This Easter is Going to Bee Extra Special
Grace Stevens shares her top tips to ensure your Easter is quite literally buzzing with delicious food and happy family time.
12/04/2022
Easter is a special time where we take
enjoyment in surrounding ourselves with family,
friends, and neighbours all gathered
to enjoy a delicious spread while sharing
memories around a dining table overflowing with soul-nourishing foods.
The spicy aroma of hot cross buns
fresh from the oven and the happy squeals of
children rushing around the garden in search of
hidden chocolate treats.
Easter has always been
a time for family, but this year is going to be
an even more special one. For the past couple of
years, we have been confined
indoors and isolated from our friends and family
and now we are free to live,
laugh, embrace, and share food and memories with
our nearest and dearest.
To help you to get started on your Easter
celebrations, Grace Stevens, award-winning TV chef,
confectionery connoisseur, honeybee lover,
nature enthusiast, and all-time Easter expert,
shares some of her favourite tips to for an Easter
celebration that is
quite literally buzzing with delicious food and
happy family time (as well as plenty of speckled
eggs and chocolate bunnies of course).
Relax and make fond memories
Easter should not be about stressing around
the house and working up a sweat in the kitchen
and it is also not about spending hours in the
supermarket filling up a shopping trolley.
This instead, is a welcome opportunity to spend
quality time with loved ones that we didn’t get
to see last year. To maximise family time, Grace
suggests starting the Easter preparations as
early as possible to avoid a late-night rush on
the eve of the long weekend. Most biscuits and
treats can be made ahead of time, and parts of
the main meal can also be made a few days before
and frozen.
I love Easter, not only because
it is the most significant time in the Christian
calendar, but because the evenings are colder,
there is more rain, and we are leaving summer
behind. My all-time favourites for Easter are hot cross buns and speckled eggs.
There is nothing quite like the excitement that my kids show when
we all get involved in the preparation for Easter Sunday.
Anyone looking to get everyone involved in the
celebratory atmosphere should consider doing a craft
workshop, where everyone can discover something
new
for Easter decor and then use their creations to
decorate a home or table.
Embrace the mystery of a new season
With everyone having to spend a lot of time
indoors, whether it is socialising or working
from home, Grace reflects that it is inherent
that we seek inspiration from nature for ideas
and motivation. I am trying something different
this year, one that imbibes the spirit of nature
and my love of the outdoors.
Over the last few weeks, I have
especially been drawn to the intricacies and
exquisiteness of the humble honeybee, which has
given me so much inspiration this Easter.
This year sees my colour palette being bolder
than usual, featuring bright hues of
sunny yellow and sun-kissed orange as we cling to
the final trickles of summer. These colours are
also a way to embrace
the start of autumn and winter. My artwork also
draws inspiration from fashion and home décor
items with polka dots being prominently
displayed offering their
whimsical nature that conjures up memories of
outdoor picnics and beach holidays.
Easter is for all – young and old
Making
your own Easter eggs to decorate the table and
gift to family and friends is a great activity
to do with kids. I prefer to make Easter eggs
that are hollow in to celebrate the religious significance of
Easter eggs. It is a story that refers to the
empty tomb when Mary
went to look for Jesus.
You shouldn't have to shop around too much
to find chocolate moulds and will definitely
find what you need online in assorted shapes and
sizes. Simply melt
your chocolate for 10 seconds at a time in the
microwave and then fill your moulds and
refrigerate.
A special part of any Easter
celebration and one that is a childhood
tradition for many is the Easter egg hunt. With
eggs hidden around the house and garden, the
children are excited to take part in the hunt.
For older children, you can add more excitement
by secreting clues in the garden.
This is not only a wonderful way
of upgrading an Easter egg hunt, but it also
keeps them stimulated and active and outdoors,
and away from technology. The final clue can
lead them to a huge stash of speckled eggs,
smarties, and chocolate bunny ears. No one can
be annoyed after seeing that!
Click here for Grace's Hot Cross Buns Recipe
For more delicious Easter tips, recipes and more, follow Grace on Instagram @grace_stevenschef, visit her website for some yummy recipes www.gracestevens.co.za
