Shame on you Hannaford

For taking the fun out of a childhood tradition!

Some things do not need to be simplified and done for us!

My dye died.

A quick note to my readers, if I actually have any, that the spinach and coffee dyes failed miserably. The blueberry was nice, but the turmeric was too thick. We resorted to the time tested method after all! Paas be damned, I would like to introduce you to my friend - Food coloring.

Home Made Easter Eggs

I was looking for homemade Easter Egg dyes to accompany my food coloring options. With a tight budget these days, and a lot of our meals coming from what we have on hand in the freezer or pantry, I will be adding a few of these ideas for my Easter eggs as well.

BLUE: Make a Blueberry Dye using 1 cup of mashed blueberries.
GREEN: Make a Spinach Leaf Dye using 1 cup of chopped spinach.
YELLOW: Make a Ground Turmeric Dye using 3-4 Tbsp. of ground turmeric.
BROWN: Make a Coffee Dye substituting 1 quart of brewed black coffee for 1 quart water.

1. Put the recommended amount of fruit, vegetable or spice in the pot.
2. Add about 1 cup of water per 1 cup of food, and 2 Tbsp. of white vinegar to pot (water level should be about 1" above ingredients).
3. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Strain out excess ingredients with a cheesecloth or coffee filter for a smooth liquid dye.
5. Let cool to room temperature before dyeing eggs.