I’m with the family this weekend and can’t wait to share some of our Easter family traditions later on this week. In the meantime, do you and your family have annual family traditions with which you celebrate Easter? Tell us about it below.
Category Archives: Pleasure
Crafty “Hoppy” Easter Cards from Etsy
Don’t miss the opportunity to send sweet wishes to loved ones for an extra “hoppy” Easter holiday with these handmade greeting cards found on Etsy:
Bunny and His Peeps. Nicole Alesi, $3.00
Pink Leaping Bunnies “Hippity Hoppity”. Cherry Blosson Trees, $3.75
Three Peep Bunnies Pop Up Card. Cookie Bits, $4.50
Happy Easter Machine Embroidered Card in Pastels. Hill Country, $4.50
Easter Egg Trio Handmade Blank Greeting Card. Cherry Blossom Trees, $3.75
Lily Easter Wishes. WK Burden. $3.25
Grace Easter Card. TwigLily, $3.25
Brown and White Bunny Vintage Style Card. Sandbox Cards, $4.50
A little bird told me it was Easter. Ben Boo Creations, $4.50
Little Bunny Greeting Card. MGP Scrapbooker, $5.00
Bunny Ears & Cottontails (Set of 10). Delightfully Noted, $16.00
Keep Calm Bunny Greeting Card. African Grey, $5.50
Easter Traditions Around the World
Easter is recognized around the world as one of the holiest holidays on the Christian calendar and while the religious observations follow the doctrines of the Christian church, the basic contours of Easter celebration may vary depending on where you are. Thanks to an IKEA ad that popped into my inbox this morning, the focus of today’s Easter Celebration lesson lands us in Sweden.
In Sweden, common Easter traditions include egg painting as they do in Western cultures however instead of having the children don their Sunday’s best, children dress up as Easter witches with long skirts, colorful headscarves and painted red cheeks to go from house to house, present their neighbors with paintings and drawings in the hope of getting sweets in return.
Homes are decorated with small branches and twigs of willow or birch which are then placed in vases throughout the home and decorated with feathers or other small decorations.
Families come together on Holy Saturday for a feast which usually includes herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs and other kinds of food.
Interested in learning about other Easter traditions throughout the world? Check out your favorite locations from the list below…
Easter in Australia
Easter in Brazil
Easter in Bulgaria
Easter in Canada
Easter in Czech Republic
Easter in Denmark
Easter in England
Easter in France
Easter in Germany
Easter in Greece
Easter in Hungary
Easter in India
Easter in Israel
Easter in Italy
Easter in Mexico
Easter in the Netherlands
Easter in Norway
Easter in Poland
Easter in Romania
Easter in Russia
Easter in Spain
Easter in Switzerland
Easter in USA
Oh by the way, the IKEA email was promoting their $9.99 ($2.49 for children under 12) all-you-can-eat Swedish Easter smorgasbord on April 15th from 5-8pm. Tickets should be purchased in advance. Find an IKEA near you.
Swedish Easter Smörgåsbord Menu
- 1st Course includes: Assorted herring; Hardboiled eggs with mayo and shrimp; Hardboiled eggs with lumpfish roe; Shrimp with cocktail sauce; Marinated salmon with mustard sauce; Smoked salmon with horseradish sauce; Poached salmon
- 2nd Course includes: Cheeses (Västerbotten, Grandfathers and Herrgård and/or Fontina); Tossed green salad; Cucumber salad; Red Beet Salad; Breads (Crispbread, Crisprolls, dinner rolls)
- 3rd Course includes: Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes w/dill, lingonberries; Swedish ham; Prinskorv; Janssons temptations
- Desserts: Assorted Swedish desserts and cookies
- Beverages: Fountain beverages, hot beverages
Chew On This: Oreomisu
A strange phenomenon occurred during last month’s grocery trip – I bought a bag of Oreo cookies. Needless to say, one month later they were still unopened and I needed a way to get rid of them. A quick online search for oreo desserts led me to this recipe on Clumbsy Cookie. It dates back to 1998 but is still deliciously appropriate for any special event you’re planning these days.
Oreomisu
The Ingredients:
- 6 Oreo cookies
- 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp icing sugar
- 2 drops vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
The Raw Materials:
- 1 Medium sized mixing bowl
- Small wisk
The Instructions:
- Break apart the oreo cookies and scrape the filling to a bowl and set aside the wafers.
- To the Oreo fillings add the mascarpone and icing sugar and mix well with a small whisk.
- Mix the milk and the vanilla extract and make crumbs out of two wafers (you can do this with your fingers or press them with the bottom of a glass or rolling pin).
- In small serving plates arrange alternatively the chocolate wafers dipped in the milk and the mascarpone cream. Start with a wafer and use five for each Oreomisu.
- finish with mascarpone cream.
- Top with the wafer crumbs and refrigerate.
Sweet and simple and better yet, there’s no baking involved which makes this the perfect recipe for a spring or summer bachelorette party, girls night in or midnight nightcap for wedding guests with sweettooths. This recipe serves two but ingredients can be doubled to accommodate more.
{Photo Credit: theartoftwotarts.com}
April is Mouthwatering at Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma just released their April calendar and it is absolutely mouthwatering! They’re certainly kicking off spring with a month-long schedule of FREE, fun technique classes and food demonstrations which are sure to have you and your honey deliciously feeding your way into each others hearts.
You’ll enjoy 10% “student” savings on same day purchases from the store following your completion of a TECHNIQUE Class and you’re encouraged to contact your local store to reserve a space for all of the TECHNIQUE Classes as space is limited. Each hour-long class is dedicated to a specific topic led by one of their culinary experts and an overview of the classes are as follows:
From Scratch – Sausage (Sunday, April 3 )
Our next series of technique classes will have you excited about rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty in the kitchen. Our first class uncovers the art of sausage making, a basic charcuterie skill easy to master at home! Learn how to select different meats, how to flavor and season, make delicious sausage blends for everything from breakfast sausage to classic Italian sausage and peppers for dinner.
From Scratch – Fresh Pasta (Sunday, April 10)
Pasta fresca (fresh pasta), pasta fatta in casa (pasta made at home), pasta fatta a mano (pasta made by hand), sfoglia (“thin sheets” of pasta), and pasta all’uovo (egg pasta) are all terms Italians use when referring to homemade pasta. Although the dough calls for just a handful of ingredients and the method is simple, making fresh pasta takes time. There is, however, nothing more satisfying than enjoying the delicate results of your labor at the dinner table. This class will walk through all the steps, equipment needed and some delicious ways to serve fresh pasta.
Sunday, April 17 – Eggs: Sweet & Savory
Packed with creative recipes and ideas, eggs are one of the most versatile foods. Prepared both sweet and savory – they can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, even snacks in between! Eggs are a great entertaining item for both casual meals and elegant occasions. We’ll teach you some of our sweet and savory favorites as we celebrate the egg!
The DEMONSTRATION classes focus on seasonal foods and entertaining – perfect for the couple who loves to host in-home social events. They do not require reservation and are held at 11:00 AM; unless otherwise noted.
In the event you’re looking for a great gift to surprise your newly married or homeowner friends with, we’re LOVING these ideas from Williams-Sonoma:
Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker
Meet the Pixie: an eye-catching new single-cup machine that combines a super-compact silhouette with superb espresso-making abilities. The smallest Nespresso machine ever, this stylish little dynamo is easy to use and is the ideal size for small kitchens, apartments and offices. $249.95
SodaStream Fizz Sparkling Water Maker
Do away with the waste of plastic bottles while enjoying sparkling water, homemade cocktails and sodas carbonated to whatever “fizziness” you prefer with this eco-friendly water carbonator. Operation is easy and requires no electrical power. $149.95
If you attend one of the classes let us know how it went and what you applied your 10% towards. Happy Cooking!
No Time To Cook? There’s an APP for that!
Here’s an app I think all of our busy singles, nesties and knotties will appreciate. RealSimple has recently released their No Time To Cook app – designed to give you weekly grocery lists, step by step instructions, and how-to videos for more than 850 easy dinner recipes that can be prepared in 40 minutes or less. It will cost you $4.99 and is only available for Android, iPhone, and iPAD. Start cooking now and download this RealSimple app for your Android or iPHONE/iPAD today!
Have you already started using this app? Has it made your life easier? Tell us your experience below.
Destination Decadence: Dinner in the Sky
Have you been looking for a unique and exciting dining, wedding, or meeting experience? Well, what would you say if I told you that you can delight in a gourmet dining experience, with friends or colleagues, while being suspended 164 ft in the air? Pretty exciting, right? And it’s true thanks to a unique company called “Events in the Sky” and their series of exclusive and unique dining packages, the most popular of which is called Dinner in the Sky.
Available in sessions that can last anywhere from 25 minutes to 8 hours, Dinner in the Sky is hosted at a table that is suspended, by crane, at heights that reach 164 feet in the air. Each event can accommodate up to 22 people per session and includes 3 wait staff members (chef, waiter, and entertainer) who fit comfortably in the middle of the table. If you need a little extra entertainment, they will hoist a second and conjoining platform into the sky.
Your reservation includes a number of benefits including a VIP cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres and champagne toast during your Dinner in the Sky flight, a souvenir red carpet photo, your choice of entrée and access to the VIP cocktail lounge. Entrée choices include the Take It to the Top Fillet Medallion (filet mignon medallions with Bordelaise sauce sautéed in mushrooms and accompanied by au gratin potato and fresh asparagus with garlic and butter sauce) or the Sky Chicken (baked chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto, artichokes and gorgonzola cheese, apricot sauce and risotto).
Dinner in the Sky is now operated in more than 30 countries and has the official authorizations from Canada, Australia, South Africa and yes, the US – but only in Las Vegas and NYC – but in reality, tables can be hoisted anywhere, including a golf course, park, race track, castle, vineyard, etc. as long as there is 5000 sq. feet of space that can be secured. Prices start at approximately $289.00 per person and for more information check out www.eventsinthesky.com
The luck of the Irish…
We’d like to wish all of our readers a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. If you’re like most of our friends, you’re one of the 94 million people who are wearing green today and your day will end only after you’ve stopped by an Irish Pub or two and are – dare we say it – tipsy? In anticipation of the tipsy part, we thought we’d help make those slurred drunken words you’re sure to be screaming out by night’s end sound almost impressive when recapping any of these cool facts about St. Patty’s Day.
- St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17th because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17th in the year 461 AD.
- St. Patrick was not Irish but actually of Scottish descent
- It is considered lucky to find a four leaf clover on St. Patrick’s Day and Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
- The tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage is solely an American invention – the Irish don’t actually eat it to celebrate the day. Likewise, many of the local pubs are closed on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.
- Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland. In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
- It is estimated that 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.
- Over 8 million St. Patrick’s Day cards are exchanged in America making today the ninth-largest card selling occasion in the US.
If you’re still unsure of where to go to, what parades to attend or bars to crawl, check out this list of St. Patrick’s Day activities worldwide. And we’d love to hear any of your St. Patty’s Day facts and encourage you to share them below. Cheers!!
A Special Events and Lifestyle Marketing Boutique 