Easter Inspiration

Is there a better way to celebrate Easter than with a picnic? We don’t think so…

Head outdoors with the family this Easter weekend; Packs some blankets, don’t forget the Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt!!!

Here are some food and decor ideas for you to do to make it extra special for the kids.

Cake Pops

These are a very new trend at the moment and kids love them, ask your local bakers to make them for you, or you can try them out yourself!!

Carrot Cutlery Bundles

All you need is green plastic cutlery, Orange serviettes and some green raffia or twine, Tie the serviette around the cutlery and tie with raffia to resemble carrots.

Easter Bunny Fruit Basket

This would be a great addition to your Easter Meal and could serve as a Healthy Dessert, could use some knife skills and creativity to pull this off.

Easter Jar Favours

You can buy any sweets like smarties, or speckled eggs for woolies, or even marshmallows, add to a jar, and use some material on the top and tie with raffia, you can also put in an Easter bunny in… kids will love these. 

Carrot style biscuit snack packs

Using pointed packets, fill with cheesy biscuits that are a little orange in colour and tie with green raffia.

Easter Themed Cupcakes

Using some icing or butter cream and the speckled eggs from Woolworths you can easily create these cupcakes.

Chocolate Slabs with Easter wrappers as gifts

You can buy these wrappers online and print them, cut and stick them to a shop bought chocolate slab.

Cute Deviled Egg Easter Chicks

Easy to make, done in the same way as deviled eggs, and decorated to look like little chicks

Credits: www.notsoidlehands.blogspot.com, Sweet Scarlet, crackersart.com.au, Pint Sized baker

Puff pastry Gruyere appetizers

I love the Facebook page Delicious Recipes - Tips & Advice, they have the most amazing and original ideas. Below is a very easy appetizer recipe that you can make for your next picnic outing.

Puff pastry Gruyere appetizers

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people:

- 200g of grated (Swiss) gruyere
- 1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry
- 1 egg

Preparation:

1. Unroll the sheet of puff pastry onto the work surface and cut into four squares.
2. Beat the egg and brush the egg over the squares.
3. Place some gruyere lengthways over each piece of pastry and then roll into a sausage shape ensuring that the egg-brushed surface is on the inside of the roll.
4. Place the rolls of pastry on a flat surface in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Once the pastry has hardened, remove the rolls from the freezer.
6. Brush with egg once more and slice up each roll.
7. Place the slices flat on an oven tray covered with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
8. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C.
9. Once the pastry has risen well and is nicely golden brown, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Picture & Content credit :
Delicious Recipes - Tips & Advice on Facebook

DIY Clementine Candles

In search of new ideas for evening picnic candles we stumbled across this stunning idea, clementine candles. This is such a brilliant idea for so many reasons, i.e. they are eco-friendly because u are using the peel after you have eaten the fruit, they add beautiful ambiance to an evening picnic and they give off a lovely citrus sent when you light them. Although it looks easy to make it could be quite challenging but in the end it is definitely worth it.

Below is a step by step guide from the blogs http://www.apartmenttherapy.com and http://www.instructables.com

Turn a small citrus into a candle using:

Ingredients:
• 1 clementine
• olive oil
• 1 sharp paring knife
• many matches

1.) Get all necessary parts.
2.) Make a nice lateral slice (like a belt) around the tangerine.

3.) Carefully peel, taking care not to tear or rip the peel. It is important to leave that little bit of white stringy stuff at the bottom as it will serve as your wick.

4.) Fill the "bottom" with olive oil. Can also use lamp oil, vegetable oil,etc.

5.) Trim the "wick" down so it's approximately 1/8th to 1/4 inch above the oil.
6.) Light, put the "hat" on and enjoy!
7.) Most IMPORTANT: Don't leave the candle burning unattended

Photo & Content Credit:  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Teddy Bear Picnic Party

A Teddy Bear themed picnic party is suitable for a boy or girl and can be held inside or outside. If you are hosting it for a boy you could probably do this theme till about 3yrs of age however for girls you can do it for up to 5yrs. As part of the invitation you can request the little guests to bring along their favourite teddy. If it is a girls party you could do it as a tea party. 

Below is some inspiration and ideas of what you can do.

For information or quotes you can visit www.picnicsforpixies.co.za.