Jelly beans and chocolate eggs may be your favorite treat.  But what the Easter Bunny really likes is Carrots. Carrots are loaded with Vitamin C, and can be made into a delicious dessert to satisfy any sweet tooth. Our Carrot Cake (recipe below) includes carrots (of course), applesauce, eggs and walnuts, the perfect combination of protein, carbs and healthy fats like Omega-3.

If your house is overflowing with colorfully dyed Easter eggs, turn them into tasty snacks for nibbling or a whole meal. Put hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Eggs will last for up to a week, but they must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.

Easter Egg Snacks: Deviled eggs with a few twists. 

Peels the eggs, cut in half and scoop out the yolks. To six egg yolks add 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise and one of the following combos

• Plain Eggs: 1 Tablespoon of mustard and 1 Tablespoon of lime juice or water.

• “Asian” Eggs: 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar

• Hot Chili-Lime Eggs: 1 Tablespoon of lime juice and 1 jalapeno pepper. Remove the seeds to reduce the heat

• Curried Eggs: 1 Tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons of curry powder. Click Here for more ways to make creative deviled eggs.

The Best Part: Top off your Easter dinner with a moist, delicious carrot cake decorated with a nest of coconut and jelly beans. Enjoy!

Easter Treats

RECIPE: Easter Bunny Carrot Cake: A sweet treat

INGREDIENTS:

•      3 cups of finely chopped carrots (about 6 large ones)

•      1 cup chopped walnuts

•      2 cups flour

•      1 tsp salt

•      1 tsp cinnamon

•      2 tsp baking soda

•      ¾ cup of apple sauce

•      ¾ cup of salad oil

•      2 cups sugar

•      4 eggs

•      1 teaspoon vanilla

TO MAKE

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

• Chop the carrots and walnuts and combine in a bowl. Use a food processor if you have one. Carrots should be finely chopped or shredded

• Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in a separate bowl.

• Mix together apple sauce, salad oil, sugar and eggs until smooth.  Add the mixture to the carrots and walnuts.

• Blend in flour mixture.

• Pour into a lightly greased baking pan and place in the oven.

If you are using a 9" x 13” pan, bake the cake for 1 hour. If you are using a tube pan, bake the cake for 1 ½ hours. Let the cake cool and then decorate. To make the cake extra healthy, skip the frosting and make a nest of coconut flakes with jelly beans in the middle.

TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER EASTER

COOKING

• Make your own Apple Sauce: Peel and slice 6 cooking apples, like Macoun or Pink Lady, in a pan. Add about a ½ inch of water and cook stirring occasionally until apples are soft and mash easily. Ready to use in your favorite recipes!.

• Apple sauce goes great with Easter dinner. Natural sugars make it an excellent snack. If serving as a side dish, add a little sugar and cinnamon

DECORATING AND EATING EGGS

• USE FOOD COLORING ONLY

• Hard boil eggs before coloring them. Refrigerate them WITHIN 2 HOURS OF COOKING

• Easy way to peel eggs: Run eggs under cold water Then roll them on a hard surface to crack the shells.

HEALTHIER EATING

• Nest decoration for Easter Cake. Make a nest out of shredded coconut. Add the jelly beans in the middle. Coconut is deliciously sweet, full of vitamins C, E & B-complex & can help balance cholesterol.

• Buy dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. It's healthier for you! Actually, it’s good for you.

HAPPY & HEALTHY EASTER

FROM HARVEST HOME