Easter Decorating & Last Minute Recipe Ideas by Housewife Kayla Boos

Decorate your holiday table with a Tiered Easter Egg Centerpiece

Add polka dots to an Easter egg using a pencil eraser dipped in paint

 Decorate your mantel for Easter with a few easy crafts projects and some purchased items

How-To: http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/decorating/real-home-spring-and-easter-mantel-decorating-ideas/#page=4

 Create this Pastel Flower Bouquet with Eggs for your Easter celebration

M & M Pretzel Flowers

Easter Recipe Ideas

 Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:
7 pounds (about half of a bone-in) cured smoked ham, (butt end), room temperature
2 cups apricot jam
1/4 cup mustard powder
Butter for aluminum foil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil; place roasting rack in pan.

With a sharp knife, trim fat, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Lightly score fat in a diamond pattern (do not cut into meat). Place ham, fat side up, on rack; roast 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine jam and mustard (they can be mixed and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead). Transfer 1/2 cup mixture to a small bowl to glaze ham. Set aside saucepan with remaining mixture.
After 1 hour, brush ham with glaze. Repeat every 15 minutes until brown and shiny, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, avoiding bone, registers 130 degrees, about 1 hour more (if glaze starts to burn, tent ham with buttered foil). Discard unused glaze. Remove ham from oven; cover loosely with buttered foil to keep warm. Temperature will then rise another 5 to 10 degrees.

Bring jam mixture in saucepan to a boil. Carve ham, reserving bone and 2 cups of meat for Split Pea Soup. Serve with sauce.

Bacon Wrapped Caramelized Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus, about 20-25 spears, stems removed

4 slices thick-cut bacon

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk together oils, brown sugar and garlic. Set aside.

Bunch together 5-6 asparagus spears and tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place on the wire rack seam-side down and repeat. Using a pastry brush, a spoon or even your hands (I did this…), brush the spears thoroughly with the oil/sugar mixture. Give each bundle a hefty sprinkle of sesame seeds. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. 

Serve warm.

Heavenly Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup cottage cheese, pureed
2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnish:
chives
melted butter

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 25 minutes.
3. While potatoes boil, place cream, butter and garlic in a small saucepan and simmer. Once mixture comes to a simmer, remove from heat.
4. Drain potatoes in a colander and return back to the pot. Lightly mash the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour cream mixture over the potatoes, a little at a time, and mash the potatoes until all the cream mixture has been used and potatoes are smooth.
6. Stir in pureed cottage cheese and sliced chives and season with salt and pepper.
7. Top with remaining chives and melted butter, if desired. 

Serve warm.

Raspberry White Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups raspberries (8 ounces)
2/3 cup raspberry jam
Meringue Frosting
1/2 cup large-flake dried unsweetened coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line bottoms with parchment, and coat again. Whisk together flour, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together cream, milk, baking powder, and egg whites until mixture thickens. Whisk in vanilla, almond extract, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

Fold in flour mixture. Fold in raspberries, then divide among pans. Bake until golden and top springs back when touched, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pans 30 minutes. Remove; let cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread half the jam over top of 1 cake layer, and sandwich with another layer. Repeat with remaining jam and layer. Swirl frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top with coconut.

Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail

Ingredients:

12 ounces Lillet Rose (Can be substituted with a Rose Wine)
12 ounces Ruby Red grapefruit juice
6 ounces gin
6 edible flower blossoms (optional)

Directions:

Combine 6 ounces Lillet, 6 ounces grapefruit juice, 3 ounces gin, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until well chilled. Strain and divide cocktail among 3 stemmed cocktail glasses

Garnish with flowers. Serve immediately.

Wishing You A Blessed Easter HOMC!