Spring has sprung!

Easter is just a week away and I cannot wait. I am not very religious which, I guess, is the whole point of Easter but let me have my moment here.

April means warmer temperatures, chirping birds and crocuses pushing through the ground. Baseball is on TV, it stays lighter longer and before you know it, it's Summer time! Here are my favorite Spring-y activities you can do as you count down to Easter.

Decorate your table with a Peeps centerpiece.


via Taste of Home.
Make Cinnabunnies for breakfast.


via Betty Crocker.
Turn yourself into the Easter bunny with a plate, paper and popsicle stick.


Create an egg shaped fruit pizza!


via Sugar Hero.
String some Easter egg garland!


via Eclectically Vintage.
Dye eggs! Love the ombre look.


via SAS Interiors.
Put together this Easter egg wreath. I am obsessed with this!


via Wine and Glue.
Bake this adorable bunny cake.


via The Cake Blog.
And last but certainly not least - make some Bunny bait! If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember that I made this for preschool!


via Around my Family Table.
I'm planning on making the Bunny cake (or something similar) for our Easter celebration. And the Easter bunny masks will be an activity we do during the week. I really REALLY want to attempt the egg wreath but we'll see. Hey….show me your Easter crafts!

DIY Christmas gift: Eggnog!

If I'm being honest, the main reason I decided to try my hand at eggnog was our abundance of eggs. When I say abundance, what I really mean is that they are coming out of my ass. Our chickens deserve some kind of an award.

I love eggnog but I can only tolerate 3 sips of the stuff you buy from the store. This version? I cannot stop. The flavor is great without being too sweet. The consistency is perfect, as well. PLUS! It's super easy.

Ingredients
2 cups of milk (I use whole)
1 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp of nutmeg
3+ oz of whiskey (I use Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey)

Directions
- In a stand mixer, beat the yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the yolks have lightened in color.
- Meanwhile, combine the milk, cream and nutmeg in a sauce pan, over medium to high heat. Stirring occasionally, heat this mixture until it almost boils.
- Remove from the heat and gradually temper the yolks and sugar with the cream mixture.
- Put the whole bowl into the refrigerator to cool.
- Whip the egg whites and the tbsp of sugar in the mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk the chilled mix into the egg whites.
- Add whiskey and stir.
- Pour into mason jars and share or pour into a glass and ENJOY!

I have a batch in the refrigerator, ready to go to a few guys that work with my husband. Next batch will go with us to a friend's Christmas party. No gifts, just food and booze. This eggnog with be the perfect addition. Original recipe from Alton Brown.

Salut!

Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal

I like oatmeal, I like Mason jars and I love convenience. The three of those things come together to make this the perfect breakfast on the go. If you Google refrigerator oatmeal, you will see that there are hundreds of variations of the same idea. I love that. Versatility is the spice of LIFE. I always have strawberries and bananas in the house so that is what I'm using for the oatmeal. I also use coconut milk and I'm still on my chia kick, so I tossed some of those in too. It's important that the oats sit for a while to soften. Throw everything in the jar at night and it's ready for you when you wake up in the morning! Perfection.

Ingredients
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 coconut milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
4 large strawberries, diced
1 heaping tbsp strawberry jam
1 banana, sliced

Directions
Combine oats, chia, jam and strawberries in your Mason jar.
Pour coconut milk into jar.
Cover and SHAKE.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Overnight is preferred.
Top with a sliced banana before eating.

You could eat it cold but I prefer to put it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, just to take the edge off. If you're not big on the strawberry jam, replace it with brown sugar. I think you need something sweet in there so that it's not so bland.


ENJOY!