Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death. It is the oldest of the Christian holidays and considered to be the most important day of the church year. Easter also signifies the beginning of spring.
Many families attend church services, enjoy a meal together and proceed to hunt Easter egg with family and friends. For the kids, it is all about the candy and the Easter eggs. Here are a few Easter facts you may not know.
• Easter eggs symbolize joy and celebration, new life and resurrection.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday. About 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year.
• Households spend approximately $131 on Easter each year. That is about $14.7 billion in total.
• America consumer over 16 billion jelly beans on Easter. That is enough to circle the globe three times.
• Each year 90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million Peeps are produced for Easter.
How do you eat your chocolate Easter bunny? The way you eat that bunny can tell a lot about you.
• Ears first: You are organized, traditional, secure and loyal. About 76 percent of all people eat the ears first.
About 76 percent of all people eat the ears of a chocolate Easter bunny first.
• Tail first: You are cautious, private and a little bit sneaky.
• Bite off or snap the bunny head: You are restless, independent, always on the go and have a great personality.
• Paws first: You are caring, nurturing, but a little insecure.
• Smash the bunny: You are ambitious, enthusiastic and unpredictable — not a serial killer like you might have thought.
• Break the bunny in half: You are skeptical and pessimistic.
No matter how you eat your chocolate bunny or how many eggs you find, I hope you and your family have a great Easter. Ham is a traditional main dish meal for Easter. Today, I have two recipes to use some of that leftover ham when you just can’t eat another ham sandwich. Thanks for reading.
CRUSTLESS HAM AND SPINACH CHEESE QUICHE
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ pound ham, cut in small cubes
1 (10-ounce) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
6 eggs
½ pound Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Few dashes Tabasco sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a quiche dish. Heat oil in skillet, and cook onions and peppers until wilted. Add ham and spinach and cook until all excess moisture is evaporated. Let cool. Beat eggs, and add cheese. Stir into onion-spinach mixture, and season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
(Also freezes well. Cook and freeze in slices or as a whole. Thaw and warm to serve.)
HAM AND BROCCOLI LASAGNA
½ cup butter
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of white pepper
3 cups milk
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups diced ham
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups finely grated cheddar cheese
4 hard cooked eggs, finely chopped
Melt butter over medium heat, and stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk, bring to a boil and cook for two minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in onions, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Spread a fourth of the sauce into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with three noodles, half of the ham, half of the broccoli and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, a cup cheddar cheese, half the eggs and a fourth of the white sauce. Repeat layers, ending with white sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
