Easter Parties, Decorations and a Few Other Egghead Ideas
How about a happy Easter egg party to bring out the child in everyone during one of the most joyous holidays of the year?
The name of this party is eggs --decorating, egg-rolling, egg-blowing--and it’s for all age groups. Invite friends, grandparents, the children and play--preferably outdoors if the weather permits, to take advantage of the sunny brightness of the event.
“Having things available and already set up helps,” said Joann Roth, of Someone’s In the Kitchen caterers in Tarzana.
“You can set up people in groups of fours and sixes, with each assigned to different tasks. You can have a contest in the end,” she said.
The work area can be equipped with paints, dyes, waxes, felt-tip markers, gold leaf and the cooked eggs needed. And don’t forget the aprons, preferably plastic and disposable.
The decor for such a party need not be costly. “A little glitter and jellybeans strewn on the table and a few colored balloons will give you a lot of look on a minimal budget,” Roth said.
Daytime Garden Party
Florist David Witrey, of Crossley’s Flowers in Los Angeles, said a daytime garden party is the ideal vehicle, whether for egg decorating, an Easter brunch or egg-rolling party. “It should be light and airy, with pastels, yellows, pinks, lavenders and blues.” Witrey suggests a potpourri of tulips, daffodils, irises and any other spring flowers to set the mood; ceramic or other type rabbits for the centerpiece and large stuffed rabbits on swings hung from trees to amuse.
Roth suggests a warm and cold menu, such as cold soups served in frosted punch cups--raspberry, fresh tomato or cucumber-honeydew soups are good choices--followed by miniature crab or other fish cakes served with an herb or pesto sauce. Fruit or vegetable kebabs cooked on a grill may accompany cold lamb. And, for dessert, try homemade coconut and mango ice creams served in minicones.
Two’s Company Catering in Los Angeles suggests welcoming Easter guests with a lovely spring tea table decorated with fresh garden leaves and flowers, pastel or flowered china and the decorated eggs. The caterers suggest a menu starting with tea sandwiches, such as Roquefort and onion on egg bread, watercress and butter on white bread, smoked trout with horseradish on black bread. Then go on to colored and decorated hard-cooked eggs--from quail size to large--Belgian endive tipped with golden caviar, scones, butter cookies and lemon curd tartlets (you can buy these at a bakery). White chocolate-dipped strawberries and tea of choice are finales to the tea party.
More Decorating Ideas
Or you might want to give your Easter egg party a Russian folk-art theme, using Russian art books for egg-decorating ideas. And for the menu, stick to blini (two- to three-inch pancakes using pancake mix or made from scratch), served with caviar and sour cream. Russian tea (a good Indian tea variety is the preferred Russian tea) is typically sweetened with marmalade or cherry preserves. For an authentic Eastertime touch, add kulich, a sky-high bread made in a coffee can, and paskha, a cheese mold made of farmer’s cheese, often available for sale at Russian churches during Easter week. One such source for kulich, paskha and colored eggs is the St. John of Kondstadt Memorial Fund Russian Easter bread bake sale at The Russian Veteran’s Home, 816 N. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday. You’ll find recipes for these items in most basic cookbooks, as well.
