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.

These super cute nests are the perfect treat for the kids this Easter! Really easy to make and only requiring a few ingredients, you can get the kids involved in helping you put them together! You won’t believe what they’re made of… noodles! By mixing the noodles with marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate, you’ve got a yummy treat that everyone will enjoy! Fill up your nests with Cadbury Mini Eggs or Peeps! You can also wrap these up and use them in your Easter scavenger hunt! Keep reading for the recipe below!

Easter Nests Made With Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Noodles!

Make these cute nests for Easter this year! Fill them up with Cadbury Mini Eggs or Peeps!

       1/4 cup butter

       4 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

       1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

       1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

       4 cups chow mein noodles

       54 Cadbury mini eggs, about 2/3 of a bag

1. Get out a large pot and melt the marshmallows and butter together.
2. Mix in chocolate chips and peanut butter. Wait until it melts then remove it from the heat.
3. Add in noodles and mix until evenly coated.
4. Using a spoon, place the nests on wax paper that’s been greased lightly with oil or butter. Shape the nests using your fingers.
5. While the nests are still warm, place the mini eggs (or Peeps) inside each one. The eggs will stick to the nest.
6. Leave the nests to cool before serving. They can be kept in an airtight container for 5 days.

Photos: Dessert Now, Dinner Later, I Love Peanut Butter.

The Tim Horton’s bread bowl may be back, which is great news for us! We can’t get enough of the bread bowl, and we’re impatiently waiting for it to come back! If you’re impatient like us, there is a way to make your own! For this bread bowl, a thick, hearty soup works best. We especially love thick chicken noodle or potato soup! We used white flour in this recipe, but you can substitute it for dark for a healthy alternative. You don’t just have to put soup in these! How about cracking an egg inside mini bread bowls and baking it? You can also fill it up with some tasty mac and cheese! The possibilities are endless!

Tim Horton’s Home-Made Italian-Style Bread Bowl

A thick, hearty soup goes best with these bread bowls! Try beef stew or potato soup! These bread bowls can be frozen for up to a month.

Ingredients

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 7 cups flour
• 1 tbsp cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Leave it to sit about 10 minutes until creamy.
2. Add the salt, oil, and 4 cups of flour to the yeast and beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, about a 1/2 at a time, and beat well with an electric mixer after each addition.
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth.
4. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Turn the dough around to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and leave it to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. (About 40 minutes.)
5. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place the loaves on slightly greased baking sheets that are sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves and let them rise again in a warm spot until they’ve doubled in size. (About 30-40 minutes.)
6. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
7. In a bowl, beat together the egg white and 1 tbsp of water, and lightly brush the loaves with half of the egg wash.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with the remaining egg wash. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
9. To make the bowls, cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from the top of each loaf and scoop out centers. You should be left with 3/4 inch thick shells.
10. Fill the bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.

Photos: The Poch Times, Pillsbury, That Was Vegan.