Spring Pasta! Easter Gummies!
Plus the cutest Bunny Napkins
Hi friends!
Happy Spring! We are finally enjoying some nice weather here in Upstate New York and have been spending a lot of time at the playground. We are also gearing up for our Spring Break trip to San Diego in two weeks!
We’ll be taking the kids to Disneyland for the first time ever, and to say I am nervous is an understatement! I’ve gotten some great advice on what to do while we’re there, but it’s all a bit overwhelming. Last time I went to Disney I was with some friends and had a great time, but the thought of doing it with a one-year-old and a four-year-old scares me!
In honor of the season we’ve got some Spring and Easter themed recipes, but first a couple of fun little extras.
TV Recommendations
I was really dreading the end of Severance and (soon) The White Lotus. Those are the only shows I watch! But I put out a call on my broadcast channel for recommendations and got a lot of great ideas. If you’re not familiar, a broadcast channel is a feature on Instagram where creators can host what is basically a casual group DM. You can check mine out here, it’s free and I promise I won’t spam your DMs! Go take a look if you need some solid TV show recommendations!
Based on those recommendations I started watching The Pitt and OMG is anyone else watching it?? It’s a medical drama that takes place in the ER, and each episode is the next hour of the same day. It’s intense but so good!
Easter Napkins
I have to share the cutest way to fold your napkins for Easter. I am obsessed with these little bunnies - I did these last year for Easter brunch and they were a big hit with the kids, and they are very easy to make! You don’t need any special origami skills! You can check out this video I made for the folding instructions.
The Recipes
Now on to the recipes! This week’s snack is quite easy, and I almost didn’t include it because the recipe is so simple. But these Cookie Cutter Tortilla Pizzas are adorable and a great way to bring a little fun to your food! I used bunny cookie cutters to keep with the Easter theme, but any shape will do!
For the dinner we have a Lemony Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables that you’ll love. It has asparagus, edamame, and sugar snap peas, and the addition of lemon zest and lots of herbs gives it a bright, fresh flavor!
Finally, dessert is homemade gummy fruit snacks! These are such a fun treat for kids because you can customize them to their favorite fruits, and they are surprisingly easy to make. I got an Easter-themed mold on Amazon, but they have lots of different shapes.
The Snack: Cookie Cutter Tortilla Pizzas
Prep Time 10 Min | Cook Time 10 Min | Makes 6
The tortilla pizzas are the cutest and so simple to make! You can use any cookie cutter, but I used the largest of this bunny set.
Ingredients
6 tortillas
Olive oil to taste
½ cup marinara sauce
6 deli slices of mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni or other toppings
Recipe
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out each tortilla. Brush a small amount of olive oil on top of the tortilla, then spread marinara sauce on top.
Use the same cookie cutter to cut out each slice of mozzarella. Carefully place each piece of cheese on top of each tortilla. Add any toppings you’d like.
Bake until the cheese has melted and the edges of the tortilla start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
The Dinner: Lemony Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Edamame
Prep Time 15 Min | Cook Time 15 Min | Serves 4
Ingredients
8 oz asparagus, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1 cup sugar snap peas
8 oz shelled edamame
1 cup frozen peas
1 lb pasta of choice
3 tbsp butter
1 shallot, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
½ cup grated Parmesan
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
½ tsp ground pepper
Recipe
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set up a large bowl of cold water next to the stove and add ice. Generously add salt to the cold water as well.
Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus, sugar snap peas, edamame, and frozen peas. If your asparagus is very thick, add them about a minute before adding the other ingredients. Blanch the vegetables in the boiling water until they turn bright green, about a minute. Then use a slotted spoon to immediately remove the vegetables from the boiling water and place them in the ice bath. Set the ice bath aside while you continue cooking.
Return the water to a boil then add the pasta and cook until al dente, then drain (reserving some pasta water) and set aside.
Add the butter to the now-empty pot and melt over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes start to break down, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta, the blanched vegetables, Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, and ground pepper. Stir everything together until the cheese melts and a sauce forms; if the pasta is dry, add a spoonful of pasta water or drizzle on olive oil and continue stirring until you reach the right consistency.
The Dessert: Homemade Gummy Fruit Snacks
Prep Time 10 Min | Cook Time 10 Min | Rest Time 3 Hrs
These gummies are surprisingly easy to make, and you can use whatever fruit you like! I used these molds to get the Easter shapes.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberry, mango, raspberry, etc.)
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
3 packed unflavored gelatin (about 2 ½ tbsp)
Recipe
Add the fruit, honey, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend into a puree. Pour the puree into a small sauce pan.
Add the gelatin packets one at a time. After each packet, let the gelatin sit for a minute or two before adding the next. Then stir the ingredients together and heat over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Set up a strainer above a bowl and strain the liquid to remove all the clumps. Carefully pour the liquid into a silicone mold (or use a food syringe to make it easier) and refrigerate until solid, about 3 hours.