The Easter traditions that I grew up with rode
immigrant coattails to Pennsylvania. When the Pennsylvania Germans came to
Pennsylvania, they brought little with them because of the famine and wars
that had leveled their Palatinate homeland in the 18th century.
They did bring with them a rich cultural tradition handed down from the
days when Germany was a vast forest. In a few years, the Oschter Haws
would become the Easter Bunny. They also brought egg dyeing which required
onion skins for amber, hickory bark for brown and madder root for red. By
the 19th century, egg dyes came into their own including the one our
family used developed by a German from Lancaster county named Samuel W.
Hinkle. A pharmacist by trade, he turned them out in his basement helped
by the fact that his last name means "chicken". F.W. Woolworth stocked the
dyes in his five and ten and in the 1920's Hinkle Paint-On Egg Colors were
thriving. Today, children are still doing eggs a la Hinkle including my
grandchildren in Seattle!
Another tradition in my home was the Easter-egg tree.
In the 1950's ,the children's book, The Easter Egg Tree by Katherine
Milhous, made it a national custom. I have photographs of my mother's
tree. Church on Easter was a huge event that demanded new outfits, large
hats and corsages. And then there was the Easter dinner which included
ham, mashed potatoes and dandelion with a hot dressing.
The recipe follows:
Dandelion with Bacon Dressing
4 slices bacon
3 T. flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 beaten egg
1/2 t. salt
2 T. vinegar
1 qt. young dandelion leaves
Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
Pour off fat, except 2 T. Blend flour into these 2 T. of fat and gradually
add water
When thoroughly mixed, add beaten egg, salt and vinegar Cook over low
heat, stirring constantly until thickened
Pour over dandelion and serve at once, Good with mashed potatoes.
When I lived in Summerville, SC, I added another tradition. I started
baking a Bunny Cake.
The recipe follows:
Bunny Cake
Bake any flavor cake mix in 2 layer pans, as directed on package.
Prepare fluffy white frosting mix.
Cut one layer of cake in half to make 2 semicircles; put halves
together w/frosting to form body.
Place cake upright on cut edge on serving plate or tray. Cut notch
about 1/3 way up one edge of body to form head. Attach cut out piece for
tail w/wooden pick. Frost bunny, sprinkle
generously w/ shredded coconut. Make ear of white paper; color inside
pink. Use pink jelly beans or gumdrops for
eyes & nose. Surround bunny w/ green tinted coconut for grass and jelly
beans for eggs. (Source: Betty Crocker
Library, 1971)
Living in Biloxi, MS and doing a great deal of entertaining, I added the
following ham recipe to our menu.
Slow-Cooker Ham with Cherry Sauce
1 (4-5 lb.) read to eat cured ham
Liquid smoke
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
Sprinkle ham w/liquid smoke; wrap in foil. Place in slow-cooker.
Cook on low for 6-12 hours, or until done to taste. Combine cherry pie
filling, sugar and cloves
in saucepan; mix well. Cook just until sugar melts. Serve cherry sauce w/
ham. Makes 10 servings.
Finally, my favorite Easter recipe!
Easter-Egg Salad
Rainbow eggs
Chive dressing
1 head Boston lettuce
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 medium-size cucumber
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. dill weed
Make & chill Rainbow eggs and Chive dressing (follows)
When ready to put salad together, pull lettuce leaves apart, keeping each
kind separate. Line a shallow large bowl or deep platter w/ Boston
lettuce; place Bibb lettuce in circle on top. Score cucumber w/ fork, then
slice into small bowl. Sprinkle w/
sugar, salt & dill weed; toss lightly to mix.
Spoon in center of Bibb lettuce; stand Rainbow Eggs around edge.
Rainbow Eggs - Hard-cook, shell & chill 12 eggs. When
ready to tint, pour water into 6 custard cups to fill each 3/4 full. Tint
water in 4 of the cups red, yellow, blue, green, purple and orange. Place
1 egg in each cup.
Let stand, turning several times for even tinting. Lift out w/slotted
spoon & drain on paper toweling.
Makes 1 dozen.
Chive Dressing- Blend 1 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing, 1/4 c. finely
chopped parsley, 1 T. chopped chives in small bowl. Cover & chill until
serving time.
Makes 1
cup. (Athena in DE).
Favorite recipes/links of
our members
Mom's
Macaroni & Cheese
Inside
Out Cake
Corn Dog Casserole
Blasted Chicken
The Best
Spaghetti Sauce You'll Ever Eat
Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread
Hummingbird Cake
Orange Soak Cake
by Tona in Bama
Snickerdoodle
Recipe by Prepared Pantry
Lemonade Dessert by
Annette
Cake Mix Cookies
Angel Food
Variations
Honey or
Cinnabon Cake
Dreamsicle Cake
sent in by Terry
Baked Beans with
Pineapple (Crockpot)
Orange Sunshine
Cake
Peanut Butter
Swirl Brownies
Grape Salad
Life and Times of Sigmund
Freud Kitty (Told in his own words)
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