Homemade Easter Candy

My family is fortunate to have some wonderful neighbors. For example, one family always picks up our mail and even shovels our walk if it snows when we out of town. Another family welcomed us home from an extended trip with a huge homemade banner and a balloon bouquet, and also by filling our refrigerator with food.

This year, I decided to say "thank you" to those special neighbors by giving them some homemade Easter candy. I found some plastic egg cartons at a dollar store which I will have my kids decorate with Easter-themed stickers. Inside, I will fill the box with some delectable homemade candies.

If you would like to do something similar for a special person in your life, you might try your hand at some of these recipes:

This blog has a recipe for white chocolate birds' nests filled with jelly beans.

This blog gives step-by-step directions for making adorable bunny-shaped boxes made with white chocolate melts. Yes, the box is edible!

This isn't exactly candy -- but it is very creative! Chocolate cupcakes reminscent of those wonderful Cadbury chocolate eggs.

Here is a recipe for homemade candy corn. I can picture it in pastel colors for Easter. Or take the basic recipe and instead of forming it into candy corn, form it into Easter eggs.

I found this recipe for Crunchy Easter eggs. It is made with graham crackers, coconut and peanut butter, shaped like an egg and then dipped in chocolate.

These Fruit and Nut Eggs sound delicious! Their ingredient list includes maraschino cherries, chopped pecans and coconut.

I love Salted Nut Rolls and plan to try this recipe for a homemade version.

I will be making some of these candies in the next few days. Please check back on this log, as I will post updates on the candy-making process and photos.

Our favorite Easter books -- The First Easter Bunny

The First Easter Bunny
I must admit that I moaned when I read the title of this book. I thought “oh no, not another book commercializing Easter and disguising its true meaning.” But I should not have been so hasty in passing judgment, because this is actually a sweet little book that successfully meshes the bunny legend and Christ’s passion and resurrection. Written by a Catholic priest, it tells the story of a rabbit who is the silent observer during Jesus’ last week on Earth. In the story, Jesus himself gives the bunny a special role each Easter. The child-like crayon drawings will especially appeal to young children. My daughter is entranced by the simplicity of this book.

Check it out here:

Our favorite Easter books

Each Easter our children receive a heirloom quality book about Easter to build their personal libraries. My husband and I scour bookstores to find the perfect book. I must admit, we are a bit picky. We are looking for a book with a good story line that will become classic, and art museum quality artwork. Over the next week or so I will share some of our finds; all which have become "must-reads" in our home during Lent and Easter.

If you are looking for a good book to include in your child's Easter basket this year, be sure to check back daily for more ideas.

I will start this series by discussing the book Rechenka's Eggs.


Rechenka’s Eggs
Written by Patricia Polacco, this book tells the story of Babushka, an old lady who lives in the Russian countryside. Babushka is renowned for her beautifully decorated eggs, or pysanky, which win first prize every year in an Easter contest in Moscow. One day she takes in an injured goose, who mistakenly breaks all her decorated eggs. To make up for her error, the goose begins laying a gorgeous decorated egg each day until Babushka has enough to take to the contest. The simple drawings in this book are enchanting with their bright colors and folk art feeling. This book is a subtle lesson in kindness and gratitude, which makes it a perfect Easter gift.

You can read more reviews about this book by clicking on this link: