Easter Means Chocolate Eggs & Gift Baskets

Spring is in the air, and that means...CHOCOLATE! Yes, it’s nearly Easter, which means there is a great selection of chocolate Easter Eggs and other chocolate Easter gifts available to purchase. If you are planning an Egg Hunt, or just looking to get gift baskets for friends and family, you have only one more week to get geared up!

The history of Easter Eggs dates back thousands of years, to a pagan holiday celebrating the Spring equinox. Culture after culture adopted the symbol of the egg as a "rebirth" to celebrate the Spring, and new beginnings, and it became widely associated with the Easter holiday.

Many cultures decorate their eggs using a variety of techniques. Today, you can decorate your own eggs, or purchase beautifully-decorated chocolate eggs to give as a gift to celebrate the holiday. People decorate their eggs using paint, stickers, or a kit of egg dye. For those that would prefer a more simple method, edible chocolate eggs are available for purchase.

One of the most popular Easter traditions involves the egg hunt. The night before Easter, the Easter Bunny visits homes and hides eggs, chocolates and treats. On Easter morning, children look for the eggs and other treats when they wake up, filling up their basket as they collect their prizes. Because of this, the Easter Basket has also become a tradition at this time of year. Some families set the egg hunt up so that there is an Easter Basket as the "prize" at the end of their hunt for each child, while others simply hunt for eggs and keep the Easter Basket visible for all to enjoy. Children and adults alike love receiving an Easter Basket full of goodies; it's a great gift and an easy way to make someone smile.

Many families use chocolate eggs in their egg hunt, so that the treats can be eaten along the way. Chocolate eggs come in a huge variety of sizes and varieties. Some are small and foil wrapped, while some are as big as a child’s head. It's bound to make a most memorable Easter for any one receiving such a delight.

Easter Gifts are not limited to chocolate Easter Eggs -- you can buy chocolate versions of the Easter Bunny in almost any shape or size. These can be wonderful additions to the Easter egg hunt or the Easter Basket. You can personalize a basket for anyone -- your children or your parents, your neighbor, a teacher or even a friend from the gym! By sharing a basket with friends or family, you're helping share a springtime smile.

So this Easter, take some time to do something personally for someone you love - they will obviously feel happy, and you'll feel good about spreading that smile!

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Easy Pasta with Arugula & Walnut Pesto

There's something about Pasta that makes it a favorite weeknight dinner - Yes, the ease to prepare it, and the vast variety of sauces that one can conjure to make any Pasta recipe a different-than-last-time one. Not to mention that its a hit with kids and parents alike! But what I like about it is the fact that I can easily sneak in some healthy ingredients into the sauce or the recipe, without getting strange looks from those at the table! Like this one, which uses Arugula & Walnut Pesto to bring together the flavors of cooked Fettuccine. Walnuts have healthy omega-3 oils, while Arugula is a powerhouse of vitamins and antioxidants; plus, its distinct spicy tangy zesty flavor complements well with the nuts and with garlic, making it a delicious Pesto recipe. Some people shy away from these dark leafy greens, but give this recipe a try, and you may find yourself to start liking Arugula, after all! [Recipe & photo courtesy of Fine cooking magazine]

Research suggests that the nutrients found in dark green vegetables may prevent certain types of cancers and promote heart health. It is recommended that teenage girls eat 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week, or about 1/2 a cup every day. Arugula is one such member of this leaf family which is often ignored in day-to-day cooking. Arugula has a peppery taste and is rich in vitamins A, C, and calcium. Arugula can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir-fry, soups, and pasta sauces.

Ingredients
4 oz (3 cups) arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 lb dried fettuccine or sphagetti

Method
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the fettuccine or sphagetti in the boiling water until it’s al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.

Meanwhile, put the arugula, parmesan cheese, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt into a food processor, and process until the mixture is finely ground, 30 to 60 seconds. In a measuring cup, combine the olive oil and walnut oil. With the food processor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube, and process the mixture until mostly smooth, just like regular Pesto.

When ready to serve, toss the Fettuccine with enough of the Arugula-Walnut Pesto to generously coat the pasta. Serve sprinkled with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. We enjoyed this with some store-bought Garlic bread for a wonderful weeknight dinner. I'm sure you'll love it too!

Related Recipes
Fettuccine in Roasted Garlic Tomato & Champagne Sauce
Pasta Salad with Avocado & Feta Cheese
Spaghetti with Cilantro Pesto Sauce

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Guacamole with Edamame Beans

Who does not like the rich creamy taste of fresh Avocados mashed into a flavorful Guacamole dip! Its one of the easiest dips to make, but if you are looking for a healthier and more protein-packed, flavor-packed variation, then you have got to try this Edamame Guacamole. Adding the green beans gives it more texture and higher nutrition. You could even opt for green peas, but from personal experience, I know Edamame works much better in terms of taste than peas. Serve with raw vegetables like celery, carrots and radishes for dipping or alongside baked pita chips or tortilla chips as a healthy snack or appetizer. Recipe and image courtesy of Whole Foods.

Ingredients
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 small, ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/3 bunch cilantro
1/4 white onion, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Put edamame, avocado, cilantro, onion and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Add enough water to make a creamy consistency and pulse again. Transfer guacamole to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Edamame are not only delicious to eat, but they are a powerhouse of very essential nutrients, especially soy protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids. And combined with Avocados, which are highly nutritious themselves, this dip is one healthy concoction, and your kids will love it too. Much better than feeding them A Queso or Cream Cheese dip.

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