Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza - Craft, Ideas, Giveaway, Recipe

Welcome back to Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza. Today we have more FUN Easter for you along with another giveaway.

Egg-stra Easy Craft:

Jelly Bean Chick
By: Amanda Formaro posted on Kaboose
Difficulty: Very Easy Age: 5 and up

These cute little spring chicks make the perfect gift for teachers, friends or family. A sweet treat lies inside this little Easter cutie!

What you'll need:

• 1/3 cup jelly beans
• Pleated sandwich bag
• 1 large yellow pom pom
• 3 yellow foam hearts
• 2 small wiggle eyes
• Scrap of orange felt or foam
• Chenille stem
• Small pom pom (color to match chenille stem)
• White craft glue
• Scissors

How to make it:

1. Pour jelly beans into sandwich bag. Gather beans into one corner of the bag and twist chenille stem snugly around the bag.
2. Trim the top of the bag, above the chenille stem, to about 1/2 inch. Fan out the top of the bag as if opening it to expose the center.
3. Put a generous amount of white glue on the yellow pom pom and place on top of the bag.
4. Put two yellow foam hearts next to each other on the table. These will be your chick’s feet. Glue bag on top of the feet so that the rounded ends of the hearts are poking out the front.
5. Cut the third yellow foam heart on half, these two pieces will be your chick’s wings. Glue one to each side of the jelly bean bag.
6. Glue wiggle eyes to the front of the pom pom head.
7. Cut a small triangle from the orange felt or foam and glue on as the beak.
8. Use the scissors to trim the ends of the chenille stem to about 2-3” each. Fold each side of the chenille stem in toward the center to look like a bow tie.
9. Glue small pom pom to the center of the chenille bow tie.
   

Tips:

• If you don’t have pleated sandwich bags you can use zipper bags, just cut the zipper top off before starting.
• You can make full yellow chicks by using all yellow jelly beans, however this may be cost prohibitive unless you buy your jelly beans from a store that sells individual colors in bulk.
• As an alternative you can glue the wings inward toward the front of the jelly bean bag and glue a small slip of paper with the message “Happy Easter” on it in front. Keep in mind that this will hide the jelly beans on your project.

Everything Easter Basket Filler Idea:

Each year I try to find a few practical items to go into my Childrens Easter baskets. Such as items they will be needing for the upcoming Summer season like goggles, swimsuits, flip flops or those everyday teenager hygiene items like shaving cream, deodorant , shampoo or even a new toothbrush and paste. THINK what is it that I am going to have to buy anyway? then purchase it and place it in their Easter Basket. I call that being creatively Frugal.

Our family recently tried out a few products by The Natural Dentist (an all-natural oral care company). These would be GREAT everyday Easter basket filler ideas.

The first one was a great kids toothpaste called Sparkle Berry Blast that contains fluoride for cavity prevention. It is made without SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), a detergent that can irritate tender mouths. It contains xylitol, a natural ingredient recommended by dentists that also sweetens without promoting tooth decay. My 2 youngest boys think it is "oh" so yummy tasting" and gave the Novotny Kid tested stamp of approval on it. We also tried out the Adult toothpaste which again got the stamp of approval in this house. You can get a $2.00 off coupon by clicking here.

Next we tried out the Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Mouth Rinse in the Peppermint Twist flavor ( also available in Orange Zest).

My Husbands favorite feature is that it is ORGANIC - No alcohol, artificial sweeteners, dyes or preservatives. Along with being organic it has the following benefits:

• Scientifically formulated blend of herbal ingredients (patent-pending) for optimum gum health
• Cleansing ingredients: Echinacea, Goldenseal, Grapefruit Seed Extract
• Soothing ingredients: Aloe Vera Gel, Calendula
• Kills bad breath germs for long lasting fresh breath
• Soothes and protects mouth and gums
• No burning
• No alcohol
• Will not stain teeth

Stop by www.thenaturaldentist.com and check out their other great products.

Today's Egg-stravaganza Giveaway:


Also known as “the toothbrush made from yogurt cups,” the Preserve Toothbrush was designed by dentists and engineers to be an innovation in both oral care and eco-friendliness.
The dentist-recommended 45° curved handle and soft bristles guarantee a thorough and even cleaning of your teeth. Available in seven vivid colors, the handle is made from recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups, meaning that fewer natural resources are used to get your teeth sparkling. Combine that with the Preserve's stylish design and reusable travel case and you're not only living green, you're living happy.

When it is time to replace your toothbrush (dentists recommend switching it every three months) send the toothbrush and case back to Preserve using our postage-paid label to be re-processed into plastic lumber for picnic tables, boardwalks and decks.

Features:

• Handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups • Curved, easy to grip handle makes it easy to reach every part of your teeth and gums • Soft, virgin nylon bristles placed in a tri-level configuration with softer outer rows to protect your gums and tooth enamel • Available in Medium, Soft, and Ultrasoft

24/7 MOMS and Recycline - Preserve are giving away one toothbrush. To enter for your chance to win, enter your name and email address in the box below you will be signed up for today's giveaway as well as be added to the 24/7 MOMS E-list (if you are not already a 24/7 MOMS subscriber)


Egg-stra Yummy Recipe:
I am a total LEMON cake eater and I am thinking I just found the perfect dessert for our Easter dinner this year. Not only does it look adorable it appears to be simple enough that this Non Martha Stewart mom "ME" can even handle making this one.

Lemon Easter Basket Cake

Original kaboose.com recipe, developed by Wendy Kalen

An Easter basket made from a lemon bundt cake is great fun. It's also really easy - but that can be your secret. So what are you waiting for? Get hopping!




Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup fresh sqeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon peel

Icing:

• 1 pound confectioner's sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice, milk or water
  

Grass:

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• A couple drops green food coloring

Cooking Instructions

Cake:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar, beating until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine.
4. Add lemon juice to buttermilk.
5. Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternately add dry and buttermilk mixutres to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Let cool 10 minutes on cake rack. Turn out onto cake rack and let cool completely.

Icing:

1. Mix confectioner's sugar and lemon juice to combine. Ice upside-down cake with icing and let dry.

Decorating:

1. Fill hole with plastic wrap. Top cake with coconut, making the edge a little higher.
2. Grass: In a resealable plastic bag, Mix a coconut and green food color to combine.
3. Handle: Fold an 18-inch long piece of aluminum foil lengthwise four times. Secure a ribbon at one end of the foil and wrap to cover. Shape covered foil into long handle. Insert ends of handle about ¼ -inch from the edge of the cake. Add a bow.
4. Top coconut with the Easter candies of your choice.

Make-Ahead

• Cake can be made ahead, wrapped tightly and frozen, un-frosted, up to 6 months.

Share your Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza ideas with us at trisha@247moms.com or leave a comment here.