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The Christian celebration of Easter is just a week and a half away and I have been decorating Easter eggs for the past seven weeks. The decorating of Slovak-style Easter eggs is generations old and I have passed along the tradition to our children and grandchildren. I have been “doing eggs” for over 50 years and never tire of this egg art. I don’t do them any other time of the year as it’s a very special part of my Easter celebration. The decorated eggs can either be raw, cooked or blown (insides removed). The “gifty” eggs, I do blown and the ones to be eaten on Easter are hard-cooked, of course.

I draw on white, brown, naturally colored (from aracauna chickens) hen eggs, along with duck, goose, emu, rhea, finch and ostrich eggs. This is not paint that is used, but hot wax and a stylus that consists of a common pin inserted into a pencil-like piece of wood, preferably balsa wood. The symbols on the eggs depict the Lenten season, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. For me, the decorating of eggs is a big part of my Easter celebration. As a chick breaks out of its shell, this is a symbol of the Resurrection with Christ breaking out of the tomb.

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I’ll be decorating eggs at Brink’s Market in Chisago City Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on both days. I hope some of you will stop by to see just how the eggs are decorated when you’re doing your grocery shopping.

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Of course it’s egg recipes today. If you like omelets, I have a unique way of preparing them that was just amazing to me. You must follow the cooking preparations exactly. It doesn’t look quite like a normal omelet, like you would get in a restaurant, but it tastes the same. Easy and crazy! Thanks for the recipe, Judy––I love it!

OMELET IN A BAG

one 1 qt. size plastic freezer bag (you must use the correct size and be sure it’s a freezer bag)

2 eggs, large or extra large––not jumbo (I use one whole egg and 2 whites)

your favorite omelet ingredients such as ham, bacon, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, tomato, green chilies, tiny broccoli florets, cheese (cheddar, swiss, etc.)

Fill a 2-1/2 to 3 qt. pan about three-fourths full of water; heat to boiling while making the omelet.

The recipe didn’t give the amount of each ingredient used but this is how I made mine:

2 T. diced ham

2 T. canned mushrooms

1 t. minced onion

1/2 T. minced green pepper

2 T. chopped tomato (I use the meaty part of a Roma.)

1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I added about 1 T. Swiss, also.)

If adding more ingredients, boil 1-2 minutes longer.

Put eggs into the bag, squeezing it to break up the yolk (I beat it slightly in a one cup measuring cup, then add ingredients.)

Put all ingredients into bag, press air out of bag and seal. I had about 3/4 cup of mixture which was just right for me. I would suggest not to exceed a total amount of ingredients to be more than or it may not be cooked in the middle.

Be sure the water is at a rolling boil. Drop the bag into the water and immediately set your timer for 13 minutes. When time is up, remove bag from the water. The zipper part is easy to grab or else use tongs.

Open the bag and turn it out onto your plate (it’ll roll right out). It looks a little weird but if nothing else, it’s a conversation piece for a minute.

Makes one to two egg omelets.

While the omelet is cooking, pour some juice or cut up fresh fruit, make some toast and you have a wonderful breakfast or lunch.

NOTE: You can put two to three bags in the saucepan at one time, but if making more, use a larger saucepan or Dutch oven.

This is a great “make-it-yourself” dish for other members of the family or friends to put together. I hope you’ll try it. Sounds a bit confusing I suppose, but you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and refrigerate for three to four hours before you make the omelets. I would add the eggs when you’re ready to put it in the bag.

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One of my favorite egg dishes is quiche. This recipe is a bit different from traditional quiche, less fattening, too.

CRUSTLESS BACON AND CHEESE QUICHE

8 strips bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled (you may also use 3/4 c. diced ham if you wish)

1-1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. biscuit mix

3 eggs (I use 2 whole and 2 whites)

1/4 c. butter, melted

dash pepper

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 c. each of cheddar and swiss is a nice combination)

In a blender, combine milk, biscuit mix, eggs, butter and pepper; blend for 15 seconds or beat well with a wire whisk. Pour into greased (not sprayed) 9-inch pie pan.

Sprinkle bacon and cheese over top; with a fork gently press the bacon and cheese beneath the egg mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted between center and edge of pie comes out clean. Let stand 7-8 minutes to set a bit before cutting. Makes 4-6 servings.

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This hearty skillet dish is quick to make for an after-church or an anytime brunch.

FARMER’S BREAKFAST

6 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and coarsely crumbled

2 T. butter or margarine

2 T. diced onion

3 medium cooked potatoes, peeled and cubed (or you can cube them raw, cook and drain well)

6 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper to taste (a little seasoned salt is good)

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion and potatoes in butter until lightly browned over medium heat, about five minutes.

Pour eggs over potatoes, stir gently until eggs are set and cooked the way you like them. Season; sprinkle with cheese and bacon; cover and let stand 2-3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Makes 4-6 servings. Serve with fruit or juice and some type of roll, muffin or bread.

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This is a good overnight casserole to make for an Easter breakfast or brunch, different from the popular egg strata dishes.

SCRAMBLED EGG

CASSEROLE

Cheese sauce:

2 T. butter or margarine

2-1/2 T. flour

2 c. milk*

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper (use white pepper if you have it)

1 c. shredded American or cheddar cheese (can also use a Mexican or your favorite cheese)

Melt butter, blend flour, cook and stir one minute. Gradually stir in milk; cook until thickened. Add salt, pepper and cheese; stir until cheese melts; set aside.

NOTE: I heat the milk in the micro while blending butter and flour, it thickens up faster.

Egg layer:

1 c. cubed ham

1/4 c. chopped green onion

3 T. melted butter or margarine

1 dozen eggs, beaten (use 10 whole and 4 egg whites if you wish)

1-4 oz. can mushrooms, drained

In a large skillet, saute ham and onion in butter until onion is tender.

Add eggs and cook and stir over medium heat until eggs are set.

Stir in mushrooms and cheese sauce. Spoon mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

Topping:

1/4 c. melted butter or margarine

2-1/4 c. soft bread crumbs

Combine topping ingredients, tossing lightly; spread evenly over egg mixture. Cover, refrigerate overnight or for eight hours.

Uncover, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serves 8-10.

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Some egg tips to remember . . .

•The following is the approximate number of whole eggs to make one cup: 7 small, 6 medium, 5 large, 4 extra large

•How to tell if your eggs are cooked? Spin it and if it’s hard cooked it should spin like a top; raw eggs won’t spin as fast.

•Better yet, when you cook several eggs, put an x on the shell with a marker or I have an egg carton marked “cooked” on the end.

•Remember––you’re not suppose to store eggs in an egg keeper on the refrigerator door. Keep them in the carton.

•Crack eggs into a cup before using to make sure they are good to use.

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