Dying Easter eggs using plant-based dyes is a tradition in Eastern Europe. It’s so easy to do, and everyone should give it a try at least once! To create these gorgeous eggs you need some herbs and colorful veggies. You can use spinach leaves, beets, red cabbage, or onion skins for the dyes. As for the designs, herb leaves work well, or you can go outside and look for interesting leaves and plants. What better way to welcome spring than with some natural Easter eggs decorated by Mother Nature herself? Let’s get started!

Supplies:

1) A dozen eggs

2) Vegetables, fruits, and spices (red cabbage, spinach, carrots, onion skins, blackberries, blueberries, paprika, and turmeric are dyes that work well)

3) About 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar

4) Salt

5) Leafy herbs or fresh leaves that you’ve found outside

6) Two pairs of sheer stockings, cut into tubes

7) Pots (each dye will need its own pot)

Step #1:

The first step is to make your dyes. To make a green dye, add about 5 cups of water to a pot with 1 pound of fresh spinach leaves. Add in a pinch of salt and bring it to a boil. After it starts boiling, turn down the temperature to a simmer. Allow the dye to simmer for 1 hour. If you would like an orange dye, add about 5 cups of water, 10 carrots, 5 tbsp of paprika, and a pinch of salt to a pot. As before, bring it to a boil and then turn down the temperature to a simmer for 1 hour. For a blue dye, do the same using 1 whole red cabbage. If you’d like a reddish-brown dye, use onion skins (you need about 5-6 onions worth of skins). For a pink dye, use beets (about 3 cups). If you want your dye to be yellow, use turmeric (2 tbsp). When your dyes are ready, strain the vegetables and fruits, leaving only the liquid. Pour your dyes into a measuring cup to see how much dye you have. For every cup of dye, you need 3 tbsp of white vinegar. When you’ve measured out the amounts of dye, pour the dyes back into their pots and add the required amount of vinegar.

Step #2:

Once you have made your dyes, it’s now time to decorate your eggs! Rub a paper towel soaked in vinegar over each of the eggs. Place an herb leaf on each egg and arrange it any way you want. Take a stocking tube and place the egg inside the tube. The stocking will hold the leaf in place. Tie the ends of the stocking and repeat this process with all your eggs.

Step #3:

Place your eggs in the dye pots and boil them for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, take them off the heat and allow them to cool completely. Place them in the fridge overnight. If you’d like them to be a pale color instead of a vibrant color, keep the pots in the fridge for 1 hour.

Step #4:

When the eggs have reached the shade you like, you can take them out of the stockings and place them on a wire rack to dry. When the eggs have dried, you will notice that the colors may not seem so bright. To make them shiny, you can rub a tiny bit of oil over them to bring out the beautiful colors.

Photos: Adventures in Cooking, Craft Hubs, Indulgy.

If you enjoy gardening, it’s time to start your garden NOW! Many veggies can be sown in March, and it’s great to get a head-start for spring! Carrots, kale, peas, spinach, and turnips can all be sown outdoors straight away. Take a look at our complete list of veggies and herbs you can plant in March!

1) Carrots

Carrot seeds can be sown in light soil that’s free of stones.

2) Parsley, Dill, and Chives

These herbs can be sown either in containers, or straight into the soil.

3) Turnips

If you want to get a head-start on your turnips, you can sow the seeds directly into the soil.

4) Spinach

Spinach thrives in soil that’s loaded with nutritious compost. You can plant spinach outside straight away.

5) Parsnips

If your soil isn’t too hard, you can plant your parsnip seeds in rows. Make sure the seeds are about 30 cm apart.

6) Spring Onion

It’s called spring onion because it’s ready to eat in the spring! You can get them started directly outside and they make a fantastic addition to salads!

7) Kale

Kale is ready in the summer, so get it started now by planting seeds outside in a well-prepared garden.

8) Peas

Peas can be planted directly into the ground. If you’ve got a problem with mice or other small critters, you can start them off in containers before transferring them to your garden.

Photos: Img Arcade, Kids Quest Museum, Wikipedia, Grit, Gardening Know How, Img Buddy, Gorsia, Bonnie Plants, Away to Garden.

Canned soups are overloaded with artificial flavors and too much sodium. Toss them out and try making your own homemade mushroom soup! It’s easier than you think, and you’ll soon wonder why you’ve never tried it before! This soup is made from tasty shiitake mushrooms, carrots, half-and-half, and green onions. Grab that apron and let’s get started!

Homemade Always Tastes Best: Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Soup

 Photos: Julia’s Album.

This vegetarian delight is stacked high with fresh veggies, herbs, 3 kinds of cheese, baby greens, and a delicious tomato-basil sauce. Pair it with an arugula salad and a simple olive oil and balsamic dressing. This lasagna is a no-brainer to put together – it only looks complicated! Impress your guests with this lasagna that they won’t soon forget!

Stacked Vegetarian Lasagna Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 14 dried lasagna noodles
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrots (3 medium carrots)
• 2 cups finely chopped zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (8 ounces)
• 2 6 ounce packages baby spinach
• 2 tbsp fresh basil (or dried)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 15 ounce carton ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 26 ounce jar tomato-basil pasta sauce (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups shredded Italian Fontina or mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Cook your lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Drain once more and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in carrots, zucchini, and half of the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until veggies are crisp and tender. Transfer the veggies to a bowl and add the remaining oil to the same skillet and heat again on medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms and remaining garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add in spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Stir in basil and set aside.
3. In a bowl, stir together the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
4. Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9×3 springform pan. Arrange 3-4 cooked noodles over the sauce to create 1 layer. Top the layer with half of the spinach-mushroom mixture. Add half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the spinach mixture. Add another layer of noodles. Spread over half of the remaining tomato sauce. Top with all of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle half the Fontina cheese over the vegetable mixture. Add another layer of noodles. Layer the remaining spinach-mushroom mixture and remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.
5. Place the pan on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. When the time is up, sprinkle with the remaining Fontina cheese and bake 15 minutes more. Take the pie out and cover and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the side of the pan and cut into wedges. Garnish with rosemary sprigs (optional).

Photo and recipe: BHG.

We love stews! They’re great to make any time of the year, and they’re perfect for dinner on weeknights. Tomatoes, carrots, onions, beef, and celery are slow baked in red wine and tomato sauce in this comforting stew. Get out some crusty bread for dipping, and you have a delicious and protein-packed meal that is sure to satisfy your whole family!

Easy Beef Vegetable Stew

Easy enough to make for weeknight dinners, this beef stew is delicious and packed with protein. Leftovers can be frozen for future emergency dinners.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 10-12 small potatoes, halved
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 10-12 pearl onions
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook for 7-8 minutes until the meat is browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the beef from the skillet and without removing the pan drippings, add the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock, and red wine. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until slightly reduced. Season again with a pinch more salt and pepper.
5. Return the beef to the pot, add in the onions and rosemary.
6. Place the skillet in the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional

Photos and recipe: Roxana’s Home Baking.

If you want to get started on your very own soup garden, you need to decide which ingredients you use most in your favorite recipes. If you love tomato soup, plant several varieties of tomatoes like meaty romas and grape tomatoes. For chicken noodle, onions, carrots, and parsnips, along with herbs like thyme and parsley. Other great additions to any soup garden would be garlic, turnips, sweet potatoes, beans, and kale.

To start your soup garden, make sure water is easily accessible. Many herbs don’t require much watering, but vegetables need to be watered often. Make sure you use mulch, as it helps reduce weeds and waterings. The use of flow meters help you to keep track of exactly how much water you are using. Work a lot of organic matter into the soil to create a nutrient-rich soil that your vegetables will love. If you don’t have enough yard space, you can still plant many vegetables and herbs on your balcony or patio in large pots.

To enjoy your harvest into the winter, you need to plant a larger garden and then freeze or can your vegetables. Tomatoes, green beans, and peppers can be frozen or canned. Onions, potatoes, garlic, and winter squash can be stored for months in cool, humid conditions.

Photos: Ewa in the Garden, HG Decoration, Home Garden Air.