Countdown to Easter

It is Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" is a corruption of "mandatum," which means "command." That's where we get our word "mandate," and in this case it refers to the commandment of Jesus to "love one another as I have loved you," which is a pleasant thing to contemplate.

On this day, your local churches might have foot-washing ceremonies, dramas of the Last Supper, blessings of oils, or other rituals that call to mind the Last Supper.

It's a good day to clean house if you have guests coming for Easter.

Easter Countdown

It's time to color your Easter Eggs. Even if you have lovely Sweetique eggs, you probably have to boil and color some of your own.

First, boil some eggs. We have some brown ones here, and they can give you fine subtle colors, but white ones present a blank canvas.

I'm told, by the way, that you can tell what color egg a hen will lay by examining her earlobes. I thought you'd want to know.

Boil the eggs in lots of cold, salted water with a bit of white vinegar in it. As soon as the water boils, cover the pan and turn off the heat. In about 10 minutes, you'll have hard-cooked eggs. Plunge them into cold water right away to give yourself the best chance of peeling them successfully when you get around to peeling them.

You can buy a kit to dye your Easter eggs, but you can also be more adventuresome:

• Float a bit of oil and a bit of paste food color on top of 1/4 cup of water. Dip the egg in and bring it back out fairly quickly for a marbled appearance. If you like, you can dye the egg a solid color first for a base coat.
• Wrap the eggs in cheesecloth with flowers and herbs between the egg and the cloth before you cook them. You never know what you might come up with this way, but they'll be subtle compared to food coloring. Throw some onion skins in if the eggs are white, for a warm cast.
• Put stickers such as circular paper reinforcers and price tags onto eggs -- either natural or with a base coat -- and then dye them. Pull off the stickers for cool geometric shapes. Rubber bands will do a slightly less sharp version of the same thing.

Easter Countdown

With less than a week to go till Easter, it's a great time to decorate and get your place ready for the holiday.

If you're an ambitious holiday decorator, you've already brought out your Easter tree and the large collection of  mixed-media bunnies. We know. For the rest of us, there are some really easy ways to brighten up the house for the holiday:

• Eggs are the quintessential Easter decoration. Bright eggs like ours look terrific in the Sweetique Egg centerpiece, but any clear or open container looks great when you fill it with colored eggs. Look around your house with an open mind -- do you have a brandy snifter, an old fish bowl, a low planter you haven't used lately?
• Flowers are always a good choice, and they're particularly appropriate for spring. We've said it before, and it's still true: if you have limited talent with flowers, use lots. If you have the skills, use a few choice blooms and some twigs for an inexpensive and artful arrangement. It's a trade-off.
• Animals -- not just the Easter bunny, but lambs and chicks and butterflies and ducklings, too -- are charming at Easter. Bring an air of whimsy to the table with a collection of toy baby animals in a basket, or use PDF files from The Toymaker or Martha Stewart to make old-fashioned paper decorations.
• Spring colors can do the trick, too. Change towels, napkins, and table cloths to pastel shades or grab some paper party dishes and napkins in clear spring colors for a quick transformation.

Get the kids in on the fun, too.

Easter Countdown

Have you done your shopping yet? Some things should not be bought until the last minute -- delicate fruits and vegetables, for example -- but you can go ahead and get sturdy vegetables like carrots and of course all nonperishables.


Here's a list:

• Quick like a bunny, get your last-minute orders in for Sweetique Eggs. We're getting them sent out so fast that we can still fill your orders today.
• Buy all nonperishable foods -- check your menu to make sure you aren't forgetting anything.
• Frozen foods can be bought today, too. Get an extra loaf of bread for making sandwiches from leftovers and throw it in the freezer, too.
• Are you expecting guests with special needs? If you know you'll need baby food, artificial sweeteners, or pet food for visitors and you don't usually keep them on hand, add them to the list.
• Overnight guests? Check to make sure you have coffee and tea for those who can't start the day without caffeine.
• Easter brunch may be the main meal you prepare. If not, consider planning something simple for family and overnight guests. Add granola, other cold cereals, and dried fruit to the shopping list for a simple, healthy start to the day.
  

Last Day to Order for Easter Delivery

Order your Sweetique Eggs today!