Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's way!

I love Easter.  Maybe it's the high I get from consuming too many peeps and mini eggs and Just Born jelly beans (best Jelly Beans ever!) or maybe it's because of the great times had with friends and family (and good food-duh!).  I think though it's because  Easter is a reminder of how lucky we are that Jesus loved us so much he died for us and without Him we wouldn't have marshmallow peeps and our loving and wonderful family members to celebrate with.  OK I don't ever really thank Jesus for marshmallow peeps but what I am especially thankful for (why only give thanks at Thanksgiving!?) this Easter is family.  This year is extra special to me.  This past year and a half Tommy and I have been tested.  It just seems like lately we cannot win.  I am so proud though how we have handled all that has been tossed our way (Jesus never gives us anything that we cannot handle right!?).  After all Jesus suffered and died on the cross for US...that's WAY harder than anything we have been through right?   This year is extra special because we have our miracle, Lillian Grace, with us.  We couldn't be happier and it's amazing how this little being chases all troubles away. 

What better way to celebrate Easter (other than the obvious-church, baskets, candy) than to make a rockin Easter dessert and one that has some meaning.  I love making things for my family-it's so satisfying which is one of the things I love about cooking and baking and serving meals and desserts.  Many years ago (and I mean MANY-I think I was in 5th or 6th grade) my Aunt Theresa made an awesome dessert one Easter.  For some reason I have been thinking about the dessert and decided to google the recipe and found many different variations of this said dessert:  Easter Egg Nests!  Bird nests represent Spring and new life being brought into the world.  Birds represent freedom and bearers of good news for the future.  So how fitting to make these for Easter to celebrate new life and good fortune for our family.

These nests are as easy to make as rice crispy treats.  I found a great recipe that has many different possible variations which I made two of.  You can find the variations here.  I made butterscotch peanut butter and chocolate peanut butter.  Here's my how to along with my variations to the recipie:

What you need:

• 2 cups (1 package) of butterscotch chips (or chocolate chips milk or semi sweet)

• 1 cup of peanut butter

• Chow Mien Noodles (the recipe called for 2 cups but I added more until all of the 'juice' was used up)  

• I skipped the peanuts but you could add them too.  

• I used Reese's Pieces eggs for the chocolate peanut butter nests and Hershey's chocolate eggs for the butterscotch nests but you can use any egg shaped candy.

How To:

• Melt the chips and peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir and then heat in increments of 10 seconds until fully melted and smooth (I only had to do this once-when you stir it melts itself)

• Pour in the noodles to the mix and stir until covered completely-you want there to be some of the mix but the noodles should soak up most of it. 

• Take spoonfuls (I used my hands) and drop onto cookie sheet covered with waxed paper or non-stick tin foil-I made my nests about the size of my fists (I have pretty small hands)  

• Place candy in center of the nest

• Chill in fridge to set.  

 The butterscotch nests

The chocolate peanut butter nests

I was so happy with how they turned out! Lilly even helped by supervising sleeping through the whole process.  She's such a good baby and isn't she cute!

 

Happy Easter!