Red, White, and Blue

* * * It was a fun-filled red, white, and blue day * * *

Handmade Easter

This year for Easter we tried a lot of new handmade versions of old traditions.

We tried coloring Easter eggs naturally with plant dyes.

We made some papier mache Easter eggs.

I only saw the idea a few days before Easter, so I only got one made per basket, but I can see this being a long-term replacement for the plastic eggs. It’s a lot of fun to have to bust and rip open the eggs to get to treats hidden inside!

And finally, I tried growing grass in the Easter basket instead of using the crinkly plastic stuff.

I’ve seen this idea for a few years and have never remembered early enough to do it.  I used wheat berries (kernels) and they take about two weeks to look good.  Also, my wheat is pretty old and a little bug-eaten, so my germination rate wasn’t fantastic.  So, though I would have liked the grass to be a bit thicker, it turned out OK and I think it was a lot of fun to have the eggs in actual grass!

 

A More Natural Birthday

I can’t help but feeling like there may be an end to the traditional birthday cake in the future of our family.  In our attempts to take care of our bodies and live more conscientiously our traditional birthday cakes seem a little out of place.  Also, after having celebrated 11 birthdays already and we’re not even through the potty-training years–we have quite a few more birthdays coming.  So we may forgo the traditional birthday cake simply out of boredom!  (My sister-in-law with three kids all born in the same month as well as already being the birthday month of an aunt and a grandpa can tell you all about being tired of birthday cake.)

I see the future of birthday cakes in our house as being very open.  Jeremy always requests a chocolate chip applesauce cake for his birthday.  I imagine lot’s more homemade cakes from our favorite recipes and new ones as well, and maybe cheesecakes, or trifle’s or hearty bread pudding or even creme brulee made from fresh backyard chicken eggs.  The point is, my last lingering desire was to not give up the tradition of birthday candles–they’re so festive and make the celebration so special.

Last year I found this wooden birthday train for my boys.  I’d seen the Waldorf birthday rings around and appreciated the function and the aesthetic, but I wanted something more personal for our family.  This little wooden train is perfect for my three little boys who love, love trains.  Last year we inaugurated the birthday train, placing it along side the decked-out birthday cakes.  But as time goes on, this train will become more special to my boys–a tradition a symbol of good times as a family.  Slowly the train will take the prominent position on the birthday table.  And sometimes there will be cake and sometimes there may be something a little different.  But the boys will feel special, and loved, and connected to each other by this little wooden birthday train, and that’s what I really want of a birthday celebration.

 

Fresh Homemade Egg Nog

This recipe for homemade egg nog, comes from my grandmother who would serve it every Christmas Eve in her home. It was always a huge family get together and I love the memories I have associated with this egg nog. My grandmother always used regular grocery store eggs, but we love getting eggs fresh from our backyard. (I will also use pasteurized eggs from the grocery store when I’m serving it to friends who may worry about raw eggs.)

Homemade egg nog is a different texture than what you buy in a carton at the store. Homemade gets it’s thick, but light texture from air that is whipped into it. Carton egg nog is thickened by gelatin and other artificial thickeners that hold up in transportation better than little air bubbles.  Homemade may be different, but I think that’s a good thing–it usually is.

Homemade Egg Nog Recipe

6 eggs, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups cream, divided
2 cups milk
1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp rum flavoring
freshly grated nutmeg

Put 6 egg yolks in a large mixing bowl, beat until light-colored. Gradually add in sugar. With the mixer running, slowly add in 1 cup of the cream, the milk, vanilla, and rum flavoring. (1/2 a teaspoon is all the rum flavoring I add in because I’m not actually a drinker. If you prefer it a bit more “boozy” tasting then add the full teaspoon.)

In a separate bowl mix remaining 1 cup of cream and two of the egg whites, whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the milk and egg yolks mixture. Serve right away sprinkled with a touch of nutmeg.

**I prefer using regular whipping cream over “heavy” whipping cream if you have the option, I just felt it came together better in the end. Use your leftover egg whites to make homemade meringues, pavlova, or angel food cake.**

Let me know if you give it a try for the holidays this year!