Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Easter Brunch - Quiche, Soup & Salad

Spinach or broccoli quiche, carrot soup (naturally), and salad.

Of course this is easy! Simple recipes are The Extraordinary Mother's way. But you can also impress your guests - or at least treat yourself to extraordinary, delicious, healthy meals!



Quiche

Shopping List
3 Eggs
1 cup cream (you may use half n half)
8oz Swiss cheese (cheddar may be substituted – taste will be milder)
1pkg frozen spinach (or broccoli)
1 frozen pie shell

Pantry Check
Onion
Butter
Flour
Black pepper



Thaw and drain spinach (or broccoli). Chop then sauté onion in butter. In a small bowl combine flour and cheese. In a larger bowl beat eggs then add cream and dash of pepper. Add cheese mixture, onion, and vegetable. Mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Yes, it IS that easy! Let me know if your guests don’t keep asking you, “You really made this yourself?”

Carrot Soup

Shopping List
2 Apples
Carrots (4 carrots minimum, I use more for a thicker soup)
1 cup white wine
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

Pantry Check
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Black pepper
Ground ginger

The great thing about soup is there is just chopping, cooking, and then pureeing. Easy as pie? No, easier! Also, everything is made in one pot, so choose one big enough and begin by melting TBSP of butter in saucepan. Sauté chopped onion and garlic. Add chopped apple and carrot and sauté about 4 minutes). Add wine and broth. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer. Sprinkle soup with pepper and ginger and simmer 20 minutes.

Next, an immersion blender is your best friend, but a blender will do. Either puree with the immersion blender or in batches in the blender.

Serve quiche and soup with a salad (green or caesar). For dessert serve homemade carrot cake - that recipe is for another day!


HELPFUL TOOLS

Monday, March 29, 2010

The EM's Easter Egg Hunt

Thanksgiving is loooong over. Christmas is past. Even the excitement of the new year has been swept away by the lingering winter. Well, how about reconnecting with your children’s playdates, their mothers and fathers, and getting everyone outside (at least for a bit). The Extraordinary Mother recommends hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch! Exchange the winter blues for spring hues (yellow, pink, and purple). Get some fresh air. Eat some good food. Watch the kids get rejuvenated! I did all of the above this past weekend and couldn't recommend it more strongly. It was a blast!

Activity
Obviously the Easter egg hunt is the main event. For six little ones (ages 3-4) I filled over 200 plastic eggs. Yes, some had candy, but most had stickers, small toys, and squishy balls. Guests were asked to bring a basket for the hunt.

Menu
Quiche
Caesar salad
Bagels and cream cheese
Fruit (bananas, oranges, apples)
Coffee
Orange juice
Mimosas
Juice boxes

(Look for the quiche recipe later this week)

The Photo Gallery

THE EASTER PAPA HIDING EGGS














EASTER EGG HUNTERS




POST-HUNT

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Perfect Easter Basket . . .

. . . does it need to be filled with candy?

Wow, I just saw this blog where the posts trashed the mother who suggested an Easter basket without candy. They were stating how this is a once-a-year treat, and if you are giving your child healthy nutritional snacks all year then this once is okay, and an Easter basket simply isn’t about healthy snacks. Please note that I am paraphrasing in the nicest way; these moms were pretty annoyed at the thought of a “healthy” Easter basket.

Well, I couldn’t completely side with those moms; I am not in favor of a basketful of candy. There are lots of treats for Easter that will not contribute to a dentist bill, obesity, diabetes, or a plain ol’ sugar high. Perhaps rounding out a chocolate Easter bunny with some of the following ideas will create an Easter basket your child will love so much that they won’t even miss the sweets.

Healthy treats
almonds
small boxes of raisins
craisins




Other food ideas
homemade cookies
pretzels
sugar free bubblegum



Toys
pencils
erasers
matchbox cars
plastic eggs filled with coins




Just plain fun stuff
bubble bath
bath toys
toothbrush (something “cool” probably with a character or it spins or both!)
toothpaste
crayons
markers
play-doh
sidewalk chalk
jump rope
movie tickets
DVD



Well, it is just a thought. Quite honestly, we do not do Easter baskets at all! And this year we are hosting our first annual Easter egg hunt and brunch. What a way to kick off spring; and wait until you see this menu! My son cannot wait for his "Easter Party!"