Easter Eggs

Great ideas for a symbol of spring

The egg has been a symbol of new life and hopefulness in many different religions and cultures. Springtime, baby chicks, bunnies, and eggs all symbolize new life.

Coloring Easter eggs with your kids and playing games with the colorful creations are fun family activities that can provide lasting memories long after the eggs are eaten.

Celebrating Easter is a family affair for the Golightlys of Maryville, Mo. (pop. 10,581). On the Saturday before Easter, Brian Golightly and his wife, Rachel, get everything ready to color eggs with their three children. They use an egg coloring kit (available in most supermarkets) and coffee mugs. Brian and Rachel first use vinegar to dissolve the disks of color in the coffee mugs. Then, they add water and mix with a spoon. Rachel boiled the eggs earlier in the day so that they would be cool enough to handle. (See boiled egg recipe on page 7.)

When everything is ready, they call in the kids, Shelby, 9, Jackson, 5, and Jaren, 2. With the hard-boiled eggs and a box of crayons on the kitchen table, Shelby and Jackson begin by writing their names on an egg. Rachel writes Jaren’s name. The kids make crosses and designs using different colored crayons.

“White crayon shows up with any color dye,” Rachel says. “Or use opposite colors. Orange crayon shows up with blue dye, but doesn’t show up very well with pink.”

Then they gently drop the eggs into the mugs of color and stir with a spoon. (The Golightlys find that using a spoon is easier for their children than the wire holder that comes in the kit.) The longer they stir, the darker the color. Continual stirring gives an even color. Jackson is absorbed in stirring his egg in a bowl of blue dye.

“I love the coloring,” he says.

“I like coloring the eggs the best because I like to do crafts,” Shelby says.

“The younger kids like it to go faster,” Rachel says. “The older ones will take more time.”

When the coloring is complete, the eggs go back into egg cartons to be stored in the refrigerator. They color at least a dozen or two, enough to last several days.

Easter morning, Shelby, Jackson, and Jaren look through their Easter baskets. Rachel likes to fill the baskets with nonfood items such as coloring books, paints, or a CD, rather than candy. Then they get ready for church, dressing up in their Sunday best.

“While I’m getting the kids ready for church,” Rachel says, “Brian hides the eggs. When we are all ready, the kids go out to find them. I tell them to find a certain number of eggs. They always find the one with their name on it.”

Rachel especially likes hiding real eggs outdoors. “It’s neat for kids to find something outside that they are going to eat,” she says. “They know it didn’t grow out there, but it’s like picking fresh green beans.”

When they come in after the hunt is over, the children sit at the kitchen table and play a game, called “Top and Bottom.” First they carefully choose the egg they are going to eat for breakfast. They tap the top (the pointed end) of their egg with the top of the egg of the person to the right, then tap the other end of the egg (bottom) with egg of the person to the left. The person remaining with the uncracked egg wins. Then everyone peels and eats their egg. This is usually the time Brian or Rachel explains the religious symbolism and springtime meaning of Easter eggs.

“Everyone started from an egg,” Rachel says. “Eggs are like babies. They mean new life, new birth.”

Keep the Fun Rolling

After having an egg hunt, you and your family might enjoy staging an “Egg Roll.” The most famous Egg Roll takes place on the White House lawn, where thousands of children come to participate in the fun.

Here’s how you play: Mark the finish line. Line up eggs on a grassy hillside. Using your hands, help the eggs roll down the hill. See which one reaches the finish line without cracking. Or if you don’t mind a little chaos, play the wilder version: crash eggs into each other until only one unbroken egg remains, determining the winner.

Tips for coloring and hiding Easter eggs

• Dress your kids in washable, cotton play clothes.
• Let kids be messy, but not out of control.
• Put down newspapers to protect the work surface.
• White crayons work the best with any color dye.
• Use a different stainless steel spoon for each color dye.
• Have a roll of paper towels nearby for wet hands and for spills.
• Save the egg cartons to store the eggs, placing them in the refrigerator after they are colored.
• Count the eggs before and after you hide them.
• For young children, “hide” the eggs on the grass where they can easily be found; for older children, hide them out of sight.
• Tell the children how many eggs each child should find.
• If you decide to use plastic eggs, don’t fill them with chocolate, as it can melt.

A great way to use Easter eggs!

Stuffed Eggs with Cheese Sauce

• 4 stuffed egg halves, any recipe
• 4 green pepper slices, in rings
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 slices bread, toasted and cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place toast points on a baking sheet. Place an egg half and a green pepper ring on each piece. Bake just until warm, while making sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour, over medium heat, until well mixed. Add milk and stir until mixture is thick and free of lumps. Add cheese and stir over low heat until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Place warmed toast, egg and green pepper on two plates. Quickly pour 1/4 of the sauce mixture over each egg. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves two.

Tips From Our Test Kitchen: Season sauce with a teaspoon of curry powder, or try a bagel or English muffin in place of the toast.

Thanks to reader Audrey Misner ofPrice, Utah, for her recipe.

Amy Houts is a freelance writer in Maryville, Mo.

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