The Easter Series Part 1

Yup. I'm gonna do it again. I'm going to dump all Easter treats and recipes here. Just like Valentine's day. Feel free to contribute, ladies, as ahem, it's been rather silent around here lately. C'mon, cough up those recipes:) The Easter ideas posted here I can't take credit for but are recipes/treats I have either made in the past or ones I plan on doing soon. Many you may already know how to do. I just needed a place to keep them all together. Bear with my Holiday obsessions, k?

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nests

Easy, and tastes great. Make them in mini muffin tins for candies, or large muffin tins for Easter nest cookies. Yield depends on what size you make them, but total this should serve 10-15 people. Takes just 10 to 15 minutes to make.


Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate chips

2 tbsp. peanut butter (creamy is best)

4 cups crunch chow mein noodles, broken into small pieces

Chocolate Easter eggs or jelly beans, as desired

Butter or cooking spray

Instructions:
1. In a microwave or over a double boiler, melt chocolate halfway, stirring often.
2. Add peanut butter and continue melting, stirring often, until creamy and combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in chow mein noodles until sticky and coated in chocolate mixture.
4. Let sit until just cool enough to handle ( don't burn yourself, but don't want to let the mixture set up too much), about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile grease muffin tins (size of your choice) with butter or cooking spray.
6. Spoon chocolate/noodle mixture into muffin tins, making a well in the middle for your "nest."
7. Repeat until you've used all of your nest mix.
8. Chill nests inside muffin pans at least one hour, or until set. Remove and serve.


Jelly Bean/Cheetos Carrots

Okay, these have been around forever. But I like the Cheetos idea instead, not as sweet for Cate. 'Cept the orange residue gets everywhere. Also, jelly beans are more expensive, especially for one color only. Which isn't a problem if you're only doing one, but doing a bunch of them to give as gifts can get pricey. So Cheetos are a good alternative. (I can't believe I just said that)

Ingredients
12 count decorating bags, Disposable (or just use the cellophane bags and tape down the sides, I've done that before)
22 1/2 ounces Cheetos
12 pieces ribbon, green curling
12 paper, square sheets green tissue paper (3 full sheets cut into 4 squares should work fine)
Directions
Fill each clear bag 2/3full with cheese puffs.
Push tissue paperdown into top with tips sticking out the top.
Tie ribbon around top nearest where the cheese puffs and tissue meet.
Curl ends of ribbon.
Display in basket until passing out.