Three days ago, I woke up to a whole new world. The browns of winter seemed to have changed overnight to a vibrant, luminous spring green, trees and shrubs are suddenly bursting with leaves, and all of our poor frost-bitten plants are once again flexing their muscles above ground. Magical!

This lovely vista made me excited at not only leaving the cold behind (yes, our blood is thin down here in Texas), but also about the glorious spring celebrations on our horizons. And there are few celebrations more wonderful that Easter – the time of rebirth for everything and everyone. So what did I do? Oh course I started rummaging in my pantry, and took my spoils to the kitchen!

First up, fun for the kids. I found this recipe from a lovely French chef called Clothilde, and adapted it a little to make these beauties:

These sweet jam-filled Easter ‘eggs’ are sooo fun and easy to make with kids or grandkids, and they make a beautiful display. Click here or on the image above for the recipe – it’s perfect with any of our sweet jams, but go for our peach and apricot varieties if you want that authentic ‘yolk’ color!

Then I started thinking about how to make Easter entertaining easy. When family and friends are home, the last place I want to be is in the kitchen. But my own personal genie was there in the pantry, in the shape of our Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. I used this as a glaze for an enormous 11 pound ham (couldn’t find anything smaller at the grocery store) and it absolutely wowed everyone – young and old alike.

I’ve tried a lot of recipes for ham over the years, done the rounds of honey, garlic, mustard and sweet jam, and while they’ve all been delicious, nothing has come close to the flavor of this dish, and it’s the easiest recipe of the lot! Three ingredients and you stick it in the oven – that’s it! You don’t even need salt and pepper. Check the recipe out here, or by clicking on the image above, and a very happy, relaxed Easter meal to you!

For a cheese plate, how about:

If you’re lucky enough to be the guest over the Easter weekend, our curated or free selection gift boxes are a wonderful way to show your appreciation (and you know your gift will be used!). Here are just a few ideas, including the Easter sampler box – perfect for an appetizer, Easter Ham and Easter egg jam cookies!  Check out our Gift Box HQ for more.

For more recipes and gift ideas, or to just get a little dose of Utopia in your life, come visit us at New Canaan Farms!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring and Have A Delicious Day xx