Carrot Cake- Submitted by Christi

1 cup Oil, 1 cup Sugar, 1 cup Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 4 per serving Eggs, 2 cups Flour, whole wheat, 1/3 cup Dry milk, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, 2 teaspoons Cinnamon, 3 cups Carrots; shredded, 1 cup Walnuts; chopped

In large bowl, blend oil and sugars on low until well mixed. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts and carrots by hand. Pour batter into well greased and floured 10" tube pan or fluted pan. Bake at 350f for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan, then top with powdered sugar or frosting of your choice

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Eggy Fried Breads- Submitted by Sherry

This recipe serves 4.

4 x 2cm/3/4 in thick slices white or brown bread, 60ml/4tbsp vegetable oil, 4 Large Lion Quality eggs, 50g/2oz mature Cheddar, grated, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, Grilled bacon and tomatoes to serve

Use a 7.5cm/3 in round cutter to cut out a circle from the centre of each slice of bread and discard. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and when hot, add the slices of bread and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown on one side - do this in batches if you don't have a large enough pan.

Turn over the bread, then crack an egg into the centre of each slice, season with salt and pepper; if required, then scatter the cheese over the egg. Cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the eggs have set. Serve hot with grilled bacon and tomatoes.

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Classic Boiled Egg & Soldiers- Submitted by Sherry

2 Large eggs, 4 slices bread, white or wholemeal, Low fat spread or butter, Marmite (optional)

Bring a small pan of cold water to boil and carefully lower in the eggs with a slotted spoon. Boil gently for 4 minutes then remove from the pan and place into egg cups. Meanwhile, toast the bread and spread with low fat spread or butter and add a thin layer of Marmite (optional). Cut each toast slice into long fingers, cut the top off the eggs and serve.

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Edible Easter Basket- Submitted by Sherry

Waffle style Sundae bowls, Red licorice (Twizzlers), Jelly beans, Melted chocolate (or white choc.), Coconut tinted with green food coloring Place waffle bowl on plate. Use melted chocolate to attach handle (twizzler) to the waffle bowl. You made need to shorten the twizzler some. Hold the twizzler in place until the chocolate sets up some. Sprinkle coconut around bottom of basket and add jelly beans to the side of the basket with a little more chocolate. Fill basket with your favorite easter goodies.

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Easter Egg Sandwiches- Submitted by Sherry

Cut egg shapes out of bread slices. Tint sweetened cream cheese with food coloring and spread it onto the egg shapes. Then invite your child to decorate the shapes, using such items as raisins, fruit bits, nuts, or grated coconut.

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Marshmellow Bunny- Submitted by Lisa in Va

(Makes 2 bunnies)

5 large marshmallows, 1 (8 inch) piece shoestring licorice, 10 miniature marshmallows, 2 tablespoons canned white frosting, Assorted candies for decorating

Stack 2 large marshmallows, securing with some frosting, for each bunny. Tie licorice around middle of each marshmallow to separate head and body sections of bunny. Cut remaining large marshmallow into quarters lengthwise; using frosting attach 2 quarters for ears to each bunny head. Attach 4 miniature marshmallows for bunny paws and 1 for cottontail to each bunny with remaining frosting. Use assorted candies to make faces. Let dry.

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Easter Bunny Cake- Submitted by Lisa in VA

Don't look at the length of these directions and think this will take a long time; we're just careful to explain it in detail. You can make a layer with a small cake mix or half of a regular-size mix, or buy an already baked sponge-cake layer.

1 baked 9-inch round cake layer, 2 cups homemade or purchased vanilla frosting, 2 cups flaked coconut, Food coloring, 1/4 cup mixed jelly eggs, Parchment paper or clean white poster board

Measure and carefully cut cake layer in half to make 2 half circles. Spread some frosting on the bottom of one half. Place bottom of other half of cake layer on frosting and press together; you'll now have a double-layer half circle. Set cake on serving platter with straight cut side down and curved side up. Starting 2 inches up from plate on curved side of cake, cut diagonally down to plate to remove a wedge of cake that is about 2 1/2-inches along the bottom.

Transfer the piece of cake you removed to the opposite end of the cake to form the head of the bunny, frosting the side you just cut to the baked rounded edge of the cake. Set aside 1/3 cup coconut. Frost the entire bunny, adding a swirl of frosting for the tail. Coat all of bunny except the tail with the remaining coconut. In a small custard cup, combine 1 drop red food coloring with 1 drop water. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved coconut and stir until the coconut has been colored pink. Press pink coconut onto bunny's tail.

In a small bowl, combine 2 drops green food coloring with 2 drops water. Add remaining reserved coconut and stir until the coconut has been colored green. Sprinkle green coconut on platter around bunny. Press 2 black jelly eggs onto head for eyes and 1 pink jelly egg for a nose. Arrange remaining jelly eggs in "grass" around bunny. Cut two 7- by 2-inch rectangles; fold in half lengthwise. Trim each to a point on either end. Open and insert into cake just above head for ears.

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Decorating Tips Using Easter Cookie Cutters- Submitted by Lisa in VA

Cut bunnies or chicks from pita breads. Separate, spread with butter and sprinkle with garlic or chili powder and toast until crisp to serve with dips.

Press cookie cutters 1/4 inch into top surface of biscuits, scones or yeast rolls just before baking to imprint with a pattern.

Trace around cookie cutters and make paper patterns. Arrange on top of a cake or pie and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar; carefully remove to reveal designs.

Press cookie cutters into the top of baked potatoes; peel off skin inside cutout for design.

Cut as many bunnies and chicks as possible from a frozen pie shell. Arrange cutouts on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with colored sugar, pressing sugar into pastry. Bake and cool. To serve, insert into a scoop of ice cream or sorbet.

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Easter Flowers- Submitted by Lisa in VA

6 Spring Oreo or Double Stuf Sandwich cookies, 4 oz. white chocolate melted, 12 popsicle sticks, 1 1/2 to 2 c. mini marshmallows

Split cookies, leaving filling on one side. For each flower, spoon about 2 tsp. melted white chocolate onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Center tip of popsicle stick in chocolate, turning to coat both sides. Place 1 cookie half on top of stick, pressing down so that chocolate flows around edges of cookie. Attach mini marshmallows to edges of cookie to form a flower, using chocolate to hold marshmallows in place. Repeat with reamining cookies and marshmallows. Refrigerate until set.

Center each flower on a 12 inch sheet of colored plastic wrap and gather at pop stick, twist to seal and tie. Can be used as placecards. Write names on with decorator gel. Refrigerate until set. To use as a garden centerpiece, stand several floweres in a large planter filled with florist foam. Top foam with crumpled green plastic wrap to simulate grass.

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Easter Snack Mix- Submitted by Lisa in VA

(makes 5 cups mix)

1 -18 oz. package mini oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, 2 c. honeycom shaped cereal, 1 c. jellybeans, 15 Easter baking cups, colored plastic wrap

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place about 1/3 mix in baking cups. Center each cup on a 12 inch sheet of colored plastic wrap. Gather wrap at top, seal and decorate with ribbon.

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Chick Cupcakes- Submitted by Lisa in VA

36 Spring Oreos or Oreo Double Stuf chocolate sandwich cookies, 1 (18.25 oz. ) package yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions, 1 (16 oz. ) can vanilla frosting, decorator frosting or gel, assorted colors

Split cookies, leaving filling on one side of each cookie. Coarsely chop plain split cookies and set aside. Cut 12 split cookies with filling into quarters. (you will have 24 split cookes and 48 quartered split cookie pieces, all with filling on one side.) Fold chopped plain cookie pieces into prepeared cake batter. Spoon batter into 24 paper lines(2 1/2) muffin pan cups.Bake cupcakes according to package directions or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from pan and set on wire racks to cool completely.

Frost cupcakes with prepared frosting. Place a whole split cookie filling side up on each frosted cupcake. Attach 1 cookie quarter to front of whole cookie for head, and another quarter onto whole cookie for wing, attaching with frosting if needed. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and cookies.Decorate chicks with colored decorator gels or frosting. Picture shows a dot for eyes, a little line for beak, and under the whole split cookie little legs, a line with a n inverted v.

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Rice Crispies Easter Eggs- Submitted by Lisa in VA

Make your favorite rice crispy treat recipe(found on box of rice crispies). Shape into eggs, roll in sprinkles/candies if desired. Wrap in colored plastic wrap. Store in decorated egg carton.

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Cooking Eggs- Submitted by Sherry

Let your child help you prepare scrambled eggs, or make an egg sandwich. For scrambled eggs, your child can mix the eggs and milk together, and you should cook them. But if you have a microwave, the egg sandwich works better. To make an egg sandwich, take one egg, put it in a clean dish, a clean cream cheese container works well, because it is round. Have your child scramble the egg and place a piece of cheese on top. Place the container in the microwave, and place a lid on top, or paper towel, but make sure that the cover is NOT air tight.

Cook for about 40 seconds, check to see if it is cooked all the way through, cook a little more if needed. Then toast an english muffin, or bread, and butter. Put the egg and cheese on the bread or muffin and serve. My son loves to push the buttons on the microwave, and set the toaster, but these things should only be done under close adult supervision.

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Easter Story Cookies- Submitted by Sherry

1 c. whole pecans, 1 tsp. vinegar, 3 egg whites, pinch salt, 1 c. sugar, zipper baggie, wooden spoon, tape, Bible

Preheat oven to 300° F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

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Resurrection Cookies- Submitted by Sherry

large marshmellows, biscuit dough, bowl of melted margarine, bowl of cinnamon and sugar

Have the children flatten the uncooked bisuits. Wrap a marshmellow in each one and pinch the edges tightly together. Dip the dough balls into melted margarine and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Bake the biscuit at 375 degress for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. When the biscuits are cool, give one to each person. They'll get a big surprize when they bite into the treats. They'll be hollow and empty, just like Jesus' tomb.

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Bunny Treat- Submitted by Sherry

Take an english muffin. Cut in half. Keep one circle and cut the other in half for ears. Spread peanut butter and marshmellow fluff on them. Give him jelly bean eyes and nose. Use stick pretzels for wiskers....( I would think shoestring red licorice. would work better) You have a bunny treat!

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Easter Basket Cake- Submitted by Patrisha

Turn an oval or round cake into a charming Easter basket by icing the sides in a basket-weave pattern, and topping it off with your favorite Marshmallow Peeps® and Bunnies. Then scatter Peeps Jelly Beans for a festive touch.

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Charming Peeps Cottage- Submitted by Patrisha

Make a cookie cottage using a pint sized milk carton, graham crackers and white canned icing. Simply cover the carton with icing and place graham crackers to form walls and a roof. Decorate with colorful Peeps Jelly Beans and surround with Marshmallow Peeps® and Bunnies for a festive touch.

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Tic-Tac-Toe Dessert- Submitted by Patrisha

Decorate a standard-size 8" square sheet cake with blue and white icing to form a tic-tac-toe grid. Then place blue Bunnies to make the X's and yellow Peeps to make the O's.

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Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Peeps®- Submitted by Patrisha

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, toothpicks, Marshmallow Peeps® . Melt Bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Using a toothpick, dip a frozen Marshmallow Peeps® Chick in the chocolate, swirling until covered. Let excess drip off. Place toothpick in Styrofoam so the Marshmallow Peeps® Chick can dry. Once dry, place Marshmallow Peeps® on tray and put in the refrigerator to harden.

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Marshmallow Peeps® Caramel- Submitted by Patrisha

Arrange your Marshmallow Peeps® (2 to 5 clusters) in a circle facing outward shoulder to shoulder. Drizzle with warm caramel and add a scoop of your favorite ice cream in the center. Serve as a glorious dessert.

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Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Peeps®- Submitted by Patrisha

Using piping hot whole milk, add chocolate/cocoa and stir. Sprinkle cinnamon, them a Marshmallow Peeps® Chick and let stand for 1-2 minutes

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The Marshmallow Easter Peepster Basket- Submitted by Patrisha

Ingredients: Approximately 20-30 (yellow, pink, white, blue or lavender) Marshmallow Peeps® , 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, 12 oz. Peeps Jelly Beans, or 10 oz. Bag Just Born® Jelly Beans, one small bag shredded white coconut and green food coloring.

Take four Marshmallow Peeps® still connected and flatten with palm of your hand to create bottom of the basket. Assemble still connected Peeps around the perimeter of the bottom of the basket (approximately 12-15 Peeps).

In a small bowl, mix 2 cups confectioner’s sugar with enough water to make thick icing. Place the icing in a plastic sandwich bag and snip the end of the bag. To hold the sides to the bottom, squeeze the icing around the perimeter of the basket. For any gaps between the basket and bottom, simply place a jelly bean in hole and squeeze icing around.

Place basket in refrigerator until icing has hardened, about three hours. When icing has hardened, remove basket from refrigerator. Mix drops of green food coloring with coconut to resemble grass and fill basket with coconut, Marshmallow Peeps® and delicious Peeps Jelly Beans or Just Born® Jelly Beans (Assorted, Berry, Spicy, Licorice) and voila - an Easter Peepster Basket!

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Bunny Dessert- Submitted by Sherry
(makes 4)

2 C cold Milk, 1 pgk instant pudding, 2 sticks black licorice, 1/4 cup vanilla frosting, red food coloring, 8 vienna fingers, 8 green jelly beans, 4 pink jelly beans

Beat milk and pudding till thickened, Pour into small dish:refrigerate Cut licorice into into 4ths: set aside Color the frosting:frost top of cookies to within 1/2" of edge. Just before serving add green jelly bean eyes, pink nose and licrice whiskers!

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Bunny Biscuits- Submitted by Sherry

For each bunny you need two refridgerator biscuits. Cut the first one into thirds, use the two end pieces as ears to attach to the other biscuit. Use raisins for the eyes, red candy for the nose and licorice for the whiskers. Bake as directed.

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Bunny in a Garden- Submitted by Sherry

Used canned pear halves. Slice two strips from one half for the ears. Place a complete pear half face down on a bed of lettuce. Shred carrots for whiskers. Decorate as you wish.

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Easter Egg Cake- Submitted by Sherry

your favorite box cake, any flavor, yellow and green food coloring, white icing (recipe below), green, orange, yellow, and pink decorator gel, white decorator frosting, decorating tip, gumdrops, silver non pareils, round cake pans

Note: This cake uses one round cake pan. Therefore, you can make two Easter egg cakes, or make cupcakes with the remaining batter.

Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour half the prepared batter into round cake pan and bake as directed on box. Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting and decorating.

Prepare the white icing by following the recipe below. When finished, remove 3/4 cup of the frosting to a seperate bowl. Add a two drops of green food coloring to the small bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add three drops of yellow food coloring to the large bowl of white frosting, stir thoroughly.

White Buttercream Icing

16-ounce package confectioners sugar, 6 tbsp butter or margarine, softened, 3 to 4 tbsp milk, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat all ingredients until the icing is smooth and of easy spreading consistency. Add a few drops of red food coloring, 3 for light pink, 6 or so for dark pink.

When cake is COMPLETELY cooled, cut a straight line, off center, down the cake so that you are removing a rectangular piece from the center of the circle. (See photo) Place rectangle at the bottom of your cake platter, position remaining half circles together to form oval. Place above the rectangle as if sitting on it.

Decorate

Using the green frosting, carefully frost the rectangle. using the yellow frosting, completely cover the "egg". Smoot frosting with a flat cake spreader or a smooth butter knife.

To decorate the cake, simply pipe designs in zig zags, swirls and lines across the cake with decorator gel and decorator frosting. Use non pareils to dot across the cake's surface. Use decorator gels and dot in alternating colors along the decorator frosting piping. Cut the ends off of gumdrops to decorate the top of the cake (see photo). Line gumdrops along the bottom of the green "grass".

You can decorate the egg however you please. use a different color for the frosting if you prefer. Creativity is the key!

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Easter Cupcakes- Submitted by Sherry

your favorite box cake, any flavor, red, blue, yellow, and green food coloring, white icing (recipe below), green, black, pink and orange decorator gel, yellow and white decorator frosting, decorating tip, white and multi-colored sprinkles, multi-colored non pareil sprinkles, yellow and blue sugar, circus peanuts, red licorice whips, red and white gumdrop, cupcake liners

Prepare cake mix as directed. If desired, you can make colored cupcakes with either a flavored mix, such as cherry, or add a few drops of red food coloring to a prepared white mix to make pink, blue to make light blue, and so on. Put cupcake liners into muffin tin and fill liners as directed on box cake mix. Bake as directed and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting and decorating.

Prepare the white icing by following the recipe below. When finished, separate into five small dishes. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. You can make pink , light green, light blue, purple, and yellow, or mix to make whatever colors you like.

White Buttercream Icing

16-ounce package confectioners sugar, 6 tbsp butter or margarine, softened, 3 to 4 tbsp milk, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat all ingredients until the icing is smooth and of easy spreading consistency. Add a few drops of red food coloring, 3 for light pink, 6 or so for dark pink.

Decorate

That's really not much to decorating cupcakes, especially in the eyes of your admiring children. Just a dollop of frosting is artistic enough for them! Here are a few simple tips that will help you decorate your holiday cupcakes.

Piping

Using the tip on the decorator frosting, pipe strips across the frosted cupcake to decorate like an Easter egg.

Sprinkles

The beauty of sprinkles is that there is no perfection involved. SImply drop them and let them ly where they fall. Use contrasting colors, and mix colors when pleasing. A great way for kids to decorate with sprinkles is to have them dip the top of the cupcake right into the container of sprinkles.

Sugars

Using colored sugars is easy, and doesn't have to be messy. Simply dip the entire top of the frosted cupcake into the sugar for a blanket look. Dip the edges of a frosted cupcake to create a border, and then decorate with a sprinkling of non pareils.

Bunny

Cut the bottoms off of two circus peanuts for the bunny's ears. Cut two small pieces of circus peanuts for the cheeks (see photo). Cut the tip of a gumdrop for the nose, and cut two teeth from a white gumdrop. Use licorice whips for whiskers and black decorator gel for the eyes.

Frosting only

Use the different colored frostings to decorate one cupcake. Spread half of a cupcake with one color, and carefully spread the other half with another. You can also spread a full coat of one color, and dot the center with another. Get creative and try swirls or other shapes by using only frosting.

Be sure to store your cupcakes in a tightly covered container so they do not harden or go stale. That is, if they last that long!

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Easter Cupcakes- Submitted by Christi

1 box (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, 1 container white frosting, 1 bag STARBURST(R) Original Jellybeans, Green food coloring

Make cupcakes according to package directions. Tint frosting with green food coloring to resemble grass. Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes and place STARBURST(R) Original Jellybeans on top. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

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Sweet Carrots- Submitted by Christi

Two 14-inch squares orange cellophane (available in arts and crafts stores. Alternatively, use colored plastic wraps available at most grocery stores.), Green curling ribbon, 1 bag "M&M's"(R) Brand Milk Chocolate or Peanut Chocolate Candies (14 ounces)

Cut each square in half on the diagonal. You will now have four triangles. Using your thumb and forefinger, hold the middle of the cut diagonal edge of cellophane (the longest side). This middle point will become the tip of the cone. Using your other hand, roll the cellophane around, keeping that middle point as the tip, and make the cone. Tape both the inside and outside edges of the cone closed. Fill the cones 2/3 full with the chosen candy. Twist the top and tie it closed with the green ribbon. Makes 4 carrots.

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Bunny or Chick Cookie Pops- Submitted by Christi

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, 1 tub prepared white frosting (16 ounces), Pink, red or yellow food coloring, "M&M's"(R) Brand Chocolate Candies and STARBURST(R) Original Jellybeans, Lollipop sticks (available in arts and crafts stores), Large chick and bunny cookie cutters, Optional: 10-inch squares cellophane, STARBURST(R) Fruit Chews rolled and cut into 1 1/2-inch strips for bunny whiskers, tube of decorating icing, curling ribbon

Following the directions on the package, roll the cookie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookie shapes from the dough. Arrange them on a non-stick baking sheet. Press a lollipop stick into the bottom half of each cookie. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely. Put 1/2-cup of frosting into one small bowl for each color and tint with food coloring. Spread the frosting on the surface of the cookie. Use the decorating icing to make faces and then arrange the candy on the frosting.

Optional: Adhere the whiskers made from the STARBURST(R) Fruit Chews. For a gift: wrap each cookie in a square of cellophane, tying it closed with a piece of ribbon.

Makes 8 to 10 cookie pops.

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