Scuba Diving Easter Eggs

Here’s another project I found online that was just too cute to resist giving it a try. I saw these on Spoonful.com and fell in love with these little guys. You can’t help but smile when you look at them. What a perfect centerpiece for your Easter table setting! I used hard boiled eggs to make these, but if you plan on keeping them around for a while, you may want to blow out the eggs instead. If you don’t have all the items you need on hand, it’s easy to improvise. I couldn’t find colored rubber bands in a small enough size, so I used colored permanent markers to color the bands. Also, our local office supply store didn’t carry the 3/4-inch round labels for the face, so I used a 3/4-inch washer, traced around it with a black permanent marker on a regular mailing label and cut it out. Because of the small parts involved, I wouldn’t recommend working on these with little tots; but older kiddos will have a blast creating these. These are fun, different and EGG-stra special!
  

I had planned on using children's ponytail bands, but they wouldn't stay on the egg, so I switched to rubber bands.

Prepare egg dye according to package directions. Dye the bottom third of the egg. Allow to dry.

While the eggs are drying, you can put together the diving mask and face. The mask is nothing more than a water bottle cap.  Adhere a 3/4-inch round label to the center of the cap. 

Attach craft eyes, or just draw on eyes with a black permanent marker.

Again, I ended up using rubber bands instead of bands above (which wouldn't stay put on the egg).

When egg is dry, slip rubber band over the top of the egg, about a quarter of the way down. Glue the bottle cap on to the rubber band.

Trim a flexible straw by cutting 1-inch above and 2-inches below the flexible section. Bend it into a snorkel shape. Glue in place.

Cut flippers from self-adhesive foam (or use poster board). Go here for the template. 

Glue them to the egg, adhesive side of foam down. Let dry thoroughly. 

 While the flipper feet were drying, I propped little divers up against a tall (heavy) glass.

The adhesive side of foam will be used to stick the finished eggs to the display surface, or inside of a glass. 

SCUBA DIVING EASTER EGGS
Source: Spoonful.com (Family Fun Magazine)
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

ITEMS NEEDED: 

• Easter egg dye
• White eggs, hard-boiled or blown out
• 3/4-inch round white adhesive labels
• 1-inch water bottle caps (clear)
• Craft eyes, or just draw eyes with a black permanent marker
• Small rubber bands, preferably colored
• White glue, or glue gun (I used Super Glue)
• Flexible straws
• Self-adhesive foam, or poster board
• Small clear glasses, for display (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare egg dye according to package directions. Dye the bottom third of the egg. Allow to dry. 
2. While the eggs are drying, put together the diving mask and face. The mask is nothing more than a
    water bottle cap.  Adhere a 3/4-inch round label to the center of the cap. Attach craft eyes, or just
    draw on eyes with a black permanent marker.
3. When egg is dry, slip rubber band over the top of the egg, about a quarter of the way down. Glue the
    bottle cap on to the rubber band.
4. Trim a flexible straw but cutting 1-inch above and 2-inches below the flexible section. Bend it into a
    snorkel shape. Glue in place.
5. Cut flippers from self-adhesive foam (or use poster board). Go here for the template. Glue them to
    the egg, adhesive side of foam down. Let dry thoroughly. The adhesive side of foam will be used to
    stick the finished eggs to the display surface, or inside of a glass.

Southwestern Deviled Eggs

Along with Easter comes an abundance of hard boiled eggs. You’ve dyed, decorated and hunted. How do you make the most of leftover Easter eggs? What always comes to mind first for me is deviled eggs. A popular party appetizer in the 50s and 60s, deviled eggs still have retro appeal today. Today you are more apt to see them at BBQs and brunches (more casual gatherings), but their popularity re-emerges during the Easter holiday. They are quick and easy to prepare, convenient (because they are a finger food), and always a crowd pleaser. But, just because you are serving a vintage canapé doesn’t mean you have to use a traditional recipe. By adding ingredients like salsa, green onion, cumin and Cheddar cheese, you can give these party staples a trendier spin. Now you have an “incredible, edible egg.” But, you better make sure you color enough eggs, because these will disappear fast.

Finely chop green onions. If Cheddar cheese shreds are on the large side (like mine are in the above pic), chop it a little more. 

Try to use the “chunkiest” salsa you can get. If the salsa has too much liquid in it, your egg filling can end up loose and not stiff enough to stuff eggs. Drain off any excess liquid from salsa before adding to yolk mixture. (If, however, your finished filling still ends up looser than you would like, you can still firm it by refrigerating it for a half hour or longer.)

Even though this recipe calls for 6 hard boiled eggs, I always boil 7 eggs. During the boiling process, I often end up with an egg that cracks in the water. I usually dispose of the whites of the 7th egg, but I do add the yolk of that additional egg to the filling mixture.

Over the years, I’ve had countless failures with the “simple” task of hard boiling an egg. I would overcook them, resulting in rubbery whites and gray shadowed yolks, or I’d mutilate the overall shape and appearance of the egg in my destructive attempts to remove the unyielding shell. After much trial and error, this method works for me 100% of the time. 

Place eggs in pot of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce temperature to medium. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 12 minutes. (Other sources say after the water boils to immediately remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 12 to 15 minutes. I’ve found that this method is not always fool-proof; that’s why I give it an additional 5 minutes on lower heat. It ensures the egg is hard boiled, yet you still get a perfect yellow colored yolk and non-rubbery white, each and “every” time.) 

Drain hot water from pot and continue to add cold water to pot until water is completely cool. Add a generous amount of ice cubes to the pot and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the egg no longer has any warmth to it. The colder the egg is, the easier the shell will be to remove (and less likely to stick to the egg white). 

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bow. 

Mash yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, salsa (well drained), sour cream, green onion and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all up. I usually use a hand mixer to do this, but that's a "personal" preference, as Mike likes a "creamier" filling (with no lumps).

Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator. 

SOUTHWESTERN DEVILED EGGS
Source: Cooking with Paula Deen, Mar/Apr 2006
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled* (See note below)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chunky salsa, drained
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Additional green onions, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
2. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onion and
    cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Use fork or hand mixer to blend, depending on consistency you
    want.)
3. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired. Store in
    refrigerator.

Yields: 12 servings

*Note:  You only need 6 hard boiled eggs (not 7). The extra egg will allow for breakage of 1 during the boiling process. Make use of the 7th yolk by adding to filling mixture, but discard of the egg white on extra egg. This will also allow you to put more filling in the eggs.

Baked French Swirl Toast

 

I function in slow motion in the morning, at least until I’ve inhaled about 3 cups of coffee. (Actually, I don’t function at all until I get an ample dosage of caffeine.) So, anytime I come across a breakfast recipe that gives me the option of prepping the night before, then just placing in the oven in the AM, I’m all on-board. And if that PM prep only takes 5 minutes, now, you’ve got my full attention. I was a little surprised at the reviews this recipe received; they either loved it, or hated it. On the other hand, the ones that hated it, clearly adapted the recipe (in major ways), by cutting back on eggs, or substituting skim milk for half-and-half. I can never understand how some people can totally rip apart a recipe in their review, without ever trying to make it the way it was intended to be made. Granted, there are “little” things you can change in a recipe, to make it more taste appropriate for your family. But to completely (100%) revamp the recipe, then to complain incessantly about the way it turned out; whose fault is that? I’ll get off my podium now and give my opinion of this recipe (which is much more favorable, btw). Whenever instructions offer the option of refrigerating 1 hour, or overnight, I go with the overnight, especially with French toast (it always tastes better after soaking up all the egg and milk; and I used half-and-half, because I thought the addition of cream would yield a firmer texture (which it did). We were delighted with the results. The smell of warm cinnamon bread while it was baking, only added to the anticipation. It was everything we expected it to be, and more. A fruit topping (like warm apples….yum) would definitely bring it over the top in flavor; but that’s an easy fix. 

Missing from photo: vanilla extract.

Generously butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish. (I never substitute non-stick cooking spray when making French toast, as the butter only adds to the flavor.)

Cut the bread into cubes; place in a large bowl. 

Add the raisins (or dried cranberries) and toss to combine. Transfer to buttered baking dish.

Beat the eggs, half-and-half and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a whisk.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. 

Press the bread cubes into the egg mixture, so bread cubes are fully submerged in liquid.

Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour, or overnight (preferably overnight).

In the morning, preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I left it in the oven for 47 minutes. The sides will be all puffy when you remove from oven.

Place on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes. (The puffiness will go down and it will level out.)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar. I used powdered sugar, as cinnamon sugar seemed like overkill to me.

Serve with butter and syrup.

What changes would I make the next time? Like I said, some fruit flavor would be ideal. I might soak the raisins in orange juice for a few hours before adding to bread cubes, then add some orange zest to the egg mixture. An orange infusion of some sort would help boost the flavor. Or, I’d heat up some sliced apples in a sugar syrup to serve with the French toast.

 
BAKED FRENCH SWIRL TOAST
Source: Campbell's Kitchen
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 loaf (16-ounces) Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread (without raisins), cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)
• 6 eggs 
• 3 cups half-and-half (or milk, but half-and-half works best for a firmer texture)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• Powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar, for serving
• Whipped butter
• Pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the bread cubes and raisins (or dried cranberries) into a generously buttered 3-quart shallow baking
    dish.
2. Beat the eggs, half-and-half and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes.
4. Press the bread cubes into the egg mixture to submerge. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or, preferably, overnight.
5. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered, or 
    cinnamon sugar. Serve with the butter and syrup.

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

This has got to be one of the most flavorful Mexican casseroles I have ever tried. However, even though I’m extremely fond of “spicy” food, I have a difficult time categorizing this as a “breakfast” dish. Personally, I’d be more inclined to serve it for dinner; but, a late brunch would be okay, as well. This was my first experience with chorizo. I was expecting a semi-soft spicy sausage, that you squeeze out of the natural casings and crumble (like Italian sausage). What I got, was a very wet, soft sausage, in an inedible plastic casing-shaped bag that I had to cut open. The flavor was wonderful, but the texture left me puzzled. (I think next time I’ll look for natural casing links.) This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe, has a 5-star rating and tons of rave reviews. There were no images with the recipe, so, I just followed along with the directions, not quite sure what the final result was supposed to look like. This is an “overnight” casserole, which is my favorite kind (you do all the prep the night before, then just pop it in the oven in the AM). This dish has it all: chorizo, roasted poblanos, corn tortillas, onions, bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, pepper jack and cheddar cheeses, hot sauce – a real Mexican Fiesta of flavor! The eggs get kind of lost in the wide array of ingredients; however, it does yield a nice, almost custard-like texture. Preparation takes a little time, but, if you like spicy Mexican, it is so worth the extra effort. I can see this being a big hit at a Super Bowl party; or pin it, and save it for that Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Roast the peppers. You can do this by placing them on an open gas flame, turning them often with tongs, until all sides are charred black (7 to 10 minutes). Peel, seed and cut in half lengthwise. 

Or, you can roast them under a broiler, which is what I did. I sliced them in half, seeded them, placed them “skin side up” on a foil lined baking sheet.

I then put them on highest oven rack and broiled for 12 to 15 minutes. 
 

Place the blackened peppers in a resealable plastic, or paper, bag; seal and let rest about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers. If you have a tough time removing all the skin; I found that lightly “shaving” the skin with a serrated steak knife worked well to remove the stubborn pieces of skin.

Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Spread the roasted poblanos in a flat layer across the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

In large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat (?? mine was already broken up). Cook until browned. Add the onions and bell peppers to skillet and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook for an additional 1 minute. Remove from the heat; set aside. If necessary, drain.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine the green onions, cilantro, pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. Mix well.

Cut corn tortillas in quarters.

Note: You may want to add more tortillas than this recipe calls for. It was kind of skimpy. I would add at least 1 more tortilla, quartered; maybe even more. You may also need additional poblano peppers to fully line bottom of dish, depending on the size of the peppers.

Spoon 1/3 of the chorizo mixture over the poblanos in the dish. 

Top with 1/3 of the tortilla quarters and 1/3 of the cheese mixture.

 Repeat layering, ending with a cheese layer.

Pour the egg mixture over all the ingredients. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown, and a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean (1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and picante sauce, if desired.

MEXICAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
Source: Emeril Lagasse, 2001
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com



INGREDIENTS:

• 6 poblano chile peppers, about 1 1/2 pounds (more if peppers are on the small side)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1-1/2 pounds Mexican chorizo, or other hot sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup    chopped red bell peppers
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 5 corn tortillas, quartered
• 10 large eggs   
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, green tops only
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1-1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
• 1-1/2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese
• Sour Cream, optional, for garnish
• Picante Sauce (store bought), optional, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast the peppers. You can do this by placing them on an open gas flame, turning them often with
     tongs, until all sides are charred black (7 to 10 minutes). Peel, seed, and cut in half lengthwise.
     Or, you can roast them under a broiler, which is what I did. I sliced them in half, seeded them, placed
     them “skin side up” on a foil lined baking sheet. I then put them on highest oven rack and broiled for
     12 to 15 minutes. Place the blackened peppers in a resealable plastic, or paper, bag; seal and let rest
     about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers. If you have a tough time removing all the skin; I found that
     lightly “shaving” the skin with a serrated steak knife worked well to remove the stubborn pieces of
     skin.
2.  Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Spread the chiles in a flat layer across the bottom of the dish.
3.  In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat, until
     browned. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chili
     powder, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
4.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and half-and-half with the hot sauce, salt and black pepper.
5.  In another bowl, combine the green onions, cilantro, pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. Mix well.
6.  Spoon 1/3 of the sausage mixture over the chiles in the dish, top with 1/3 of the tortilla quarters, and
     1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering, ending with a cheese layer. Pour the egg mixture over the
     ingredients. Let rest, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
7.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.
8.  Bake until bubbly and golden brown, and a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean (1
     hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before
     serving. Serve with sour cream and picante sauce.

Yield: 10 servings