Household Hints by Rosemary

(Page 11)

Easter Ideas

When we were children Easter was the time of year when we were given our new Sunday coat and shoes, for the girls, hats and gloves as well. I remember the year I received a mauve coat, matching hat and lace gloves, I was sure I was the pride of the Sunday school parade. I believe these old traditions have mostly died out, but Easter Sunday supper and decorations are still a part of our family celebrations, so here are a couple of standbys you may like. A colourful tablecloth sets the mood. I have a bright orange embroidered center cloth that I set over a plain white one. If you're really brave, don't mind the clean up and you can control the candy each child eats, you can sprinkle jelly beans and/or foil wrapped eggs around. Foolishly one year we added plastic confetti Easter chicks and were still vacuuming them up in June, but you may enjoy it.

Cut a tree branch, either spray it with a pastel spray paint or leave it natural, place it in a plant pot that's been wrapped in seasonal paper and fill the pot with stones. Hang decorated Styrofoam eggs (dollar store) on the branches and use it as either a centerpiece or a floor decoration depending on the size and your preference. It can be made cute with Easter chicks and bunnies around the pot or classier with spring flowers tucked in the stones around the base.

Super baked ham for Easter supper: pierce the ham with whole cloves and put it in the oven. Half way through the baking, remove the ham, cover it with half circle pineapple rounds, and pour ginger ale over it, baste regularly, add more as needed and watch carefully; it makes a beautiful glaze.

For an Easter egg hunt, to help the younger ones who can't yet read, colour code the hints, as an example Little Bobby's hints and treats will all be yellow. Older children normally love to be helpful  and read the hints to the little ones.

Messy egg dyeing can be simplified and made a lot easier if you give the children non-toxic marker pens to do their designs; easier clean up as well. Either blow out the eggs, or hard boil them first and make sure they are refrigerated as soon as possible.

Instead of using place markers, melt some chocolate in a double boiler, fill a cake decorator and write each person's name around the border of the dessert plate in chocolate. We make each person a dessert of jelly served in a half of a large fillable plastic Easter egg and surround it with chocolate dipped fruits.

I treasure the pictures we have of the family standing in the living room dressed in our Easter Sunday best, each little girl holding her new purse with lace gloved hands to show it off. Mom in her new hat, the boys with slicked down hair and new blazers. Happy Easter to all.