Seasonal Sundays: Easter Eggs (Week 12)

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all primped and pretty for Easter but today's "Easter Eggs" are for eating (and definitely not just for Easter ...) versus plastic-filled eggs filled with candy and trinkets. Fingers crossed you find one or more that inspires your own Easter fun and speaking of "Easter fun," a reader request took me down an (Easter bunny?) hole with fun food ideas for different Easter menus, small additions with a big impact. Plus, a special appeal for a reader who's struggling with the fallout of breast cancer ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Hey, all. Thank you for following Kitchen Parade, for checking in on these Sunday recipe collections. It means the world to be welcomed into your InBox and RSS readers and most of all, your kitchens. So thank you, thank you. And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Oh my, this year is flying. Sure, spring's happening early, Easter too. The old pear tree across the way, the last of a hilltop orchard, is mustering a few blossoms for the first time in a few years; come fall, the deer will welcome its fallen fruit. We await the first hummingbirds, a feeder of Hummingbird Food is out, awaiting the scouts.

It's a magical time, yes?

PPS How early is Easter this year? March 31st! It's not even the earliest Easter, which can be as early as March 22 (the last time that happened was 1818) or as late as April 25th (last time was 1943).

In Praise Of ...

• ... this Five-Year Journal (affiliate link), I bought one at the start of 2023 and the payoff today is the fun/enlightening reading last year's entry. This isn't a journal with room to pour your heart out, it's just a few lines per day. This week I ordered another one to keep track of medical stuff, all those little details that are easy to forget.


• ... these Play Doh Easter Eggs (affiliate link), really cool, such a great alternative to all-that-dang-sugar. Also Target has these great white Easter eggs, a dozen are just $3 and come with dyes and others are $5 and come with dyes and embellishments. Yesterday, it was great fun teaching three Littles how to not only "hunt" for Easter eggs (especially the 17-month old who lifted his arms to say "yayyyyy" each time he found one) but also to "hide" them for their parents to find. Alllll the giggles, honestly! I do love being an auntie!

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

"The 2024 election is a choice between democracy and autocracy; liberty and subjugation; decency and ugliness; enlightenment and ignorance. These is one path forward. Let's take it."

Learn this. Believe this. Act on this.

It's from Robert Hubbell, just a guy working to save democracy, starting with a newsletter in 2017 to provide hope and perspective to my family after the unexpected results of the 2016 election. Over time, the family email was shared with friends and then a community of like-minded citizens devoted to preserving American democracy.

Made Me Think ...

• This week, the Atlantic published their choices for the top books from American authors in the last century. Wow. WHAT A SHOCK. I like to think that I am a thoughtful, prolific reader. But this list? Many authors I've never heard of; for some known authors, books I hadn't heard of. (Of the first twenty, books published between 1925 and 1946, I've heard of only 11 and read only 10 and had heard of only 14 authors. Of the last twenty books published between 2012 and 2023, surprisingly, it was even worse.) Plus not a single book is on my loooong "hold" list on the free Libby app for borrowing digital and audio books that many libraries belong to. Time to rethink my reading priorities ...
• CHECK OUT Best Books: American Fiction (the link should be without a paywall for non-subscribers who haven't been on the Atlantic site for a month)
• TAKEAWAY "The list includes 45 debut novels, nine winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and three children's books. [Charlotte's Web! A Wrinkle in Time!] Twelve were published before the introduction of the mass-market paperback to American and 24 after the release of the Kindle. At least 60 [sixty!] have been banned by schools or libraries. Together, they represent the best of what novels can do: challenge us, delight us, pull us in and then release us, a little smarter and a little more alive than we were before. You have to read them."

She Feels So Alone ...

This week, a reader left a message on Survivor Soup (Beet, Potato & Cauliflower Soup), the post where I first shared the beginning of my own cancer story. (For me, the story is nearing its end since I'll reach the five-year mark in three months.)

But this reader is in the throes of it, she's had chemo, she's facing surgery. Life is hard right now and she doesn't feel like she can talk to family: they all expect her to "fight".

If you can, will you leave her a note of support? Just click the soup link and scroll down to the comments. The comment app has been finicky lately so if you prefer, hit me with an email of support, my current address is in the FAQs and I will add it to the comments. While she's written anonymously, the "system" should notify her whenever there's a reply.

Thanks in advance ...

• HER NOTE "This page was meant for me today. My cancer diagnosis was three months ago, and I am not doing well. This from a "super achiever" who has always been blessed. I am 88+ years old, and my well-meaning family and friends remind me that I have had a good life -- but I want more. I have had three bouts of chemo and three months of horrible stomach problems; I have ruined the carpeting in the house with surprise "accidents" and am ashamed to have visitors see the mess. I scheduled a carpet cleaning for yesterday and had to cancel when I had another accident. I walk with a walker (balance issues), and by the time I feel the rush coming, I have to struggle to my feet, take hold of the walker, and try to walk quickly -- I am not doing well. A friend suggested yesterday that I concentrate on "quality of life" and not continue treatment. I admit it is tempting. My doctor is talking surgery -- I am terrified. Your story is encouraging and the survivor soup sounds wonderful. Forgive me for writing to you; I can't really talk to my family. They all expect me to fight -- Please say a prayer for me."

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Easter Eggs

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes that are ...

• ... a mix of breakfast-y eggs and any-time-of-day-ish eggs
• ... main dishes that convert into great side dishes for bigger gatherings
• ... definitely spring-y but without leaning on local asparagus or local berries, say
• ... mostly or entirely made ahead of time cuz honestly, what Easter bunny stays in the kitchen when there are eggs to be hunted?!

• COOK THE EGGS FIRST Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs Perfect every time for meal prep, deviled eggs, egg salad and more. (PIN This)
• THEN DYE WITH BEET JUICE Perfect Hard-Boiled Ruby Eggs

• THE RECIPE Estonian Deviled Eggs It's got a secret ingredient! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Simple Egg Salad with a Twist Classic egg salad for sandwiches and more, with an easy twist. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Asparagus Custard Tart Visually impressive but oh-so-easy.
• ANOTHER TAKE Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding A rustic bread pudding with whole wheat bread, asparagus, cheese, fresh herbs and lemon zest. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Spinach Quiche with Red Pepper & Feta Pretty red & green for holiday brunches or year-round comfort food. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Make a Spinach Omelet Quick, healthy breakfast with fresh or frozen spinach.

• THE RECIPE Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole No bread! Just eggs, green chiles, bits of cheese and a surprising ingredient, cottage cheese.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs No bread! Just add salsa and cheese, then adapt!

• THE RECIPE Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables) A traditional North African and Israeli dish. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs A savory Tunisian stew, perfect for nesting runny eggs.

• THE RECIPE Ham & Eggs with Leftover Ham A hearty breakfast for one or two or a crowd.
• ANOTHER TAKE Ham & Beans How to make Ham & Beans with a leftover ham bone. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Easy Egg Recipes A collection of thrifty egg recipes. (PIN This)
• ALL THE Egg Recipes from Kitchen Parade, super-organized to find exactly what you're looking for.

"Fun" Recipes for Easter

Last week, Mary from Wisconsin (she's the reader that we have to thank for the famous Manna Café Oatcakes (Oatmeal Pancakes)!) wrote with a request.

Two apologies. First, Mary, I'm so sorry, I just discovered my reply to your note in my "draft" mailbox. Dang.

Second, Mary wondered if I might help with Easter menus, "both customary and not so customary". And I came up with ... exactly z-i-l-c-h except maybe our own Easter menu two years back. Double dang.

Nevertheless, all week, my brain kept turning up "fun" additions to Easter menus that might need a little fleshing out or possibly a "fun" recipe that might inspire an entire menu.

So without further ado, here are a bunch of ideas, in pairs, jumping all around that idea of fun.

~ Strawberry Milk ~
~ Mango Lassi with Mint ~

~ Easy Easy Magical Jello Bites ~
~ Bunny Pellets ~

~ Quick Pickled Asparagus ~
~ Pickled Beet Salad with Fresh Blueberries & Mint ~

~ Hot Cross Buns ~
~ Armenian Easter Bread ~

~ Raspberry Muffins ~
~ Sunshine Orange Muffins ~

~ Winter Fruit Salad ~
~ Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips ~

~ Strawberry Vinaigrette with Chipotle ~
~ Simple Arugula Salad ~

~ Twice-Smoked Ham ~
~ Fast Roast Chicken ~

~ Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad ~
~ Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad ~

~ Savory Orange Slices ~
~ Moroccan Onions ~

~ Party Asparagus with Aioli ~
~ Slow-Roasted Asparagus ~

~ Scalloped Potatoes & Beets ("Those Pink Potatoes") ~
~ Greek Spinach-Asparagus-Potato Gratin (Spinaki me Sparaggia Orgraten) ~

~ Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki) ~
~ Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans" ~

~ Chocolate Cream Puffs Stuffed with Strawberries & Cream ~
~ Finnish Fruit Tart ~

~ Sugar Cookie Bars ~
~ Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake ~

• THE COLLECTION Easter Recipes From brunch to bunny hunts and much more.
• ALL THE HOLIDAYS All the Holidays Year-round food for fun and celebration.

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Carrot Cake Mixed in a food processor, baked as muffins, cupcakes, square snacking cakes and more. (PIN This)

Compliments!

• anniebme LIKES IT! "This was hands down the easiest and most flavorful asparagus soup I've ever had! I threw out all of my other recipes. I used all of the asparagus, ends included. Added the 1/2 cup of low-fat buttermilk at the end...delicious"
• THE RECIPE Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup One recipe with either rustic or refined texture.

March: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Twice-Smoked Ham How & why to smoke a smoked ham a second time. (PIN This)
• DON'T FORGET Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham My grandmother's recipe, always-always served with the Easter ham, the Christmas ham, the Sunday ham. (PIN This)

March: Lost Recipes

• THE RECIPE Simple French Eggs Simpler than omelettes, light, airy, delicious.
• ANOTHER TAKE French Scrambled Eggs Eggs cooked slowly with a few vegetables, creamy and soft. (PIN This)

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 17th (today!) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 19th (Tuesday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 23rd (Saturday, 8:30pm your local time) - Earth Hour
• March 28th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!
• March 31st (Sunday) - Easter (yikes! soooo early!)
• April 1 (Monday) - April Fool's Day
• April 8 (Monday) - Solar Eclipse
• April 22 - 24th - Beginning of Passover
• April 22 (Monday) - Earth Day
• May 1 (Wednesday) - May Day (Vappu in Finland)
• May 4 (Saturday) - Derby Day
• May 5 (Sunday) - Cinco de Mayo
• May 12 (Sunday) - Mother's Day & Wear the Hat, Dammit: A Mother's Day Essay
• May 27 (Monday) - Memorial Day
• June 1 - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Summer

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Mid March (Week 12)
• 2021 Mid March (Week 12)
• 2022 Mid March (Week 12)
• 2023 Cabbage Fever (Week 12)

RECENT WEEKS
• Spring Forward ... Slooowly (Week 11) (PIN This)
• March Bucket List (Week 10) (PIN This)
• Spring Suppers (Week 9) (PIN This)
• Shrimp Fest! (Week 8) (PIN This)
• Chocolate for ♥♥♥ (Week 7) (PIN This)
• The Best of N'awlins (Week 6) (PIN This)
• The Art of Winter Salads (Week 5) (PIN This)
• Rediscovering the Lowly Carrot (Week 4) (PIN This)
• Staying In, Staying Warm (Week 3) (PIN This)
• Juicing Up on Vitamin C (PIN This)
• January Bucket List (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for March

March is such a funny month for cooking, some wintry days (yo, soups!), some spring-like days (hey, salads!) and so many days neither one nor the other, just smack in the middle. So what grabs us depends on the day, yes? That's why I spent a year gathering all of A Veggie Venture's best soup and salad recipes into easy-to-scan month-by-month collections. Here's a sample!

• THE RECIPE Italian Pasta Salad with Garlicky Tomatoes & Collard Greens Orzo sweetened with soft, syrupy tomatoes and tender greens.
• THE COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for March, tons of ideas from A Veggie Venture.

Good to Know!

• THE INFO Ham 101 What to Know Before Buying a Ham. (PIN This)
• THEN FIRE UP THE SMOKER Twice-Smoked Ham How & why to smoke a smoked ham a second time. (PIN This)

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from the last week.

• THIS WEEK I kinda miss cooking breakfast, though "every day" got to be a LOT (especially with lunch and dinner every day too) when my dad lived with us some years back now. This week I had some cauliflower bits to use up, thought they'd look pretty. They didn't and cooked, like this, were a little skunky. Not the recipe's fault, just my own cuz usually it's so good! (Never the less, we happily ate the hot, custardy eggs for breakfast and even the leftovers.)
• THE RECIPE Never-the-Same-Twice Vegetable Frittata Protein-packed with silky texture. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK This makes up in minutes, this week I didn't even cook the traditional noodles, instead pulling some cooked rice from the freezer. (What? You can freeze rice? Yes, and it saves dinner on the regular. See Freezer Surprises.) So good!
• THE RECIPE Easy Skillet Stroganoff (Beef or Chicken) The Russian classic, weeknight friendly. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK I so need to build a list of all my one-hour cookies because after the butter softened, these were mixed and baked in an hour. Coming soon, pictures with pretty pastel M&Ms that are fun for Easter, spring, baby showers, birthday parties! The Littles were in cookie heaven and I couldn't help but notice that the Bigs had more than one! So good!
• THE RECIPE Perfect M&M Cookies First grabbed, first to disappear.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker Just 4 common vegetables, just 3 hours. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE No-Big-Deal Homemade Chicken Stock How to turn making chicken stock from a production into No-Big-Deal.

• THE RECIPE Refrigerator Pickled Beets No canning required! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Jalapeño Pickles No canning required. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham My grandmother's recipe, always-always served with the Easter ham, the Christmas ham, the Sunday ham. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Finnish Mustard How to make mustard at home, Finnish-style. (PIN This)

Something to Read

A month back, I raved about The Waters, the brand-new 2024 book from Bonnie Jo Campbell.

Well, I'm back to rave even more for Once Upon a River, her 2011 book. The characters. The life decisions. The water. I couldn't put this book down and a week later, I'm still thinking about so many of the characters.

And Once Upon a River is also a movie, I'm looking forward to watching it soon.

• THE FIRST BOOK The Waters (affiliate link)
• THE SECOND BOOK & MOVIE Once Upon a River (the book) & Once Upon a River (the movie) (affiliate links)


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays? Just one thing that would make it more useful for you? Share away!
• Ooo boy, pre-filled Easter eggs are pricey. But never-will-I-ever fill 300+ Easter eggs again. Anyone else?
• I'm Team Deviled Eggs. You?
• Who's hearing spring peepers? The dawn chorus?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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