How to Make Your Own Easter Treats

(FeatureSource) Of all the holidays throughout the year, Easter has a unique charm that kids love. "Easter is synonymous with spring and renewal," says Vicki Lansky, author of "Feed Me! I'm Yours" (Meadowbrook Press).

"Even if kids don't get the full significance of the holiday, they can tell it's something special," Lansky says.

Lansky suggests creating your own baskets and going beyond the basic colored eggs to make the day truly special. Your children will appreciate the personal touch as they take part in the tradition.

Easter Baskets

A clean pipe cleaner makes the ideal handle for a homemade Easter basket. Simply attach the pipe cleaner to a rinsed margarine tub or plastic berry basket. You can weave ribbons in and out of the baskets and add some plastic grass for effect.

Or cut an egg carton into thirds to make cute four-egg baskets. Paint each section, add the pipe cleaner as a handle and tie it all up with a bow.

For a unique (and edible) basket, decorate a frosted cupcake with green-tinted coconut. Use a pipe cleaner to form the basket handle.

Easter Eggs

Always use hard-boiled eggs. They can take the stress of children's quick, active hands.
Soak the eggs for at least a half hour in bowls of hot water with food coloring. Use a different color in each bowl to achieve a rainbow of bright hues.

After removing the eggs, let them dry. Then have your children decorate the eggs with nontoxic magic markers. It's fun and easy to do, and it allows your children to express their creativity.

When they are finished, put a drop of shortening on their hands and have them rub the eggs. This will give each egg a shine and set the color. In addition, let your kids glue on ribbons, plastic eyes or other individualized touches. They will easily identify who made each egg when they hunt for them.

Easter Treats

Don't stop with Easter eggs. Make some egg-shaped cookies to continue the theme. All you have to do is bend and shape the open end of a cleaned six-ounce juice can into an oval. Now you have a holiday cookie cutter. To bake the treats, use a roll of refrigerated sugar cookies or make your own cookie dough.

You can also create a bunny ice cream dish. To do this, arrange three balls of vanilla ice cream on a plate. Use a large scoop for the body, a medium one for the head and a small one for the tail. Cover the ice cream with shredded coconut. Use jellybeans or almonds for the eyes and nose, and arrange licorice for whiskers. The ears can be paper cutouts.

For a healthier Easter treat, make a bunny salad. Place a canned pear half on a bed of lettuce. Add raisins for eyes, a strawberry for a nose and thin-sliced cheese for ears. Toothpicks will suffice for whiskers.

Your children will love the combination of tradition and uniqueness that your efforts bring to Easter. And perhaps some of your new ideas will become traditions of their own.

Lansky's "Feed Me! I'm Yours" offers hundreds of delicious recipes for the children in your life.

See Also:

An Easter Eggs-travaganza for Family and Friends
From egg races to candle eggs, author and party expert Penny Warner shares her ideas for a great Easter celebration.

There's More to Celebrating Easter than Easter-Egg Hunts
You can have fun on Easter while still remaining true to the spirit of the holiday. Discover from author Patti Sachs how to make your holiday gathering festive and fun.