Spring in NYC is THE BEST. And as the weather warms up, I can’t help but dream of al fresco dinners to hopefully come again soon. For now, I decided to have a little fun with one of our kits and prep for Easter.
Holidays in my family have always been a thing. My mom makes a really big deal out of them and I love that so much about her. Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, even Halloween, are just magic and some of my fondest childhood memories. I wondered how could I recreate that for my family in quarantine?
I pulled one of my favorite looks, Gossamer, #setthetable, opened the windows (ahhhhhhhh fresh air) and cracked open a bottle of rosé. Since the floral markets are closed and we can’t send fresh flowers, I improvised with some grocery store daffodils, which I think look awesome and are a happy, sunny touch.
To add some Easter flair, I decided to give naturally-dyed eggs a whirl. I did some sleuthing on the internet, and discovered a few natural alternatives to dye that I already had in the kitchen: blueberries (blue), onion skins (orange), turmeric (yellow), and coffee (tan). I also decided to try some frozen strawberries to see what might happen (I got pink!). You can also use saffron for yellow, parsley or spinach for green, and beets for pink.
Then I panicked as I only have brown eggs!!! Do I need white ones? According to the inter-webs…apparently not. Scroll on down for the full recipe and my finished product.
I don’t know what the immediate future holds. All is still so uncertain. But what I do know is this: holidays and special occasions are important to celebrate as they create lasting memories and become the things that stick with us forever. My mom knows this, and mom knows best.
Hold your loved ones tight and savor this time with them. This Easter, my husband, Ryan, our little pup Bucko, and I will be soaking in the sunshine (through the window), enjoying (likely too much) wine and tucking into some comfort food on my favorite plates, from my favorite Social Studies look, from my favorite company that Amy and I built exactly for moments like this.
Happy Holidays, everyone.
Xx Jess
Jess' Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of onion skins (dye)
- 2 tablespoons of turmeric (dye)
- 1 cup of blueberries (dye)
- 1 cup of strawberries (dye)
- 4 tablespoons of vinegar
Directions:
Put 1 cup of water in a pot. If you have multiple pots and burners, do this for up to four pots. Add dye ingredient to its own pot and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and let simmer for 30 minutes. The dye is ready when it reaches a hue a few shades darker than what you want your eggs to look like.
When your dye feels like the right color, let the water cool to room temperature. Pro tip: set the pots on a windowsill or fire escape to speed up the process!
Pour the cooled dye through a strainer into another saucepan, bowl, jar or mug (just something large enough that you can put the eggs in and have them completely submerged). Then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per one cup of strained dye.
Carefully plop the egg in each dye container, then store in the refrigerator. Let them sit until the desired color is reached. I let mine sit overnight.
Dry the eggs, massage with a little oil (olive or vegetable oil is great) to make them shiny, then store in the fridge until ready to eat or hide!
