Spring Has Sprung!
It can be the most breath-taking time of the year. As the winter snow slowly melts, spring starts to come alive. The melting snow quietly starts to water the trees and vegetation. One day there is snow on the ground. The next day there are buds on the trees. As well as early flowers blooming.
The Pagan “Rite of Spring,” the Christians and their “Easter and the Resurrection” and the Jewish Community’s “Passover and Flight Out of Egypt” all have one thing in common other than occurring sometime in the spring (March and April). They all reflect cultural freedom and rebirth.
I most connect with my Slavic heritage. It is the stories, foods, and customs I most associate with.
The one story I heard about time and time again was that Easter Monday throughout the Slavic world was a day to settle down after the joy of the celebration of Easter Sunday itself.
In our area this custom held true. This community was made up of Hungarians, Slovak, Czech, Polish and some Russian.
There was no school and work was limited to the necessities. It was a major day to attend church and visiting.
On Monday after church, the men would set out to visit the ladies of their community. The object was for them to try and sprinkle each lady with fragrant water. This was the custom that originated in their native lands and practiced here.
Starting in the late 1890s into the 1900s, most of the Slavic men worked at the Iron Company. Most of these ethnic groups lived in the east end of town. Small houses and row homes lined Hall, Walnut, and Morgan Streets, as well as Mill Street. Many of them dreamed of living beyond their world and looked to the streets and avenues of larger homes on Washington and the numbered avenues.
Easter has always been my favorite holiday — even over Christmas. As a kid, it was the candy display in Buster’s window that drew my interest. Along with a new Easter outfit at least a new bonnet & shoes.
No worrying if you were on a “naughty or nice list” — the Easter bunny arrived with candy, eggs and all other Easter gifts.
Over the years I have gotten to be quite a candy maker. Especially with what I call “Candy Cups.” For Easter, I make several different varieties which takes planning to determine which chocolate goes with the right filling.
My candy is made only for gifts. One of my presentations is to use old egg cartons. This allows for 12 Candy Cups.
Usually, the top of the cartons is decorated with a label, spring flowers, ribbons, etc.
This Easter I will be making milk chocolate with Spanish nuts. Along with dark chocolate and mixed nuts. Some candies will be filled with coconut.
I am going to try two new treats this year. They are Chocolate Egg Nests and Spring Flowers.
CHOCOLATE EGG NESTS
2 cups Chow Mein noodles
1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips Jelly beans
Place the Chow Mein noodles in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips at 50% power for 1 minute, or until melted. You could also melt over a double broiler. Stir, until smooth.
Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the milk chocolate. Then pour the melted milk chocolate and butterscotch chips over noodles and stir until coated. Spray a muffin pan with
non-stick cooking spray. Then add a large spoonful of the mixture to the muffin cup. Press lightly in the center of the cup to form the nest. Then with the remaining chocolate in the bowl, dip the back of the jelly beans and arrange 3-5 (depending on size) in nests. Allow time for the nest to set-up. You may need help to pop nest with eggs out of the pan.
EDIBLE SPRING FLOWERS
1 bag Pretzel squares 1 bag White Chocolate Melting Wafers
2 bags Easter Mix M&M Candies
Arrange 8 to 9 Pretzel Snaps on a paper plate.
Place a candy wafer in the center of each pretzel.
Place the plate of pretzels in the microwave and heat them until the candy melts are at the beginning stage of being melted. They should be soft to the touch and melted enough to press an M&M down into it but not so melty that the candy is running off the pretzel. (Approximately 45-50 seconds.)
Using Easter-colored M&M’s, place a single M&M in the center of the melted candy melt for the flower center.
Now press in the flower petals with contrasting colored M&M’s - we used six M&M’s for the petals.
Let the spring flower fully set up.
Store in an air-tight container.
STAY SAFE — WEAR THAT MASK — MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.