There are as many drinks to be made as there are Easter foods but finding an themed beverage for your Easter dinner just got easier. We’ve gathered a few of the most popular, with and without alcohol, for your choice of Easter libation.

For Young And Old Alike
These thirst quenching beverages are sure to be a hit with everyone at your Easter celebration from toddler to grandma.

Golden Easter Punch

6 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 (12 ounce) can orange juice concentrate
1 (6 ounce) can lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (2 liter) bottle carbonated lemon-lime beverage
1 quart pineapple sherbet

In a large saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour sugar water in a large punchbowl. Add juices and vanilla. Add soda. Stir well. Add sherbet just before serving.

Easter Egg Hatch

3 1/2 oz Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
2 oz Orange Juice
1 tbsp Sugar Syrup

In a blender, add your ingredients to about 3 ½ ounces of crushed ice. Blend on low to medium until smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour into a goblet and serve.

Egg Cream

1 – 1 1/2 oz chocolate syrup
Cold Milk
Seltzer

In a highball or 8-10 oz juice glass, pour in your syrup. Fill glass with cold milk until 2/3 full. Top with seltzer and stir.

Malted Chocolate

2 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1-cup milk
1 1/2 – 2 oz of chocolate syrup
2 tbsp of malt powder

In a blender, add all your ingredients and blend until smooth. Since no ice is used the process is quick, about 10-15 seconds. Pour into a large glass and serve.

Orange Sparkler

3 oz Orange juice
3 oz Club Soda

Fill a highball or large juice glass with ice. Add your ingredients and stir gently.

Rainbow Sherbet Punch

8 oz Orange juice
8 oz Pineapple juice
8 oz Hawaiian Punch
1 qt Rainbow Sherbet
1 liter bottle Club Soda
1 liter bottle Ginger Ale

Make a block of ice the night before by freezing water in a storage tub or bowl that is ¼ the size of your punch bowl. Remove the ice from your container and place in your punch bowl. Add your juices and Hawaiian Punch. Just prior to serving, add the Soda and Ginger Ale and drop in scoops of the rainbow sherbet.

For Adults Only

Made with wine, champagne or harder alcohol these delightful cocktails are sure to please the adults at your Easter or spring time gathering.

Bellini

1 fresh peach
Chilled Brut Champagne

In a blender, puree the peach. Pour the puree into a champagne glass and top with Chilled Brut Champagne. If peaches are out of season, frozen sliced peaches may be substituted.

Mimosa

3 oz Chilled Orange juice
3 oz Chilled Champagne

In a large chilled wineglass pour in your Orange Juice and top with the Champagne. Many like more or less juice or champagne, you can adjust the proportions accordingly.

White Wine Spritzer

Chilled White Wine
Club Soda

Mix the two together in your favorite wine glass for a light wine drink.
The Easter Bunny
1 1/2 oz. dark crème de cacao
1/2 oz. vodka
1 tsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp cherry brandy
Pour the crème de cacao and vodka into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice cubes. Float chocolate syrup and brandy on top.
The Jelly Bean
1/2 oz. blackberry brandy or grenadine
1/2 oz. anisette or sambuca
1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
Pour brandy/grenadine into a shot glass. Float anisette or sambuca on first level. Float Southern Comfort on second level.
The Easter Egg Cocktail
1 oz blue Curacao
1 oz. white crème de cacao
Half and half
Pour the blue Curacao and crème de cacao into an old fashioned glass with ice. Float half and half on top. Choose your favorite from the list above, search for something new or make a creation all your own. One thing is certain; your guests will be impressed when you serve one or more of these drinks.

Nothing says Easter like a fabulous Easter dinner with friends and family. What do you serve for Easter dinner with your family? Every year there are a few traditional Easter dishes that make their way onto dinner tables across America and many of them have interesting symbolism behind them that you may not even be aware of.

Hot Cross Buns
These currant or raisin filled yeast bun is a traditional favorite in England. Usually eaten on Good Friday they also have a “cross” on top of the bun. Mostly thought of as a Christian symbol it the hot cross bun finds its roots in pagan tradition. There is some disagreement with the symbolism of the cross from the pagan custom. Some thoughts are that the cross represents the sun wheel while others believe the cross might symbolized the four quarters of the moon.
When the Christian Church attempted to ban the buns the people balked so the church did the next best thing and “Christianized” the bread. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law that only allowed the bun to be eaten during Christmas, Easter or funerals.
Pretzels
Originally created by monks with leftover scraps of dough and given to students as rewards, pretzels became a popular part of Lent celebration during the Middle Ages. Pretzels do not contain eggs, milk, butter or lard, ingredients which are avoided during lent. Pretzels are said to represent praying arms and the three holes represent the trinity. In some countries, pretzels used to hidden together with eggs at Easter as well.

Greek Easter Bread
Greek Easter bread, or tsoureki, is a sweet dessert bread traditionally served as part of the Greek Orthodox Easter feast. Tsoureki was also traditionally given as an Easter gift from children to their godparents. Different versions many include a citrus flavor, topped with nuts. A red egg is traditionally cooked with the bread as well.

This Easter treat is traditional shaped into a braid with a red egg tucked into the braids of dough. The bread is said to represent the light given to us by Christ’s resurrection and the red egg represents Christ’s blood. Another version of Greek Easter bread is cooked as a circle with red eggs forming a cross across the top of the bread.

Ham
Ham is a traditional part of the Easter feast in many American homes, and it’s origin is more practical rather then symbolic. In early years, before refrigeration, fresh pork slaughtered in the fall that hadn’t been consumed before Lent had to be cured for preservation. Curing was a slow process and the first hams were generally ready around Easter time, making it a common choice for Easter feasting. Today, many American families still serve ham as part of their Easter celebrations.

Lamb
Another meat commonly served at Easter time is Lamb. This tradition is actually a combination of two symbolisms. The original use of lamb dates back before Easter as part of the Jewish Passover where a sacrificial lamb is roasted and eaten as a reminder of the angel of God passing over their homes in Egypt.

Later, Jesus was often referred to by Christians as The Lamb of God. As Christianity grew, Hebrews converting to Christianity brought their traditions with and the combination resulted in the use of lamb as part of many Easter dinners.

As you plan your Easter meal think about incorporating some of these traditional foods. When you gather around your table this Easter season you’ll be able to share good food and interesting information. Your guests will be impressed by your cooking skills and your smarts.

Perhaps one of the most difficult gifts to buy is the one that you’ll be giving during anniversary. This is because not only will your gift have to please you friend, it will also have to please the partner. This is especially true if you are not really close friends with one of the partner.

Another thing that makes anniversary gift giving difficult is the fact that there are limited items that one can give. Notice how most people would give the same gifts during weddings and anniversaries? This is the reason why! Gift ideas for anniversaries are very few and some are so expensive that it is not even within “thinking” distance.

Still, there are still ways to make your anniversary gift shopping a more fruitful experience than some people. Here are some tips that can help you with your search.

Think Necessity

Sometimes the ugliest of gifts can be the most useful. Think of what the couple might need at home and consider that in your gift list. For instance, who would think of buying shower curtains or even a cleaner for the shower. This may not seem appropriate but if you are close friends with at least one of the couple, these kinds of gifts are better appreciated than perhaps drinking glasses or photo albums that are always on the list of anniversary gift ideas. Take note though that you are close to the couple as this may seem pretty intimate.

Think unique

The word unique can have a hundred different meaning. One thing that you have to remember is to make your gift more personalized. Even if it is something that you can buy anywhere, you can put something in it to make it different. For instance if you bought an oven toaster, why not include something that they can cook or bake with the oven toaster? You can also make your own gifts. For instance, buy two towels and stitch their initials on the cloth.

Think Memories

Memories can be great gifts to people. But as memories are abstract, you can only give photos, music and even cards instead. Why not take a picture of the couple and have it framed? Go to a local craft store and have the picture concerted into a cross-stitch pattern that you can make. You can even start the work and then have them finish it. Another great idea is to compile their favorite music and photos and turn them into a video presentation. The list goes on and on.

Celebrating one’s anniversary for the first time is perhaps the most special and the most anticipated. Unlike the succeeding anniversaries, first year anniversaries are special because it is an affirmation of one year of romance for couples. Besides, this is the period in the relationship when love and reminiscing is still in the air and couples still find the time to celebrate the day that the relationship or the marriage started.

By tradition, gifts that are often given to couples celebrating their first anniversary are made of paper. This is true for all, whether they are close or not to the couples. Some couples even abide with the annual themes and give each other gifts that are made of materials that are prescribed.
According to the themes, paper is the material that is prescribed to be given at this period of the relationship. The modern gift that is recommended for the first year is the clock, perhaps to symbolize the continuous passage of time.

Of course you need not give an actual paper as gift. Although you can probably give a notepad or some papers with a personalized letterhead, it does not have to be an actual paper. You can give as gifts items that are made of paper. And there are a lot of items that you can choose from.
One great gift idea is to give a book for the anniversary. Partners can give each other books of poetry or books that have romantic content. Some even suggest giving a book about Kama Sutra or maybe a book in the Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus series.

Another great first anniversary idea is a photograph that you can frame. Choose a photo that best reminds you of your good times together and then have it framed. You can even have it enlarged in developing centers. Some also invests in expensive picture frames.

Another idea along the same lines is creating a photo album that will tell the story of your year together. This is especially great if you have lots of photos together and you are both “memory” addicts. You can even make the making of photo albums a tradition every year. This will actually help preserve the memories and will help you maintain your bond.

Another paper idea for an anniversary gift is to laminate or frame your marriage certificate or any paper that remind you of each other. This can be something as small as movie tickets from your first date or a bus ticket the first time that you rode home together.

Anniversaries are special occasions that couples celebrate to affirm their commitment to each other. This is why most couples will go to lengths to celebrate anniversaries, especially those that are part of what people call relationship milestones.

Often, it is the man that is expected to buy anniversary gifts for their wives or partners. Tradition dictates that they arrive home bearing flowers while the woman prepare a special dinner. Still, some women also buy gifts for their husbands during this special occasion. This will make the occasion extra special and more unique.

But what should they give their husbands? Well, that is the question. By tradition, it is easier to buy gifts for women. They will actually be happy with sappy items like bouquet of flowers or a poem that you have composed. With guys, it is much different. Only a few will actually appreciate a poem or a special gift that you have made. Often, they will look for gifts that they can actually use.

The best approach then is to buy gifts that they can use and personalize them. This will ensure that they will not only appreciate the gifts but they will also be reminded of the love that you have for each other.

Below are some anniversary gift ideas that might just work with your husband or partner.

Know what they need

Look for things that they might need. For instance, do they need a mug or a thermos at home? Do they need a bag where they can put their laptop? Do they need a tie that they can match with their new corporate suit? The key is to find something that they need at the moment. This way, they will better appreciate the gift and remember you. Once you have found something that they need, personalizing it is much easier. You can embroider his initials on the gift item. You can even embroider both your initials on the item.

Stick to what they can wear

Another way to find something that you can give to your husband or partner on your anniversary is to find something that they can wear. Although you can give him something he needs to wear, there are other gift items that he can wear just because. Why not buy him a new cuff link or a new rubber shoes? What about buying him a gold bracelet or watch? Or maybe a chain that he can wear around his neck?

Gifts for wedding anniversary seem to be always the same things, picture frames, photo albums, appliances, glassware, chinaware, kitchen utensils, etc. Sometimes, the list of possible anniversary gift ideas is so short that couples even receive two or three of the same thing when they unwrap the gifts. Your gifts need not be like that!

One way to make your gifts unique without really veering so much away from the norm is to turn what is usual into something unusual with just a little bit of imagination… your imagination. Personalizing your gifts is not only easy but also fun to do. Besides, couples who will receive your gift will all the more appreciate the effort that you have out into the present for their anniversary. Here are some ideas that can get you started on the road to more personalized gifts.

Stitch away.

A simple way to make your gifts uniquely your own is to put monogrammed initials on the gifts. For instance, if you are giving the couple towels or matching t-shirts for their anniversary, you can have them stitched with their names or initials. You can even out some personalized designs on the gifts. You don’t even have to stitch it yourself. There are craft stores that provide stitching services.

Engrave away.

Another way that will make your gifts more personalized is to engrave the initials or names of the couple into their gifts. Great gift items that you can have engraved are metal canisters for the kitchen, jewelry boxes, pens and jewelry. Key chains can also be engraved as well as ceramic items such as mugs and plates. In fact, why not give them a whole set of chinaware with their initials engraved at the back? That will be a great personalized anniversary gift.

Make your own.

If you know how to knit or to cross stitch, you can also make your own gifts. One project that you can do is to make matching jackets for the couple or maybe a couple of scarves for the winter season. You can also turn their favorite photo into an image that you can cross stitch and then framed. This will be a wonderful addition to their bedroom or their sitting room. If you are into crafts, you can also make them a handmade photo album with papers that you have hand-made yourself. There are actually a lot of things that you can do, you just have to determine what you can do.

You think about doing it each year but you keep putting it off thinking it would be too much trouble. But now, you’ve made the decision to have guests over for Easter and now you need to decide whether to host a brunch, lunch or dinner? No matter which time of day you choose to host your gathering bring out your best dishes and show them off. Make sure to take it easy and have fun. The party won’t be fun for anyone if the hostess is stressed out.

Let’s take a look at some ideas for having a gathering for each time of day.

Brunch

If you’d like to have your crew over between 10 a.m. and noon then a brunch is what you should aim for. You’ll have to get up a little earlier in the day to host a brunch but you can prepare the dishes beforehand and warm them up just prior to your guests’ arrival. Think of serving the food buffet style. This works out easier for both the host and guests.

You can serve items like:
• Quiche
• Omelets
• Fruit
• Waffles or pancakes
• Ham or egg salad sandwiches
• Breakfast breads and cakes
• Assorted appetizers or finger foods

Add a beverage like juice, coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate or soda and you have a simple, yet satisfying brunch.

Lunch

If you are planning to have friends and family over after church or so you can sleep in a bit then a lunch between noon and 3 p.m. is the thing for you to do. A lunch can be served either buffet style or as a sit down affair but whichever you choose your lunch menu will offer a little more than a brunch menu with additional hot dishes. You can still serve finger foods but adding more meat and vegetable dishes will make your lunch-time meal a hit.

Think of items like:
• Ham
• Potato salad
• Spinach salad
• Deviled eggs
• Green beans
• Corn
• Carrots
• Macaroni and cheese
• Biscuits

Add an Easter themed punch, tea, or soft drinks and your meal will be complete.

Dinner

If you’re hosting an even anytime after 5 p.m. then a more extensive menu is in order. A larger menu can still be simple yet elegant. If you can make a dish in advance, do it. Anything you can do prior to the day of the even will help keep you sane and stress-free.

For the main course think:
• Leg of Lamb
• Rib Roast
• Ham
• Salmon

Ideas for side dishes could include:
• New potatoes
• Roasted root vegetables
• Green Beans
• Rice Pilaf
• Pasta
• Sugar Peas
• Artichokes
• Asparagus

Don’t forget to include other items such as salads, various appetizers, fruits, cakes, and breads. Complement your meal with a nice beverage and your elegant dinner is complete.

Once you’ve decided what time of day to hold your event, you’ll want to plan the decorations and come up with any games you might play. Don’t forget desserts too.

Anniversary wedding gift shopping is hard enough without putting the “man” factor into the equation but this is a fact of anniversary gift life that one has to accept and just deal with. Whether you have known the man half of the couple for most of your life or have only known for a couple of years, gift hunting for a man can be really frustrating.

While gift ideas for the woman abound, there seems to be a scarcity of what you can give to a man in his wedding anniversary.

Still with the right attitude and some great tips, you can actually survive the experience relatively unscathed. Here are some of those tips.

Know what he needs.

There is really no sense in surprising gifts if the person will not be pleasantly surprised. This always happen whenever the gifts that are bought are already exact copies of gifts that were previously given or those that the person will not have any use at all. Sometimes, it is better to just ask the person what else do they need and endeavor to provide that for him. This is especially true with couples who are newly-married or those who have just tied the knot recently. Asking can save you a great deal of effort, stress and time scouring the mall for an appropriate gift.

Know what is appropriate

Like any other occasions, there are gifts that are appropriate for a wedding anniversary party. In fact, there are appropriate gift materials for each year that is celebrated. For instance, the theme for a first year anniversary gift is paper. This is why most people would give books on marriage, photo albums made of handmade paper and others like that as gifts to couples celebrating that year. Generic gifts like this is actually perfect for men because not only will you have to think of something that he only can use, you will also be giving something that both partners will appreciate.

Know how you can make the search easy.

Finding the right gift need not be a trial for you if you know how to make it gift shopping easier. One advice is to prepare first before going to the malls. If you have not decided on what to give, make sure that you do have a list of possible gift ideas for men with you. This will help you narrow down the search and will also make you more aware of the items that you can possibly buy as gifts.

With divorce rates skyrocketing, spending decades together is already a miracle. This is especially true with couples that have already endured so much raising their kids from tots to college. This is perhaps the reason why anniversaries that reach the milestone years are often celebrated in a big way. After all, there is a lot to celebrate.

Here are some great ideas for gifts that children can give their parents.

A long vacation

Let’s face it. With the long years that they have spent putting up with you, they deserve a week or a month of a life that is kids-free. What better gift to give them than a trip to a foreign land where they can enjoy being together without the distraction of kids in their midst? For their anniversary, why not buy them tickets to some exotic destination where they can relax and just have fun. They can even make the trip their second honeymoon.

Of course, when you say a vacation, they need to be completely relaxed with the fewest worries as possible. One thing that you can do to minimize their worries is to volunteer to take care of things at home. Volunteer to take care of the younger kids or to take care of the house while they are away.

Be a slave

If you have no money to buy them expensive gifts like the plane tickets, you can show your appreciation of what they have done for you by volunteering to take care of the chores at home while they go out and have fun. You can even do this for a couple of nights.

Another way to give your parents gifts on their anniversary celebration is to take care of their usual chores so that they can spend more time together.

Prepare the meal

Celebrating anniversaries need not be so fancy. One thing that you can give to your parents is a surprise meal that they can share at home. Organize the perfect date. Prepare not only the food but also the music and the whole romantic ambience. Ask family members what their favorite meals are or better yet, why not ask them what their meals are when they had their first date and then prepare your menu. If you do not know how to cook, enlist the help of family members who know how. After preparing the meal, you can all go out and leave them alone in the house.

Nothing says good eating like a down home Christmas dinner. Folks gather to eat just like it was Sunday dinner only more of it. If you want to add a kick to your Christmas dinner consider adding some soulful dishes to your menu.

Any southern family can tell you that dinner isn’t dinner without a little grease. For many southerners, especially in the African-American tradition, the main reason for dining together is fellowship. Families shared laughs and made important announcements and decisions over the dinner table. It is a sacred tradition in many families.

Soulful cooking came out of a need to share love with others. If you didn’t have two dimes to give to another, you could give them the gift of a home cooked meal. A satisfied belly was a happy belly. Eating our favorite comfort foods releases those “feel good” endorphins in the brain and satisfies our entire being.

Soulful cooking is just like that and at Christmastime everyone in the family who is used to soulful cooking will expect to get some for dinner. So, add a bit of soul to your pot this Christmas season when you cook.

Try a new twist on the traditional turkey dinner. Barbeque or fry the turkey for Christmas dinner. Fryers don’t cost much but it does take a fair amount of peanut oil to fill up the fryer. Be sure the turkey is good and dry on the outside before plunking him down into the hot oil.

A whole turkey is split in half and seasoned before placing it on the barbeque grill. The time for grilling will depend on the size of the turkey. A smaller turkey can be grilled while a larger one can be fried or roasted. If you plan on roasting a turkey inject with a marinade to add extra flavor to the meat. There are commercial marinades on the market or you can create your own with a variety of spices like cayenne, cumin, turmeric, diced onion, garlic, and oil.

Any greens cooked for Christmas dinner are seasoned with some sort of smoked meat. It can be bacon, ham hocks, or smoked turkey. The meat is simmered in the water first to release the flavor and then the fresh collard greens, cabbage, or green beans are added. It takes about an hour to cook fresh greens and they will reduce as time goes on.

Sweet potatoes aren’t the same if they aren’t in a casserole. Choose to top with marshmallows or not, as long as there are candied pecans somewhere in the recipe. This is a side dish but it tastes more like a dessert.

A soulful Christmas dinner brings back memories of childhood meals. Everyone can sit around the dinner table and reminisce about past meals shared together. Introduce your friends to a bit of soul this Christmas with some soulful additions to the Christmas dinner table.