easter decorating beyond the basket
I’m having a bit of an existential crisis. I’m not sure if I’m getting old, or if my taste is waning, but I’ve had the urge this year to… wait for it… decorate for Easter. I know, I know, this conjures all sorts of awful images of tacky plastic Easter grass, “country chic” wreaths or even an Easter Bunny flag flying over my front door (talk about letting your freak flag fly). But I’m convinced there’s a way to spruce up my house for this pastel holiday without going into Hallmark overload.
West Elm, for example, has loads of sweet-but-chic Easter options (many more in-store than online, sadly). I happen to especially love this David Stark topiary, which I think could certainly be stylish bedecked with a host of, say, glittered eggs. Or what about just displaying a few candy-bright dyed eggs in this ceramic egg crate? I also love the more subtle style of these cream and blue speckled eggs from Pottery Barn — I’m imagining these in a clear glass bowl (which you probably already have) on a side table somewhere. Or, for a little vintage charm, these classic Steiff Easter rabbits manage to be sweetly old-fashioned without being cloying (as long as you pick the ones that aren’t wearing clothes), and they remind me of Easter brunch with my grandmother. The Steiff bunnies are notoriously pricey, but you can sometimes find a steal on eBay if you’re patient…especially the week after Easter.
And of course, there’s always the option of decorating with candy…a big glass vase filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs and Whoppers’ Robin Eggs wouldn’t survive long in my house, but it would be absolutely lovely while it lasted.
So, what do you think of Easter decorating? Strictly for the senior set, or am I ahead of the trend? — Becki S.
6Comments
mother’s day idea: kids’ art becomes modern art
Your child’s art may already be suitable for framing, but The Great Remember makes it official. They arrange for a photographer to shoot your child’s work, then the company will turn it into a surprisingly attractive mosaic. Of course, it’s not free: mosaics start at around $150 and go up to $380, with the option of having the final work printed on canvas for an additional fee. For even more nostalgia, send in special or outgrown clothes and The Great Remember will turn them into an appliqued piece (starting at $200). There’s also a selection of Mother’s Day gifts. And if you place an order now through 4/25, you can use coupon code MD15 to save 15%.
real life test kitchen: dorie greenspan’s 15 minute magic chocolate amaretti torte
Any recipe with the word ‘magic’ in the title has got to be good, right? And it is, it so is. I spotted this recipe last year over at Serious Eats, where baking maven Dorie Greenspan has a regular column. I was drawn to it immediately, because the recipe has no wheat ingredients (last year around this time I was on a wheat elimination diet), and because it was a perfect no-flour recipe for Passover Seder. The key to the cake is all in the cookie: amaretti, an Italian cookie made with almonds and apricot kernels. The cookies get a quick blitz in the food processor, are mixed with the chocolate and other ingredients and ready to bake in a flash — literally, you guessed it, 15 minutes. After baking, the cake is cooled and glazed with a decadent chocolate ganache and is ready to be enjoyed slice by fudgy, almond flavored slice.
When I made my version of “the Magic” last year, I couldn’t help brighten up my version of the torte with some edible pansies from my garden, a quick and impossibly simple way to decorate the spartan pastry. I never snapped a shot of the interior before serving, so thankfully, I found a treasure trove of images around the blogosphere thanks to the tireless efforts of Tuesdays with Dorie, a network of food bloggers who each week collectively bake a recipe from the pages of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From my Home to Yours. Apparently they’ve been working their way through the book for quite a while, so I must be living under a rock or something. — Megan B.
Wanna make a little 15 minute magic yourself? Go to Serious Eats for the recipe.
Second photo courtesy of My Baking Heart
real life test kitchen: potato boxty with caramelized onions and cabbage
This year, instead of the typical (yet delicious) corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to make a less ubiquitious Irish dish, but one that should be right up there in popularity with that beautiful brisket. Potato boxty are merely Ireland’s version of a potato pancake: something in between a traditional pancake and a latke, to give you a reference point. Boxty can be served plain, or garnished with many different sweet or savory toppings. They’d be a great flexitarian centerpiece for your St. Paddy’s festivities — not to mention being incredibly cheap and easy to make. I topped this year’s boxty bounty with a mouthwatering melange of caramelized onions, ribbons of pale green cabbage, and, of course, bacon. Oh, and ’cause the Irish are known for their dairy, I threw in some cream. And a kiss of Irish whiskey, too. What are you eating on St. Patrick’s Day? — Megan B.
Click for the recipe, after the jump! (more…)
the wait is over: pi day is back!
If you’d be so kind to oblige me and roll the clock back to grade school, we’re breaking for a moment from today’s serious science coverage to bring you this important announcement: Pi Day is back. Yes, after 364 long days, 3/14 has finally rolled around again and with it, a moment to appreciate the festivities associated with our favorite mathematical constant, pi. Last year, we brought you ThinkGeek’s Pi-tini recipe, among other things and this year fortune has smiled on us again: the ThinkGeek Pizza Pi Cutter is now on sale for a hot $12.99! (We won’t talk about how the Pi By Numbers Blanket is out of stock.) Baking pies is obviously a staple activity on Pi Day and our friends at NPR are celebrating with this delicious recipe roundup for the occasion, which includes Sweet Potato Pie, Pizza Pie, Granola Cranberry Walnut Pie, and the aptly-titled Pimp My Mince Pie. How are you observing Pi Day? Check out PiDay.org for ideas. –Sarah C.
Photo: Claire O’Neill for NPR
