year we went the more traditional route and coloured a dozen eggs a variety of hues.  Rather than drain the eggs, I hard boiled them so they would be more sturdy for his little hands to work with.  My son had fun watching the food colouring tablets dissolve in the vinegar and was great at spooning the water and vinegar mixture over the eggs until he was satisfied with the colour. 

Perhaps as he gets older we'll try something more complicated, like tie-dying the eggs, or painting them using stencils.  For now, I'm satisfied with the little bit of Spring cheer brightening up my kitchen table thanks to some simple, child-friendly, coloured eggs. 

Happy Easter!

Easter was lovely today, spent with my parents, my sister and my niece.  We even had a few unexpected visitors at my parents' place in the afternoon.  After a windy, chilly morning, the weather changed and the afternoon was sunny, warm and beautiful! 

My son and my niece enjoyed their Easter Basket of non-candy/chocolate goodies, particularly the springy suction cup eggs:

Stickers, Bubbles, Sunglasses and Springy Eggs

As you can see, my son particularly enjoyed his sunglasses.

 

Later, the two little ones enjoyed my niece's brand new swing set

Those papers you see are the instructions; the set is NEW

 

 

We also enjoyed a wonderful gluten free dinner:
-onion soup
-cornbread
-baked ham and lamb chops
-spinach salad
-mashed potatoes
-Brussels sprouts

Followed by rice paper fruit rolls in a homemade sauce and a gluten and dairy free walnut cake I made with the help of my two year old.  I'll be posting a review of the cookbook I got the recipe from on Tuesday.

Gluten and Dairy Free Walnut Cake

We even managed to sneak in a little quiet time in the backyard after we came home this afternoon. 

I have a lot to be thankful for this Easter Sunday.

Gluten and Dairy Free Easter Egg Hunt & a Great Dollar Store Find

Easter Egg Hunt Alternative to Chocolate/Candy Eggs

This year,  my son is old enough to start the Easter Egg Hunt tradition.  Being gluten and dairy free poses somewhat of a dilemma.  My husband and I considered substituting alternatives on the hunt, such as jelly beans, but somehow it didn't have quite the same ring to it.  Instead, I took a cue from my son's daycare.  I'm going to purchase those fill-able plastic eggs in several colours and fill them with items like Easter stickers, crayons, and perhaps a few fruit-juice gummies.   Since he's only two, a few eggs will be more than enough to keep him happy.

The Golden Egg Idea
For older children, I saw the cutest idea at Walmart.  It's a large golden egg that opens up and it comes with a set of clue cards.  Instead of searching for a bunch of chocolate eggs, the child searches for clues that lead to the one large egg that presumably contains a larger, more significant gift.  Certainly a marketing ploy, but it could certainly be recreated without purchasing the pre-packaged kit.  A homemade egg or a large Easter Basket could be substituted and homemade clues could make the hunt even more personal.  Definitely something for me to keep in mind for future years!

Candy Free Gifts

I purchased identical gifts for my son and my niece: A colourful basket filled with bright sunglasses, a large bubble wand, sparkly stickers, and a bunch of springy eggs that jump off the ground and are supposed to be caught in a small basket.  All for under $10 per gift.  If I were more creative I would have made them gifts, but...well...you know.  I'll take some photos on Sunday.

As for the dollar store find, my sister brought me one of these:

It's an egg holder with a selection of water paints for painting eggs.  Please don't judge me for the brown egg, I know it's not the best for showing off the colours but really, my son is two and doesn't know the difference.  He was more excited to put the stickers on the egg than he was to paint.  The colours themselves are a little transparent on the egg, but the holder is genius. 

The lever on the left pulls back and then clamps down on the egg to keep it in place.  Really simple to use, and the egg can be rotated manually to paint on each side.  It also allows for a uniform drying process, especially if used by older kids who create masterpieces.  All for around $1.  Not too shabby.  And obviously, it doesn't have to be confined to eggs.  I foresee Christmas ornaments spending a little time in there come December....