Easter Treats and Crafts

Sweet Treats & Easter Funtivities

Can't wait to overdose on chocolate eggs this weekend!

Here are a few adorable Easter crafts and delicious Easter treats...

DIY Nail Polish Marbled Eggs

These are straight-up awesome (from the Henry Happened blog)

All you need are eggs, some fun nail polish colors, a plastic cup of room temperature water (note: the polish won't work if the water is too cold or too hot), toothpicks, and nail polish remover (to clean up your hands when you're done)...

1. Drop lots of nail polish into the water (if the nail polish sinks, the temperature isn't right). Spread and swirl the polish out over the top of the water using a toothpick:

2. Hold the egg between your fingers, dunk the egg straight into the water, hold it for a second, then bring it up. The polish will cover about half of the egg. Set the egg down and let it dry:

How cool are these?!

Hydrangea Cupcakes

These may or may not be the prettiest cupcakes of all time (from the Glorious Treats blog)

First things first, make your cupcakes and frosting (whatever you like - but make sure your frosting is white, and therefore dye-able). Color your frosting half purple and half blue (try to match to a real hydrangea).

NOTE: Make sure your frosting is thick - it must be stiff to hold the flower shape.

Fill the piping bag with both colors, side by side. Use a Wilton 2D tip (a large closed star tip) and pipe large loose stars around the edges and in the center. To stiffen frosting, if necessary, put it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Adorable for Easter or a spring party

Easter Jelly Bean Flower Arrangement

Doubles as an Easter centerpiece and a candy jar!

Three easy steps to make this cute flower vase:

1. Buy two vases (one small enough to fit in the larger one with space around it):

2. Place the small one inside the large one and fill the space in between with jelly beans:

3. Fill the smaller vase with water and add your flowers!

Rice Krispies Treats Easter Eggs

Cute? Yes. Easy? Yes. Delicious? Yes.

From the Three Kids and Us blog

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 7 cups of Rice Krispies cereal
• Plastic Easter eggs

Recipe:

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 cups of mini marshmallows over a low heat and add 7 cups of Rice Krispies. Mix well.
2. Coat the inside of your plastic Easter eggs with non-stick cooking spray. Stuff the plastic eggs with warm Rice Krispies Treat mix. Let them cool and sit for 10 minutes - for a special touch, fill the center of the Rice Krispies Treat eggs with candy!
3. Remove the treats from the plastic eggs. You can dip the treats in Wilton candy melts (they have really cute Easter colors) and roll them in sprinkles.

Maple and Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Salad

Savory (& Sweet) Eats

Things I like about this salad: 1) it's so yummy, 2) it's filling and hearty, 3) the colors are pretty and it looks great in a serving dish, 4) it's easy, and 5) it's perfect to make in large quantities...

Recipe adapted from Love & Lemons

I love the taste of roasted and caramelized vegetables - then add a savory (balsamic) and sweet (maple) dressing...salad perfection.

Ingredients:

*enough to feed 3 hungry girls for dinner (and for one girl, me, to have leftovers for lunch the next day)

• 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 large bunch of broccoli, chopped
• 10 stalks of asparagus, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• A few cups of arugula
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinaigrette to go on top

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Remove outer leaves of the brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Chop the broccoli and asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the sweet potato:

3. Put the brussels sprouts and sweet potato in one bowl and put the broccoli and asparagus in another bowl. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of maple syrup in each bowl. Mix. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in each bowl. Mix:

4. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil in each bowl of vegetables. Top with salt and pepper to taste. Toss around until all the vegetables are fully coated.

5. Put the brussels sprouts/sweet potato mixture onto one (greased) baking sheet and put the broccoli/asparagus mixture onto another (greased) baking sheet:

6. Roast the vegetables until browned but not burnt (the brussels sprouts/sweet potatoes should take about 50 minutes and the broccoli/asparagus should take about 20 minutes):

7. Once roasted, set aside the vegetables and let them cool to about room temperature. Taste and adjust the seasoning - you might need to add more salt, pepper, maple, or balsamic. Toss all the roasted vegetables together, then add in the arugula and cranberries. Taste and drizzle some olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette on top if you prefer a salad that is more dressed:

We devoured the salad with a side of mixed fresh fruit!

Success.

Recipe to print:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Remove outer leaves of the brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Chop the broccoli and asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the sweet potato.
3. Put the brussels sprouts and sweet potato in one bowl and put the broccoli and asparagus in another bowl. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of maple syrup in each bowl. Mix. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in each bowl. Mix.
4. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil in each bowl of vegetables. Top with salt and pepper to taste. Toss around until all the vegetables are fully coated.
5. Put the brussels sprouts/sweet potato mixture onto one, greased, baking sheet and put the broccoli/asparagus mixture onto another, greased, baking sheet.
6. Roast the vegetables until browned but not burnt (the brussels sprouts/sweet potatoes should take about 50 minutes and the broccoli/asparagus should take about 20 minutes).
7. Once roasted, set aside the vegetables and let them cool to about room temperature. Taste and adjust the seasoning - you might need to add more salt, pepper, maple, or balsamic. Toss all the roasted vegetables together, then add in the arugula and cranberries. Taste and drizzle some olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette on top if you prefer a salad that is more dressed.

La Esquina Brasserie: NYC

Big Apple Bites

Today's restaurant I have been to on multiple occasions. It's a big deal to repeat restaurants in New York City because there are trillions of amazing spots. La Esquina Brasserie is a winner because it is unique, has a great atmosphere, and the food is fantastic. Cheap is one thing that it isn't...but I promise, it is worth it. What's great about La Esquina is it has a speakeasy vibe. To enter the restaurant, you walk up to a taco stand on the corner of Kenmare and Lafayette in SoHo, give them your name, then the hostess directs you downstairs (underneath the "hole-in-the-wall" taco shop) and through the kitchen. When you walk into the Brasserie after being led down a maze of stairs, you will love what you see: a relaxed yet trendy bar and speakeasy restaurant.

La Esquina...the restaurant-front taco stand

La Esquina...the Brasserie

Let's start with the cocktails. Both the passion fruit and blood orange margaritas are delicious (the former is much sweeter). Last time I went to La Esquina, I tried their version of a strawberry mojito with very spicy (Jalapeno-infused) tequila. It was good, but had a real kick to it.

I have yet to try a bad thing on this menu. Everything from the starter mixta salad with cabbage, string beans, cucumber, queso fresco, and a bomb mustard vinaigrette to the tuna tostadas with smoke chili aioli to the fish of the day "a la plancha" is incredible...

Queso Fundido Appetizer

queso, roasted pumpkin seeds, chile de arbol, and plaintain chips...amazing

Mexican-style Corn on the Cob

just like Cafe Habana's famous corn

Ceviche

so fresh and tasty

Contramar

tuna tostadas

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

the most amazing piece of cake...buttermilk cake, vanilla, rum, toasted coconut

Syrian Chicken Yakhni Soup

Savory Eats

The season is now spring, but the weather still thinks it's winter in New York City. I made one last soup to celebrate the final days of winter weather. This is one of my childhood favorites and this traditional Syrian recipe was passed down from my grandmother. This Chicken Yakhni recipe is savory with a hint of sweetness and is very light and delicious...

Ingredients:
*This recipe makes a lot of soup. Enough to feed 6 hungry people with plenty of leftovers.

• Soup
• 6 sweet yellow onions, sliced
• Half a stick of butter (1/4 cup)
• 64-96 ounces of chicken broth (enough to fully cover the onions and have a brothy consistency)
• 4 chicken breasts (I bought 2 roasted whole chickens), shredded
• Salt and pepper
• Rice (or use premade rice pilaf if you're feeling lazy)
• 1/2 cup of orzo (I used whole wheat)
• 1 cup of rice (again, I used whole wheat)
• ~2 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 can chickpeas, deshelled
• Salt

Recipe:

Soup

1. Slice up all the onions. Heat half a stick of butter in a large pot then add the onions. Saute and cook down the onions until they're golden brown. Season with about 1-2 Tbs of salt and a few teaspoons of pepper:

2. Pour in the chicken broth and let the soup cook for about 25 minutes at a simmer. Taste and keep adding salt until it is seasoned to your liking:

3. Meanwhile, shred the 4 chicken breasts and add half of the shredded chicken to the soup. Simmer for about 25 more minutes:

Rice

1. Brown the orzo in a tablespoon of butter. Add the rice. Add about 2 & 1/2 cups of chicken broth and/or water and cook as directed on the rice package:

2. Meanwhile, deshell 1/2 can of chickpeas and discard the shells:

3. When the rice is fully cooked, add the chickpeas and the rest of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste:

4. Pour the Chicken Yakhni soup on the rice pilaf and enjoy while hot!

Recipe to print:

Soup

1. Slice up all the onions. Heat half a stick of butter in a large pot then add the onions. Saute and cook down the onions until they're golden brown. Season with about 1-2 Tbs of salt and a few teaspoons of pepper.
2. Pour in the chicken broth and let the soup cook for about 25 minutes at a simmer. Taste and keep adding salt until it is seasoned to your liking.
3. Meanwhile, shred the 4 chicken breasts and add half of the shredded chicken to the soup. Simmer for about 25 more minutes.

Rice

1. Brown the orzo in a tablespoon of butter. Add the rice. Add about 2 & 1/2 cups of chicken broth and/or water and cook the rice as directed on the package.
2. Meanwhile, deshell 1/2 can of chickpeas.
3. When the rice is fully cooked, add the chickpeas and the rest of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour the Chicken Yakhni soup on the rice pilaf and enjoy while hot!