Easter Celebration Ideas

We are doing a briscuit, mashed potatoes, etc. We get pre-cooked (really yummy and easy) briscuit at HEB. Good luck and have fun!

bake a ham! It's simple, quick, & makes the house smell wonderful!

Or you could order fried chicken or a spiral ham.....& just make the sides.

Our traditional Easter dinner consists of: a baked ham, complete with glaze & pineapple rings/cherries. Yummm. Fresh bread, potato salad made from an heirloom recipe, ambrosia, fresh pickled beets (if my Mom has time to make them!), & a lettuce salad. If we're lucky, Gr Gma makes her custard pudding....but she's 90 now & not quite up to it.

Weather permitting, we eat outside! But that doesn't happen very often in MO!

Of course a spiral sliced ham would be super easy - you just have to buy that. Pasta dishes are easy to make and can feed a crowd. I'm having about 16 people and I think I'll make a bbq brisket or perhaps bbq pork in the crockpot with rolls, a hashbrown casserole, roasted asparagus, deviled eggs, a spring salad with spinach and strawberries. You could do a brunch type menu with an egg casserole, carrot muffins, ham biscuits, fruit salad. I saw an Easter "tea party" menu on myrecipes.com (I think) that looked really cute for an outdoor egg hunt party..... different types of iced tea or lemonade and finger sandwiches and cupcakes. Kids love to decorate sugar cookies or cupcakes. You could decorate w/large paper mache eggs hanging from your trees or nestled at the tree base. Good luck and have fun!

I am with your hubby. Not big on the pot luck idea.
However, If you have the $$ buy a ham big enough to feed everyone from Honeybaked Ham Company. Have it delivered heat and serve.
For sides, two veggies one starch and rolls (if someone wants to make a sandwich) and maybe a couple desserts (pre-bought if needed to save time).
Google some good sides for ham and call it a day. No one should be critical and being the first year, don't feel like you need to do too much.
In terms of crafts you could cut strips of brown paper or use paper shopping bags and let the kids weave their own baskets. We used to do that at church a few weeks before easter and I loved it!! It'll keep 'em busy for a while too:)

for crafts, you may check Oriental Trading company...i just ordered a bunch of color your own He Is Risen Placemats for the kids, sticker pages and some crafts...they are CHEAP, you get a LOT for your money. adults could help the kids do some of their foam stuff or whatever. usually you can find some coupons online for free shipping and such.
I know a lot of places will cater for not so expensive. if you want a variety. I know at thanksgiving we did that from Tom Thumb and it was Excellent for around 6 people and then you could supplement the rest on your own. Like have a ham and a turkey or whatever.

My hubby will be frying a turkey and having a ham (cooked with pineapple). Sides can be easy and doubled: green bean casserole, deciles eggs, salad, cheese/crackers/grapes, fruit salad. For dessert Have the kids decorate their own cupcakes or Easter-shaped cookies (outside!!! Weather permitting!) buy (or make) carrot cake.

waaaait wait wait wait, hold the phone. your HUSBAND doesn't like pot lucks? then what does HE plan to cook?? pot luck is about making it easier on the hostess. i am sorry, i totally have a problem with that one little line in your post, lol. that's just me.

we always do ham for easter. the host family does the main course, and we all bring sides and/or dessert. cheesy potato casserole, a veggie, rolls/
....feel for you doing it yourself! but it's not THAT many people. and i think that an easter egg hunt IS plenty of activity. no need to overload you or the guests. happy easter!

Hi,

What about a spiral cut honey baked ham? They serve a lot of people. What if you went to Costco and purchased frozen puffed pastry appetizers? For activities for the kids, one year I found Easter Shrinky Dinks. We all (me & my hubby too) sat and colored and made necklaces. If you can get to the craft store, what about getting sheets of foam and foam letters and shapes and the kids can make signs for their bedroom doors. You could also buy inexpensive hats at the craft store and have the girls make "Easter bonnets" and the boy make "Easter caps" and then parade around for the adults to show them off! If you have time what about a treasure hunt? At the end could be a big basket full of goodies! Another cool idea for the Easter egg hunt would be what my cousin did last year. She had all her nieces and nephews at her house (about 12 of them). They told the kids they all get equal amounts of eggs. However, my cousin new they would not be able to split them, that someone would be short. So when the kids sat down and counted the eggs and one kid was short, my cousin said, "Anyone willing to give so-in-so one of their eggs?". Well one kid did and the kid that handed over the egg received a golden egg with $100 in it!!!! Talk about a shock to the other kids!!!

Anyway, I hope these ideas help!

Happy Easter!

My husband doesn't care for potluck either so I understand. He will eat it if it is a potluck but isn't fond of it. His issue is he doesn't trust the kitchens of others. I just always tell him, "No one has died from the kitchens they are made in yet". Luckily he doesn't mind helping in the kitchen.

Does your husband grill? Have him make a brisket on the grill while you make green beans, corn, some sort of rolls, salad.

If you want to go a little more exotic I can take you to a middle eastern store to buy lamb and tell you how to cook it (no weird flavors or spices). You can have humus, salad, rice with raisins and sauteed almonds and yummy bread.... mmmmm!!! My family begs me to bring food to my parents house. We eat mostly eat middle eastern food in our house so I have a lot of experience with it. If you are interested in that just shoot you me an email with your number and we can work out a time to meet.