March 21st 2008

Editorial

Hi there and welcome to the special Easter Edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter.

This edition looks a little different from our usual newsletter, because it’s focusing strictly on Easter stuff including some informative articles, plenty of recipes of course and some fun craft ideas. Enjoy!

If you are having a group of friends or extended family over for the Easter holiday, take a look at this “Stress Free Easter Holiday” ebook.

It includes plenty of Easter recipes including complete menus for both an Easter Brunch and a Dinner. And I love the fact that they also included quite a few checklists. I usually jot down or type up my own to make sure I don’t forget something important (like start cooking the ham on time).
Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Sponsor

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Grab yours at www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

Easter History and Customs

On Easter weekend, those of the Christian faith celebrate the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the observation of Easter did not originate with Christianity. Read on to learn about the true origin of the holiday.

?SEaster? was taken from ?SEastre?. She was the goddess worshipped by the Saxon peoples of Northern Europe. They held festivals every year to celebrate the Spring Equinox?the one time during the spring when the day and the night are of equal length. The festivals were believed to ensure the fertility of both the land and its people.

In ancient times, those of the Jewish faith celebrated Passover around this same time of the year. The Passover feast commemorated the Israelite captivity in Egypt under the cruel hand of the pharaoh. The last plague that God sent on the land was that of the death of every firstborn. Blood on the doorposts of Israelite households spared them as the Angel of Death spread through the land.

Christians decided to celebrate what we now know as Easter at this time also. Early followers were persecuted even after Jesus?” crucifixion. As a result, they held their religious observances to coincide with the pagan holidays. They called their remembrance, Easter?a derivative of Eastre. The idea behind the two occasions is different, but they share common symbols and traditions that people still use today.

The Easter egg- The use of eggs in celebration existed long before our modern day observance. Eggs were given and received as symbols of rebirth. Today, eggs are decorated on Easter and hidden for children to find.

The Easter bunny- The rabbit was the symbol of Eastre, the Saxon goddess. The idea of the rabbit as a part of Christian tradition was introduced in colonial days by the Germans. Children are taught that the Easter Bunny brings treats on the night before Easter, much like Santa Claus during Christmas.

The Cross- The symbol of the cross has been associated with Christianity and Easter since the first centuries after Jesus?” death. The cross was a symbol of cruelty throughout the Roman Empire. Today, those who practice Christianity view it as a badge of courage and salvation.

Now you know the origins of the holiday of Easter. Will this knowledge change anything about your observance? Only you can decide if the history of the symbols is more important than the reason you celebrate it today.

Accident Proof your Egg Decorating

For kids, dunking plain white eggs into a bowl and watching them turn a different color is almost magical. Here are a few ideas to help minimize the mess this year.

1. Try stickers. If you are not attached to the traditional method of egg decorating, this is a way to minimize the muss and fuss during Easter. Stickers make easy decorations. They leave nothing to clean up afterwards. And, there?”s nothing tricky about it. Just purchase ordinary Easter stickers and stick them onto the eggs. Presto!

2. Dye eggs at the stove. Avoid the mess that comes with sitting your children at the table with their own dipping cups. Mix the dye ingredients in a five quart Dutch oven. Wrap an apron around the child. Let the child take the dried boiled eggs and place them in the dye solution. When the eggs are ready, use a slotted spoon to lift the dyed eggs out of the pan. The slots leave less liquid on the spoon which means less liquid on the stove, the floor, you, and the kids. Spoon the eggs back into the carton. Place the cartons in the refrigerator until time to use them.

3. Work on the kitchen floor. The lower you are to the ground, the shorter the distance a boiled egg has to fall. Spread an old vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Give each child an apron and a pair of exam gloves. The gloves can be purchased from any medical supply store. Gloves allow the children to dip the eggs with their hands instead of a spoon. When they have finished, have them take their gloves off and throw them away.

4. Purchase a ready to use Easter egg kit. PAAS® has been making egg decorating materials for years. Each year they seem to come up with something that will make the egg decorating process easier and faster. They feature egg wrapping kits which create virtually no mess at all. The pre-formed pattern is ready for the decorator to transfer to the dried eggs. They also offer egg cups with their own dipper so you don?”t need spoons at all. You can purchase PAAS® products wherever decorating items are sold, including most grocery stores and craft stores.

Egg decorating is great for everyone, but no one likes to clean up at the end. Make it easier on yourself this year, Mom and Dad. Try these tips for some good clean fun.

Throwing an Easter Party for Children

Want to do more than the traditional Easter egg hunt this year? Kids love to have fun and play games, so plan an entire party around the Easter egg hunt and make an afternoon of it. Here are some ideas for activities you can do to make your party a hit. And, don?”t forget the prizes.

Pin the chick on the egg? Since this is Easter we must tailor the games to fit the occasion. Take a piece of white poster board and draw a large egg on it. Cut it out and pin it to the wall. Give each child his or her own piece of construction paper. Let the children draw and cut out their own baby chicks. When they are done, fold a piece of tape and stick it to the back of each chick. Blindfold each child in turn and let them see who can put their chick closest to the center of the egg.

Word games anyone? On the internet, do a search for Easter word games. They have printable pages like word search and word scramble that are grouped by age. Give a prize to the winner of each word game.

Duck, Duck, Goose! Everyone knows this one. All the children sit in a giant circle. One child will walk behind the others tapping each ?Sduck? on the head until they decide which one of their friends will be the ?Sgoose?. The ?Sgoose? has to get up and chase the first child. If the first child makes it back to the empty spot without being touched, then the second child becomes the new ?Sduck?.

Easter necklaces. Pre-cut strips of construction paper in pastel colors. Show the children how to make chain links. Fold the paper in a circle, dropping a spot of glue on one end and pressing the two ends together. For each new link, fold the paper in a circle around the previous link so they form a chain. When the chain is long enough to fit over your head when held end to end, add one more link to join the two ends of the chain.

Treat time. Serve snacks like little sandwiches, juice, and a small dessert. For a change, use cookie cutters in the shapes of Easter characters to cut the sandwiches. For the dessert, try making lemon squares. There is a good recipe on www.foodnetwork.com.

You don?”t need too many activities to keep children happy at a party. As long as they know it will end with an ?Segg?citing Easter egg hunt, they will have fun!

Creating a Healthy Easter Basket

With the rate of childhood obesity on the rise, try something new. This year, buy healthy snacks instead of candy. You don?”t have to sacrifice flavor, either. Low-calorie or low-fat doesn?”t mean it has to taste bad.

This is one time that toys are okay. According to my kids, you can never have too many toys. An Easter basket is about getting a special treat. No one said those treats had to be edible. Small hand-held electronic games are available at stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys ??R Us for less than ten dollars. Card games like Yugioh and Dungeon Dice Monsters are winners with kids these days. For the younger set, try dolls or action figures.

Jelly beans versus dried fruit. Jelly beans would be great if it wasn?”t for all of the sugar. You can never eat just one or five for that matter. Dried fruit offers nutrition and taste in the same bite-sized portion as jelly beans. Ocean Spray® makes a snack called Craisins®. They are dried sweet cranberry snacks in different flavors. Also, Sun-Maid®, best known for their raisins, makes dried fruit treats including yogurt- and chocolate-covered raisins. My favorite is chopped dates. Kids won?”t believe they?”re eating something that?”s good for them.

Snack size versus regular size. If you add candy to your basket, smaller is better. Choose snack-sized morsels like Three Musketeers® or Peppermint Patties®. These candy treats are lower in calories than other choices. Just add three or four for a sweet treat instead of chocolate bunnies or cream eggs.

Store bought versus homemade treats. We all enjoy going to the store and getting bubble gum and cupcakes, but do you really know what?”s in what you are eating? Most if not all marketable treats started in someone?”s kitchen. That means they were homemade at one time. Let?”s take Rice Krispy treats® for example. The recipe was on the cereal box before they became a pre-packaged item in the store. At home, low-fat ingredients can be substituted to create delicious treats for the Easter basket. When you know what?”s inside your food, you feel better about serving it to your kids.

Easter baskets don?”t have to be chock full of junk to be fun. Healthy additions make you a better parent without sacrificing taste. Teach children to eat right while they are young so that they develop a lifetime of good habits.

Do you really hide Eggs?

What?”s Easter without an egg hunt? Since I was a tot, the church near my home held an Easter egg hunt at the Parish Hall every Saturday before Easter. Parents and women?”s group volunteers boiled and colored dozens of eggs the night before. At twelve o?”clock noon, they walked out of the Parish Hall to hide the eggs. We sat on the floor so we couldn?”t peak out the windows. When they were finished, we gathered out front. Once the signal was given, children scattered in every direction in search of hidden treasures.

For young children, hiding real eggs is a rite of passage at Easter. Since the younger ones don?”t eat as many eggs, limit the number that you hide. Always keep your boiled Easter eggs refrigerated until shortly before the start of the hunt. Even though they are boiled, long periods at room temperature combined with being hidden outside in the sun, could spoil the eggs. Save the cartons. After the hunt, give each child a big enough section of the egg carton to hold their eggs. Award prizes to the top three egg finders. If a few eggs get stepped on in the hustle and bustle, it?”s all in the name of fun.

Older children probably won?”t be as interested in an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt. For them, you need something a little more challenging. Hide plastic eggs instead of real ones. Plastic eggs can be filled with coins, candy, small toys, and dollar bills. The hiding needs to be a lot more difficult since more is at stake. Older elementary children will find this particular type of egg hunt fun without being baby-ish.

For any middle school age children who still want to participate, turn the egg hunt into a scavenger hunt. For this idea, the entire game must be thoroughly planned out from beginning to end. Inside each plastic egg, place handwritten clues. The kids can divide into teams. Each team is given the same clue to start. When one clue is figured out, it will lead them to another egg with another clue inside. The team that finds the prize first, splits it.

So, the answer to the question is ?Syes?. Eggs are still hidden and hunted for on Easter. Get creative to make the experience enjoyable for kids of all ages. Happy hunting!

Three Fun Easter Crafts you can do with your Kids

Easter was a fun time at school. We made crafts to take home and display for the holiday season. Here are three ideas to enhance the festivities observed during Easter.

Egg maracas

You will need:
Plastic eggs
Glue
Rice, BB pellets, or marbles
Enamel craft paint
Newspaper
Paint brushes
Bowls of water

Clear a space on the table and cover with newspaper. Each person should have their own bowl of water, a paint brush, and plastic eggs.

1. Choose a filling for the egg.

2. Once the filler has been added, dribble a thin line of glue around the egg opening. Snap the egg shut. Wipe off any excess glue.

3. After the glue dries, let the children choose a paint color to decorate their eggs.

4. Let the eggs dry on the newspaper.

Tissue paper Easter bouquets

You will need:
Tissue paper in assorted colors
Green pipe cleaners (eight per child)
Styrofoam blocks (optional)
Plastic or glass vases
Scissors
Ribbon in assorted colors

Clear a space on the kitchen table and give each child a vase, pipe cleaners, and a pair of scissors.

1. Pick the colors for the flowers from the tissue paper pile.

2. Have the children take several sheets of paper. Roll them up together. Wrap one end of a pipe cleaner around the center of the tissue paper and twist to secure it.

3. Separate each sheet of paper, creating folds. Pull the edges up so that they surround the end of the pipe cleaner. If the paper is too long, cut it down.

4. Continue making flowers until the bouquet is finished. Wrap a piece of ribbon around the flowers.

5. The flowers can now be placed in the vase. If you want to keep them from falling out of the vase, stick the free end of the pipe cleaner into a piece of Styrofoam. Cut the Styrofoam to fit the bottom of the vase.

Easter cards

You will need:
Card stock paper
Markers
Stickers (Easter themes)
Scissors
Glue
Construction paper

1. Cut the paper to the size wanted for the Easter cards. Fold the paper in half. The children can also cut the paper into shapes like eggs or bunny rabbits.

2. Decorate the outside of the card with pictures and/or stickers.

3. Using a marker, have the children write their own special greeting on the inside of the cards.

4. The children can hand deliver the Easter cards to their favorite people in the whole world.

Craft making is doubly fun when shared with family. Make this a regular part of ?Stogether? time instead of keeping it just for special occasions.

For quite a few more great Easter Crafts for Kids visit http://www.kinderinfo.com/crafts.htm

Holding the Perfect Easter Brunch

After Easter morning church service, invite family and friends over for an Easter brunch. Brunch combines breakfast and lunch in a way that is fun and filling at the same time. Enjoy Spring and Easter with this beginning-of-the-season get-together.

Set the time. Immediately after church service would be best time for brunch. On Easter Sunday, most people attend early services. Scheduling the brunch at eleven-thirty would be good. If everyone you are inviting is a member of your church then word of mouth or an informal invite in the church bulletin on the Sunday prior to Easter are okay. Otherwise, send out invitations a week before the brunch. Invitations can be created using a card program or Microsoft® Publisher.

In order to get everything done and make it easier on you, the hostess, delegate duties to your family and friends. These duties should include: decorations, food, entertainment, and paper supplies. The children can help with the decorations. Potted Easter plants can be used to decorate the living room. Kids can also draw and color paper eggs to be used as decorations. Make sure they use thumbtacks and not tape put decorations on the wall.

The entertainment can be as simple as a CD player. The mood on Easter is one of joyful remembrance. Choose CD?”s that are upbeat instrumental or some of your favorite hymns. Keep the volume low so that the music provides a pleasant undercurrent to the food and fellowship going on.

Brunch should include a few breakfast items and a light lunch fare. You can handle the food yourself or let the guests each bring a dish. If you choose the latter let them pick what they want to bring from a menu that you make up. Popular items include: a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole; cinnamon rolls; eggs benedict; and waffles or French toast for breakfast. For lunch, choose one meat and a variety of salads. Sliced breast of turkey or ham would do. I?”d go with the sliced turkey if you are planning on eating ham for dinner. Chicken, shrimp, and/or macaroni salad would make great accompaniments.

Whatever you plan for the brunch, make it inviting and relaxed. You certainly don?”t have to impress with an elaborate setup. Let your friends and family mingle and share memories of Easter holidays past.

Family Easter Meal Classics for a Busy Mom

After the Easter egg hunt, you may be too pooped to prepare a gourmet meal. Are you a mom who is long on things to do, but short on time to get it all done? Make dinner a breeze this year.

Let someone else cook the main dish. Who says that the honey glazed spiral ham has to be cooked in your oven? The Honeybaked® Ham Store is the busiest place on earth during the holidays and Easter is no exception. Let them offer you a good deal on a tender ham or turkey breast sized to fit your family. I would caution you to order early. Last minute orders could be met with disappointment or at least a very long line to wait in. Pick it up the day before or early Easter morning to avoid the crowds. Check the store hours in your area.

Pre-planning is a lifesaver. If you are making whipped potatoes or sweet potato casserole, why not prepare the potatoes ahead of time? White potatoes can be boiled and mashed a day early. Sweet potatoes can be baked a day early also and the ingredients put together and baked the next afternoon. Preparing as much of the meal the day before will put less pressure on you. If good old-fashioned yeast rolls are on your list, try using Parkerhouse rolls. Take them out the night before to let the dough rise.
So, what is on the menu this year? Here are a few classic choices. In the vegetable department, try collard greens or fresh green beans seasoned with garlic. If you choose turkey over ham, then stuffing is a must. To save time it can come from Stove Top® or ask your mother for her time honored recipe for sausage stuffing. Whenever I have ham for dinner, I have to have macaroni and cheese. And, the more cheese it has, the better.

Dessert anyone? Making that chocolate cake or that pecan pie just right takes time that you don?”t have. Know a good bakery in town? Pre-order your desserts. To make sure that you had some part to play in the dessert process, buy a gallon of ice cream to accompany the cake and pie.

Take a load off this year. You should be able to enjoy your Easter Sunday, too. Let others do the bulk of the cooking for you this year.

Easter Dessert Ideas and Recipes

Easter reminds me of pastel colors and flowers all around. The sun in the Spring brings a feeling of light to everything around. Let the dessert that you serve be the same way. The perfect dessert should leave you feeling satisfied without weighing you down. The following recipes are favorites of mine. Serve them as the ending to a perfect Easter dinner.

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

One bag prepared brownie mix (family size)
One bag toffee pieces
Two containers of Cool Whip® topping
One large box of Jell-O® instant chocolate pudding
Three cups cold skim milk
Strawberries (optional)

1. Prepare the brownies as directed on the box. Bake them at 350 degrees for the time specified.
2. In the meantime, prepare the instant pudding using the cold skim milk. Refrigerate.
3. Wait for the brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares.
4. If you do not own a trifle bowl use a large square three or four quart plastic container.
5. Assemble the trifle: layer brownies on the bottom, followed by the whipped topping, then the chocolate pudding, and the toffee pieces. Continue layering until all of the ingredients are gone. Leave enough whipped topping to cover the top of the dessert.
6. Add sliced strawberries or other fruit to decorate the top of the dessert. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easter Sugar Cookies

One or two packages Pillsbury® sugar cookie dough (or make your own)
Cake icing in pink, white, and yellow
Easter cookie cutter shapes (eggs, chicks, bunnies, flowers)
Assorted candy sprinkles
One cup of all-purpose flour

1. Let the dough come to room temperature. Flour a cutting board and roll out the dough to a quarter of an inch in thickness, one package at a time.
2. Take the cookie cutter shapes and cut out the cookies.
3. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for seven to ten minutes at 350 degrees (or following the directions on the dough).
4. Allow the cookies to cool before using icing.
5. Decorate the cookies with icing and the candy sprinkles.

The children can help to make the Easter desserts. Let them arrange the cookies on a serving platter and present them to the family members after dinner. Also, serve coffee with the chocolate brownie trifle to cut the sweetness. Both of these desserts are light, but satisfying.

Easter Ice Cream Nests

This is the perfect kid-friendly dessert. Guaranteed to be a hit!

20 milk chocolate mini-eggs unwrapped
½ cup miniature marshmallows
1 tablespoon
Light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups corn flakes (crushed)
Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate syrup for topping

Lightly grease 6 muffin cups and set aside. Microwave 12 of the 18 chocolate eggs (make sure they?”re uncovered) in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute (or a little less) and stir. If not fully melted microwave another 10 seconds.

Combine the butter, corn syrup and marshmallows in another bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds, stir until melted and add the melted chocolate and cereal to it. Mix the mixture well.

Press mixture into the bottom and sides of the muffin cups to form a ?Snest? shape. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour. Remove the nests from the muffin cups very carefully and let stand at room temperate for approximately 15 minutes.

Place a small scoop of vanilla ice cream inside each nest, top with another unwrapped chocolate egg and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Super Easy Easter Brownie Cupcakes

1 (19.5oz) package chocolate brownie mix (or make your own)
36 milk-chocolate mini eggs
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flaked coconut
2 drops green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions. Stir in 9 unwrapped mini chocolate eggs and stir well. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges start to firm but the center is still slightly soft. Remove from oven and cool in pan for approximately 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the shredded coconut and food coloring in a small bowl and mix well. Now top each cupcake with a tablespoon full of the cream cheese mixture and smooth the mixture flat. Then sprinkle the ?Sgreen grass? shredded coconut over the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with one unwrapped chocolate egg.
Final Thought

That?”s it for this edHillbilly Housewife ? Edit ? WordPressition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you?”ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you?”d like to share with us? Email it to me and I?”ll include it in a future issue. Can?”t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

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