The Mike Cook home at 3240 17 Mile, Solon Township, is a bright spot at Easter time each year. The Cooks have been decorating their yard with these colorful eggs for the past eight years. Luckily they didn’t lose them in last Saturday’s storm. Take a drive by and see for yourself!

Many people decorate for Christmas, but the colorful eggs in front of Mike and Yvonne Cook’s house, at 3240 17 Mile, are a hint of what’s coming this weekend—Easter! According to Mike, Yvonne has been decorating their yard with the eggs for the past 6 years.

“She loves doing it,” he said.

From Livingonadime.com

Traditional Method

Hard boil eggs. Fill several mugs with boiling water and add 1-2 tsp. vinegar. Place a few drops of desired food coloring in each mug. Place eggs in mugs for several minutes until eggs reach desired shades.

Remove with a spoon. Place on paper towel to dry. When dry, polish with a small amount of shortening on a paper towel. Buff until glossy.

You can draw or write on the eggs with a light colored or white crayon before dipping. The drawing will remain white after the egg is dipped.

To clean out mugs, put a little bleach water in the cups and soak for a few minutes.

Natural Easter egg dyes

If you would like to try decorating Easter eggs with natural dyes, try the following:

• Yellow–yellow onion skins, turmeric (1/2 tsp. per cup water) celery leaves

• Orange–any yellow dye plus beet juice

• Red–beets, paprika, red onion skins

• Pink–cranberry juice

• Blue–blackberries, grape juice concentrate, red cabbage

• Brown–black tea, white oak, juniper berry, coffee, barberry

• Light purple–blackberries, grapes, violets

• Green–alfalfa, spinach, kale, violet blossom plus 1/4 tsp. baking soda, tansy, nettle, chervil, sorrel, parsley, carrot tops, beet tops or dip yellow egg in blue dye

Hard boil eggs with 1 tsp. vinegar in the water. Place dying ingredients in non-aluminum pans, cover with water and boil 5 minutes to 1 hour until desired color is achieved. Use enough material to make at least 1-cup dye. Crush ingredients as they boil to extract as much dye as possible. Strain the dye. Most dyes should be used hot. Let each egg sit in the dye until it reaches the desired color. Some dyes will take longer than others to make the desired colored on the egg. Remove the egg and let dry.

Glitter Eggs Place 1 tablespoon each of glue and water in a cup. Stir the mixture and then paint the eggs with it. Sprinkle with glitter. This can also add sparkle to already dyed eggs!

Decoupaged Eggs Tear small pieces of wrapping paper, napkins, stickers, or clip art. Mix equal amounts of glue and water. Paint egg with glue mixture. Place paper on top and then cover with more glue mixture. Let dry.

Spotted Eggs Place 1 tsp. of cooking oil in dye. Dip the egg. The oil will cause the dye to make an irregular pattern on the egg.

Waxed Eggs Dip a portion of the eggs in melted paraffin or candle wax. Then dip them in the dye. Remove from dye. Dry and peel off the wax. The egg will be white on one half and colored on the other half. You can also dip in dye before waxing to get two colors.

Hollow Eggs Poke a hole in one end of an egg with a very small needle. Poke another slightly larger hole in the other end. Then blow on the small end and the egg will come out the other side. Decorate Easter eggs as desired.

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LANSING – Many Michigan families celebrate Easter by decorating eggs and hosting Easter egg hunts.  The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recommends following these quick handling tips to ensure a safe Easter holiday and meal:

Purchase eggs from refrigerated cases.

Check egg cartons before buying; do not buy cracked eggs.

Separate eggs and foods from raw meat, seafood and poultry in grocery carts and in your refrigerator.

Wash hands for in warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after each step of preparation from cooking to hiding.

Keep hard-boiled eggs, peeled or in the shell, in the refrigerator below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than one week and store eggs in the refrigerator, not in the door.

Cook two sets of eggs—one to eat and one for the Easter egg hunt (which should be discarded).

For more information about food safety and proper food handling, visit www.michigan.gov/foodsafety or contact your local Michigan State University Extension agent.

Spartan Stores  announced the voluntary recall last Friday of eight deli products with a sell by date of January 20th through February 1st, 2012, that contain hard cooked eggs produced by Michael Foods of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Michael Foods is recalling their hard cooked egg products due to possible contamination with Listeria Monocytogenes. The deli products being voluntarily recalled are:

Egg Spread; Sandwich with egg spread; prepackaged containers of salad including small and large chef, seven layer, no meat small and large chef, and no meat seven layer salad.

Stores has received no confirmation of illness associated with the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact their healthcare provider immediately. All of the products involved in the recall should be returned for a full refund or replacement.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Spartan Stores’ Consumer Affairs at 1-800-451-8500 or contact Michael Foods Customer Service at 877-367-3447.