Swirly Colored Easter Eggs

I saw this idea on Pinterest.  I searched and searched the internet trying to figure out who the original idea could be attributed to.  Every link that I found went a photo but nothing had any credit to so and so on it.  Who every original posted the idea ... thank you!  My kids loved it!
There were no clear cut instructions, just an idea ... so we just figured it out on our own.

What You'll Need:

• Shaving Foam (it needs to be foam, not gel)
• Liquid Food Coloring
• Tooth picks
• Pie Plates or other shallow dishes
• Eggs (of course)

How WE Dyed Our Eggs:

1. I used pie plates to dye our eggs.  Squirt a small layer of foam in the bottom of your dish.  Make sure that you do not use a lot of foam ... more foam allows for less of the dye to contact the egg shell. (Learned that on the first one that we did)
2. Drop liquid food coloring onto the top of the foam in several places.  We used coordinating colors such as Blue and Green, Purple and Blue, Yellow and Red ... we even did a rainbow one in which we lightly swirled so that it would get all of the colors on it!
3. Using a tooth pick, swirl the dye around just enough to distribute the dye.  Do not mix too much or it will loose the swirl effect and just be a solid color.             
   
4. Roll the eggs around in the foam and then set to the side on a paper towel.
5. Allow to sit for several minutes, then gently wipe away the foam with paper towels.  Quickly run under cold water to rinse all of the foam away.

Some people claimed that the shaving foam "flavored" their eggs.  We did not have this problem, but you can use whipped cream in place of the shaving foam.

***NOTE - If anyone is able to lead me to the original post with this idea ... please let me know so that I can attribute the idea to them!

Taco Roasted Chick Peas

Yes, I realize the photo is sideways.  For some reason blogger keeps rotating it when I upload it.  Not sure why or how to fix it!

After reading SEVERAL recipes for roasted chick-peas ... my head was spinning!  So many flavors and so many different baking instructions!  I decided that since I like taco seasoning a lot .. I would go with that.  Baking though, hmmm.  I have found everywhere from 300 degree for over an hour to 45 for the 20-30 minutes that I used.  I have not tried a low and slow technique yet, but the high temp that I used made chick-peas that were crunchy on the outside and smooth and nutty on the inside.  Experiment ... that's my motto!

Gather Your Ingredients:

• 1 can chick peas (garbonzo beans)
• 1 T grapeseed oil
• 2t chili powder
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t paprika
• tiny sprinkle of Italian seasoning

Make It:

1. Drain and rinse the chick peas.  Spread out on a couple of layers of paper towels and pat dry.  Pick out any hulls that you see.  Make sure to dry thoroughly.
2. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and coat the chick peas.
3. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast at 450 for about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on your oven).  Toss them around every so often to ensure that they cook evenly.

This is a high fiber healthy snack that is so yummy!  Enjoy!

Short-Cut Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I found a quick version of Alfredo in my BHG cookbook.  Just a few tweaks to make it my way.

Gather Your Ingredients:

• 2 cooked chicken breasts or about 1+ pounds of cooked chicken, cubed or sliced
• 1/2 pound Fettuccine
• 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1 T butter
• 3/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 to 2 T fresh chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Make It:

1. Before you begin, set the cream and butter out to allow it to come to room temp.  Cook the chicken in your desired method ... I oven roasted mine at 400 for about 20 minutes or so (until fully cooked).  Just a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of S&P.
2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot.
3. While pasta is still very hot, toss all other ingredients in the pot with it.

Yes, it really is that simple and yes it tastes yummy!  If you like your pasta a bit more on the saucy side ... add more butter, cream and parmesan.