colour your world

Ever since we had robin's eggs hatched at our window sill a few years ago, I've looked forward to our annual tradition of painting Easter eggs, just so I can admire a few blue ones in our batch.  Every spring, I occasionally look at that window sill...wondering, if another bird will return...and use the sill as a home for it's nest.  I guess as a mother, I can appreciate and still watch in awe, how another mother or parent (human or not) is so dedicated to prepare it's offspring for the world.

It is no different than a pregnant woman, eating all the right foods, eliminating all the bad habits and taking care of herself, and therefore readying her baby to arrive in our world.   It is no different than a father, teaching his child how to stick handle a puck, so his kid can play road hockey with his friends, and beat his "world" record.  


I guess you can say I'd rather watch the journey instead of the goal.  A friend of ours told me a funny story about how they had a difficult time blowing the contents out of an egg to prepare them for painting. They wanted to use empty egg shells instead of boiled eggs, so they can admire and display the painted eggs for a longer time. Unfortunately, by the time they finished emptying all their eggs, they were too out of breath and didn't complete their original intention of painting them. (I wish they had told me this sooner).

Although I love the end result of a beautiful array of coloured eggs in our basket...I enjoy watching the process even more.  Children (of all ages!) delicately placing egg shells in dye, patiently waiting for the colour to transform.  Their eyes widen...how quickly an egg goes from basic white to beautiful shades of pink, yellow and blue.  A world of possibilities, of colour, of beautiful creativity.


With a little preparation, this can be such a simple activity with so few elements...empty egg shells, a little dye, and plastic cups.  And I find it one of the most calming things to do this time of year.


So, as a simple way to prepare eggs for painting this Easter, I'm sharing with you, my "trick of the trade"...on how to empty them without losing your breath, so you too can sit back and enjoy watching curious eyes widen, as they discover a colourful world of possibilities.

Simple, non-traditional way of emptying eggs

Using a very sharp paring knife, pierce a hole at each end of the egg.

Take a spaghetti noodle and put it through the egg,
so the yolks are no longer intact.

Take a turkey baster, and squeeze air into the egg on one end...
the liquid contents will easily come out of the other end of the egg.
Since you did not use your own breath, you can empty the contents
into a bowl, for later use (scrambled eggs or quiche, perhaps?)

Enjoy.