Spring Wreath

I took this wreath recently to Good Morning, Texas.  It's currently my spring wreath, which replaced a wreath similar to this I made years ago with REAL eggs I blew out and cleaned.  They were beautiful, but they broke often.
A few years ago I discovered 'fake' hard boiled egg that you can get at Walmart, most craft stores, or (in my case) the 99 Cent Store.
I spray painted 3 1/2 dozen blue and flicked them with brown paint to look like Robin Eggs.  
I also grabbed some moss at the dollar store and I hot glued the moss and the eggs to a grapevine wreath and then added a bow.  Easy, and very cheap!

Croissant Boat

I made these recently and they were sooooooo good.  I cut back the original amount of eggs to just 3 b/c I'm not crazy about eggs, but do your thang.  I'll post the original recipe from tipbuzz.  They also reheated really well the second day, which surprised me!

Croissant Boats

Ingredients:  
4 croissants, 6 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled, 5 eggs, 7 T of cheddar cheese (shredded), 3 T green onions (chopped), 2 T milk
Instructions:
1.  Heat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
2.  Cut the tops off the croissant and hollow out the middle of the bread.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix the cheese, bacon crumbles, and green onions.  Pour egg and milk over the mix.
4.  Spoon into the croissant and bake for 25 minutes until egg mix is set.

Easy Egg Gift Boxes

 I saw the idea to make little shabby chic egg containers here last year and decide to make these for place name tags for Easter.

I found some oval paper mache boxes at the craft store for less than a buck and I drew some designs with a white gel pen and then filled them up.  Easy and cute.

Easter Diorama Sugar Cookies

 I've been in love with diorama eggs for years now.  I have a million projects I want to try, and I'm taking the first few to Good Morning, Texas today.  I'll post the video later on facebook, but....in the meantime, here are the pictorial step by steps for these cookies.  I originally saw the idea here.

I used the recipe for my favorite cookie dough (it holds it share really well) and two egg cookie cutters I got at the craft store.  If you don't have time to get cookie cutters, just use two different size plastic eggs that open on the sides to cut out the shape.  

I cut out the larger eggs, and out of half of them I cut out the smaller shape to create the hole.

I have a great icing recipe, but this time, I lack time to pull that one out, so I used a jar and added a Tablespoon of some karo syrup (this allows the icing to harden so it can be bagged.  I iced the bottom cookie.  

 I stacked and then iced the top.  You can make them any color you want.  I kept them simple.

 I let those dry, and then I did make up my favorite recipe for piping (attached in the original recipe link above).  I took some random leaf tip and just squiggled it into the hole for grass, and other random star tips (or just snipped the edge to leave it round) to pie around the edges.

 I also bought a bunch of royal icing decorations from a local cake store.

 ...and I bought some from the craft store...along with some jelly beans and Easter chocolates.

 I placed these inside the 'hole' and mixed it up to make lots of fun little scenes.  I let the icing dry, and then bagged them up.  Now to identify my favorite friends.  :O)

Sugar Eggs

 I've wanted to make a diorama sugar egg for years.  FINALLY, I forced myself to have a go at it.  It's my theme for Wednesday's GMT.  I've got several forms, and have several more I want to try, but time was an issue.
The supplies you need are 4 inch (or whatever size you want) plastic egg halved length wise, 1 egg white, food dye, 3 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. powdered sugar, royal icing (whatever ingredient is your favorite), and royal icing decorations, jelly beans etc.

 Place your egg white in a bowl and add the food dye.  Make it darker than you think it should be because it won't be this bright when you add all the sugar.  Whip it around until it's foamy.

 Mix it with a fork until it's blended.  It will be really sandy looking.

 I found this egg at the dollar store-it had bubble supplies inside.  You can also buy plastic forms from cake decorating stores, but....this one worked for me.  Put sugar and press firmly into both sides of the egg.  Flip over on a baking sheet and bake at 200 for 20 minutes.  Pull out.

 Scrape out middle with a spoon.

 On one half, once you scoop out the inside, poke a hole in the middle with a knife from the curved back and gently saw a circle with your knife.  It doesn't have to be perfect b/c you are going to cover the edges with icing.  This is the part I did a little too forcefully at first and I cracked my first egg.  After you have your two halves carved.  Place them in the oven again and bake for another 20 minutes to really make it hard.  Each recipe made 2 of the 4 inch eggs.

 You can seal the two sides together with royal icing and then decorate the inside.  I used these premade royal icing decors I found at the craft store.  I just threw a bunch of jelly beans in the egg too to make it fuller, and then some green royal icing for grass.  I piped along the seam where I pressed the two eggs together, and more around the hole.  You can make these as decorate, or plain as you want.  Here's a few from the side.  I had a friend who used to make these for Easter and personalize them with names.  Maybe next year...

Plastic Egg Remake

 I bought a ton of bags of plastic eggs for 88 cents and was tasked with the job of making them over.  I'll be sharing those tutorials today on GMT.  I post taped the segment b/c I have a conflict, BUT I'll post the video here later on facebook.  Sorry for the terrible photos, I guess studio lights and iphones weren't made for each other...or maybe it was the holder of the iphone on this particular day.  It's been a busy month....random/last minute iphone photos was all I had left in me. 
I blinged out some eggs with glitter (and modge podge) and sequins (and a glue gun).

 I sprayed some eggs blue and flicked brown paint on them to give them the robin's egg look.  These would be super cut in a centerpiece, but....I wasn't up for bringing a whole tablescape to GMT this time!

 Shabby chic with twine and lace.

And....glow in the dark.  For this guy I filled it with candy and a glow bracelette.  I found them in 12 packs at Michael's for 1.50, or some Dollar Tree's have them.  A fun nighttime Easter egg hunt is in my near future.  :O)

Lavender Egg Soap

 I made these soaps last year.

 I started by taking an egg carton and painting it a pale blue.  I don't know why this is an important thing to share, but really, it's all about the delivery in my book!

 I used some soap squares, dried lavender, and I even added some lavender oil to make the scent a little stronger just because.  I used Easter eggs for my mold.

 If your eggs have holes, you might want to cover those up with a little duck tape so it doesn't leak out.

 Melt your soap, add your dried lavender and a drop of oil.  I filled one side of the egg, let it harden.  I filled the second side and then close it, making sure the liquid was on top so that it would adhere to the dried side.

 Once both sides are dried, you pull off the egg.  Everyone once in awhile, the two sides would separate.  I took just a little bit of melted soap and place it in the middle and they dried together again.

 I placed my soaps in my painted egg carton.

 Last year, my resolution was to send something through the mail each month-cards or gifts just because. The rule was it couldn't be for a birthday etc.  So, this little package went to a friend up in New York who is a fan of floral.  I added a little purple candle holder and tea lights and a little chocolate bunny to the package and shipped it on it's way.

Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

 I recently hosted a brunch for some kiddos, but I figured the adults attending probably wanted something a little heartier than character shaped pancakes.  Go figure.  I got this recipe from a friend at work (thanks Laine) and put it all together the night before, then baked it up in the morning.  It was a hit...and completely gone except for one little sliver, which I took a picture of in bad lighting right before I devoured it.  So...here's a good one to add to the breakfast rotation.

Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

PRINT HERE

Ingredients:  1 lb hot pork sausage (I just used my favorite seasoned breakfast sausage), 3 cups frozen has browns (thawed), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 12 oz shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend for a little kick), 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 12 eggs (beaten), 2 cups milk.
Instructions:  Cook sausage and drain.  Place thawed hash browns  at the bottom of a lightly greased 9x12 baking dish (since I was putting mine in the fridge over night, I didn't even bother with thawing the has browns).  Sprinkle with salt.  Layer sausage, cheese, and green peppers.  Combine the egg and mil and pour it over the top of your green peppers (I placed mine in the fridge over night at this point).  Bake at 350 for at least 50 minutes (mine took about 20 minutes longer-I just wiggled the pan a little to see if the eggs were done baking in the middle.

Tattoo Eggs

 So...I've seen this around (Better Homes and Garden) and I decided this year I was going to bypass the vinegar and egg dye and try this out instead.  Yes, you could still dye your eggs and add a tattoo, but I like the white.  I found butterfly tattoos via Amazon, but I'm sure (know) there are some super cute ones at most stores in the part section (with glitter).

 It is RIDICULOUS how easy this is....I took the tattoo, peeled the plastic film off, press it paint side down to the egg and applied a wet cloth.  It's the same steps you take to apply these to your flesh.  It came right off and slide onto the egg.

Nothing like Easter like tattoos butterflies.  Oh the possibilities!