(o: Secret Sister Favorite EASTER Recipes :O)

OK, Sista's!! Time for you to start digging through all those Tried and True favorite recipes you pull out and use for EASTER!!! If you're like me, you have a small (or big) collection of recipes that you like to make or that family and friends request for the big EASTER dinner year after year!! So now is the time to share those family gems with your Sistas!!

I'll start!

I found this recipe quite a number of years ago in Farm Journal's Homemade Bread cookbook. I wish you could see the picture. It is so colorful and pretty!! It tastes really yummy, too!! LOL

Easter Egg Bread

12 eggs in shell, uncooked
Easter egg coloring
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
grated peel of 2 lemons
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water (110º -115º)
2 eggs (at room temp.)
4 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 egg, beaten
tiny colored candy sprinkles

Wash 12 uncooked eggs. Tint shells with egg coloring; set aside.
Scald milk; add sugar, salt, shortening and lemon peel. Cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve. Add to milk mixture with the 2 eggs, slightly beaten, and 2 12/ c. flour. Beat until smooth.
Stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to from a dough that is easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down; cover and let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Make 2 large braided rings or 12 individual rings as follows:

contd...........

Large Rings: Divide dough into 4 parts. Form each part into a 36" rope. On a greased baking sheet, shape 2 of the ropes into a very loosely braided ring, leaving space for 6 eggs. Repeat with other 2 ropes of dough for second ring. Insert 6 tinted eggs in spaces in each ring.

Individual Rings: Divide dough into 12 parts. From each part into a ring around a tinted egg.

Cover; let rise until doubled.
Brush evenly with beaten egg. Sprinkle with tiny colored candy sprinkles.
Bake in 375 º oven 15 minutes for individual rings, 10 minutes for large rings, or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes 2 large or 12 individual rings.

Note: Easter Egg Bread can be baked the day before. Refrigerate. At serving time, reheat in 350º oven for 8 minutes.

This is, by far, the BEST banana cream pie I think I've ever had. Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced because it's my dad's recipe! But seriously? I have yet to find a banana cream pie that comes close to this one!! It's definitely an Easter Dinner fave of the WHOLE family!!

Dad's Banana Cream Pie

1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
dash of salt
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 large heaping Tb. of corn starch

Bring sugar and milk to almost boiling. In gravy shaker blend egg yolks, some of the milk and corn starch. Slowly pour into hot milk. (It will thicken pretty quickly, so watch it!) Add 2 Tb. butter and some vanilla. Quickly add about 2 sliced bananas; stir and pour into 8 or 9" graham cracker crust. Cool and serve with real whipped cream.

Yield: 1 pie

Layered Lettuce Salad

This is DH's favorite salad and he especially likes it for and Easter Ham Dinner!! And it's sooooo pretty!!

1 head lettuce,
1 c. celery, diced
4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas, uncooked
1/2 c. green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, medium size, diced
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 c. mayonnaise
2 Tb. sugar
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Tear washed, crispy lettuce into small bite-sized pieces and place in a 9 X 12" glass dish. Layer rest of ingredients in the order given. Add sugar to mayonnaise and spread over the tops as you would frosting. Top with grated cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. At serving time, garnish with additional bacon and parsley.

I like to make this simple cake for Easter.
Lemon-Apricot Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box lemon Jell-O
4 eggs
2/3 cup apricot nectar
2/3 cup Wesson oil

Mix all ingredients. Bake in tube pan at 350-400 for 1 hour.

Glaze: Mix juice of two lemons and 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Pour over warm cake before it is taken out of pan.

NOTES : My neighbor, Ann Bryk, in Priest, Germany gave me this recipe in 1974. It is so, so good.

Here's the salad I made last year at Easter. I like to serve things that can be made ahead and this was so pretty with the colored marshmallows.

Pastel Gelatin Salad (I got this from a Reiman magazine; submitted by Teresa Ries)
1 pkg (3 oz) lemon gelatin
1 pkg (3 oz) lime gelatin
2 c. boiling water
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (I omitted)
1 pkg (10 1/2 oz) pastel miniature marshmallows
In a large mixing bowl, combine lemon and lime gelatin with boiling water; stir until dissolved. Add cream sheese; let stand for 10 minutes. Beat on high speed until smooth. Stir in milk and mayo. Fold in pineapple.

Pour into an ungreased 13x9 dish. Sprinkle with nuts and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate until set.

Here's the salad I think I'll try this year. It is from a Reiman magazine, but I don't know which one; submitted by Deanna Richter.

Easter Fruit Salad
1 can (20 oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tblsp. flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1 pkg (10 1/2 oz) pastel miniature marshmallows
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, eggs, lemon juice and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Cool mixture to room temperature.

Fold in whipped cream. In a large bowl, combine the oranges, marshmallows, cherries and reserved pineapple; fold in cooked dressing. Refrigerate until chilled. 12 servings.

There are a lot of "make-ahead" potato recipes out there, but this is my family's favorite and is almost always on our Easter menu with ham.

Scalloped Potato Casserole
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1/3 c. sliced green onions
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled, boiled and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c. cracker crumbs
Mix sour cream, soup, butter, green onions and 1 cup cheese in a lightly greased deep 3-qt. casserole. Gently stir in potatoes, salt and pepper. Top with remaining 1/2 c. cheese and the crumbs. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 30 minutes (longer if refrigerated) 10 servings. I usually make this in a 9x13 pan or casserole dish, using more cheese & cracker crumbs.

Fantastic!! Thanks, ladies!! I'm gonna have to find a couple others to share!!

(o:Kay:o)

Great recipes on here already!

We split our Easter Dinner with our very good friends (that is also DD's MIL & FIL) Judy and I share the cooking. Here are some of the recipes we fix.





Linda's holiday salad


1 large head of romaine lettuce
1 large head of red leaf lettuce
6 green onions
(1) green bell peppers, (1) red, (1) orange, (1) yellow
1 small pkg. of dried cranberries


In a large bowl tear up both heads of lettuce then chop up green onions,
then sliver bell peppers and add cranberries.

Sauté following ingredients:

The Sautéed ingredients:

Melt the butter in the pan all the seeds almonds and packet of seasonings to this. The seeds will pop a little and you have to really crunch up the noodles and stir them.

I've ruined more than one batch.

This is such a great looking salad..You can fix up the sautéed ingredients and place them in a bowl, put the dressing in a small jar and add and toss at the last minute. Great!


(2) Packages (break up by hand) Ramen noodles (chicken seasoning and I DO add the package)
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of sesame seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
****you HAVE to watch this, it burns easy!!!!

{Drain on paper towel and let cool before adding to salad}

Dressing: (can make ahead)

1 cup of oil
1/3 cup of vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar

{Put in jar and mix very well}

To serve: Toss first two steps while drizzling dressing over the salad.

Judy is a great cook so I always try to take something to her house that is different but VERY good. I couldn't wrap my taste buds around this from the very first time I saw all the rave reviews. I had some of the fresh Vidalia onions and thought this IS the day to try this; I will fix this time and time again! Thanks Jax :) The casserole was delicious. I got so many compliments.




VIDALIA ONION CASSEROLE
Posted by_Jaxon

Chicken's notes****I leave off the cheese and add chicken bouillon granules to the onions before baking for a more intense flavor.

4 large Vidalia onions, quartered
7 Tbsp. butter
3 eggs
One 5 oz. can evaporated milk
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
1-1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese (DIDN'T ADD)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil onions until tender, drain. Heats 4 Tbsp. butter in a skillet & sauté the onions.

Beat the eggs & milk together. Add the onions, & 1/2 the cracker crumbs, the cheese & S&P to taste.

Bake in a buttered casserole dish at 375 for 35 minutes.

Melt remaining butter, mix w/ cracker crumbs & top the casserole. Bake 15 more minutes.

YIELD: 6-8 servings



~~Hugs, LindaChicken
☼

LEMON DROP COOKIES
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. lemon zest
1½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. lemon baking chips
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream butter and sugar well.
Add egg; beast well. Add lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest. Sift dry ingredients; gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in baking chips. Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

GRANNY'S AMISH COOKIE
1 c. soft butter
2 c. sugar
2 egg yolks (reserve whites)**
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg yolks, vanilla and salt; beat well. Combine 1 c. buttermilk and 1 tsp. baking soda. Dissolve soda in milk. Alternate 4 c. flour and the milk mixtures to the first mixture (butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt mixture) **2 egg whites, beaten stiff, fold in last. Fold in 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional) Bake @375° for 20 minutes.

Nancy

BROCCOLI, RICE and CHICKEN CASSEROLE

1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. butter
1 (10 oz.) pkg. broccoli
1 c. uncooked Minute Rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 (8 oz.) can mushrooms
2 c. cooked chicken, diced
8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
Saute celery and onion in butter. Cook rice according to directions. Mix all ingredients and put in a greased casserole dish. Last 5 minutes sprinkle 1/2 to 1 c. cheddar on top and put back in oven to melt cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes @350°.

TURKEY ROLL UPS

1 lb. deli turkey, sliced thick
2 large jars turkey gravy
1 box Stove Top Stuffing for chicken

Prepare stuffing according to directions.
Put stuffing on slices of turkey and roll up like jelly roll.
Put seam side down in a geased casserole dish.
Pour gravy over all and heat in a 350° until heated through. About 20 minutes or so.

Nancy