Easter Crafts

Beady Babies
These baby chicks are so easy to make, you can have an entire clutch ready in time for Easter.
Materials
2 round wooden beads (we used one 16-millimeter and one 25-millimeter bead) with holes large enough for a doubled Pipe cleaner to fit through
6-inch pipe cleaners Acrylic paint
Craft feather Fine-point marker
Instructions
First, paint the beads with acrylic paint. When they have dried, bend a 6-inch pipe cleaner in half, sandwiching the end of a tiny craft feather in the fold.
Thread the smaller bead onto the opposite end of the pipe cleaner and slide the bead up to hide the bottom of the feather.
Thread the larger bead onto the pipe cleaner, then bend the ends of the pipe cleaner into feet.
Finally, use a fine-point marker to give your little chick eyes and a tiny beak.

Easter Topiary Tree
Materials
6-inch Styrofoam Ball Foot-long Wooden Dowel
Glue 6-inch Terra-Cotta Pot
Plaster Easter Grass
2 Layers of Tulle (1 purple, 1 yellow) or Acrylic Paint Ribbons
Round Toothpicks Round, Foil-Wrapped Chocolates
Instructions
Poke a 6-inch Styrofoam ball onto a foot-long wooden dowel and glue the ball in place.
Fill a decorated 6-inch terra-cotta pot with plaster--first glue a piece of Styrofoam over the hole at the bottom--and push the dowel into the still-wet plaster. After the plaster sets, glue Easter grass on its surface.
So the Styrofoam doesn't show through, cover the ball in 2 layers of tulle (1 purple, 1 yellow), which you can gather tightly around the dowel with ribbons (you could also just paint the ball with acrylic paint).
Use round toothpicks to cover the ball with chocolates, poking one end into the chocolate and the other into the ball.

Easter Chick Card
What you'll need:
Print the Easter Chick Card sheet (PDF) 2 sheets of yellow construction paper
1 sheet of orange construction paper 2 paper fasteners
2 large wiggle eyes White craft glue
Scissors Pencil
Black permanent marker or dark crayon
How to make it:
Trace child's hands onto yellow construction paper and cut out.
Use the oval pattern or draw an oval onto the other yellow piece of construction paper. Cut out.
Lay the oval on the table and position the wings (hand cut outs) behind it, using the photo as a guide.
When the wings are where you want them, carefully poke the fasteners through the construction paper to attach the wings. Using fasteners allows the wings to flap up and down.
Using the pattern provided, cut out beak and legs from the orange construction paper.
Fold the diamond in half to create the beak and glue one side of the diamond to the yellow paper so that the beak is three dimensional and can open and close.
Glue wiggle eyes above the beak.
Position the legs under the oval. When you have them where you want them, glue them in place.
Use the marker or dark crayon to write a message on the front of the card.
Tips:
If you don't have wiggle eyes you can simply draw eyes on with a marker, or use black and white construction paper to create your own.
If you have it available, cardstock is much sturdier than construction paper and will resist tears better.
Before poking the fasteners through the body of the chick, use a sharp pencil to poke a hole through. Then insert the fastener.

Easter Leftovers

Warm Maple, Ham and Apple Coffeecake By: Janice Elder
"Biscuit dough, ham, apples and raisins baked with sugar and spice and everything nice! This wonderful dish started out as a simple apple coffeecake but I added leftover ham and maple syrup and adjusted other seasonings to give it more body and substance. A great brunch or light supper dish that never fails to bring compliments and requests for the recipe. Excellent use for leftover ham! Walnuts can be substituted for pecans."
Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough 2 cups chopped cooked ham
2 cups apple - peeled, cored, and chopped 1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/3 cup maple syrup 1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 9-inch square baking dish or similar sized baking dish.
2.Cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup of the ham, 1 cup of the apples and all the raisins over the bottom of the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Arrange biscuit pieces, pointed ends up, over the mixture. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ham and apples.
3.In a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice, maple syrup and egg, blending thoroughly. Stir in nuts, then spoon evenly over biscuit pieces and ham/apple mixture.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle Spice Spiked Glaze over warm coffeecake.
5.To Make Spice Spiked Glaze: In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar, bourbon, 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice, and cayenne pepper until a drizzling consistency is reached (more bourbon or milk may be added if necessary to achieve desired consistency).


Delicious Ham and Potato Soup by Ellie11

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water 2 Tbs chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 1 tsp ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 Tbs butter 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions
1.Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Bird's Nest Egg Salad

Ingredients
1 egg 3 cups chow mein noodles
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

EGG SALAD:
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped celery 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Lettuce Leaves

Directions

1.In a small bowl, beat egg. Add chow mein noodles and garlic salt; stir to coat. Drop by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Using fingers, shape each into a nest; make an indentation in the center of each. Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-13 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
2.In a bowl, combine the first eight egg salad ingredients; mix well. Just before serving, spoon 1/4 cupful into each nest. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate if desired

The Tortoise and the Hare - revisited

The Tortoise and the Hare
The hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me."

The tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."

"That is a good joke," said the hare. "I could dance around you all the way."

"Keep your boasting until you've beaten," answered the tortoise. "Shall we race?"

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the hare awoke from his nap, he saw the tortoise nearing the finish line, and he could not catch up in time to save the race.

Plodding wins the race.



The ______ (noun) and the ______(noun)

The ______ (noun) was once boasting of his speed before the other _________ (noun). "I have ______ (time frame – always/never/once) yet been ________ (verb)," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to _____ ( verb) with me."

The _______ (noun) said quietly, "I _____ (verb) your challenge."

"That is a good joke," said the hare. "I could (verb) _______ ( adjective) you all the way."

"Keep your boasting until you've beaten," answered the ________ (noun). "Shall we race?"

So a _______(place) was ______ (verb) and a start was made. The _______(noun) _______ (verb) almost out of sight at once, but soon _______ (verb) and, to show his contempt for the ______ (noun) , ________ ( verb) to have a nap. The ______ (noun) ______ (verb) on and ______ (verb) on, and when the ______noun) ________ (verb) from his nap, he saw the _________(noun) _________ (adjective) the _______ (place), and he could not _________ (verb) in time to save the ______ (noun).



Plodding wins the race.