Easter Egg Nests

Over the past decade, we have made wee bird's nests in my kitchen every year about this time. From the oldest to the youngest, the grands have all participated.  Usually, we make the nests from rice krispee treats and add little peeps and eggs.  This year we tried something different as well.  The nests are made using a 'Chinese Noodle Cookie' recipe. 

• 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 3 cups chow mein noodles

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
2. Place chocolate and butterscotch  chips in large glass bowl. 
3. Heat in microwave at full power, stirring every 30 seconds until chips are melted (about two minutes).
4. Stir in chow mein noodles until fully coated.
5. Drop by large scoops onto prepared baking sheet, forming a nest shape with your fingers.
6. Place a few 'birds eggs' in the center of each nest.
7. Chill for 30 minutes to harden. 

To make the nests of Rice Krispee Treats...press scoops of the mixture into greased muffin pans and shape into nests.  Or simply forms balls of the mixture and create free-form nests with well-greased hands on a lined cookie sheet.  Then call the wee grands...

...and let them fill the nests with 'peeps and eggs'.  It's a fun Easter project for kids in the kitchen!

This year Lucy, the youngest grand (upper right), came to help me fill the nests.  Some went home with her.  Others are the place-cards for our family dinner this Easter.

If you are in need of some bird's nests for your Easter table...there is still time.  Both methods are simple...and can be created in short order. 

Happy Easter from my kitchen to yours!

Vegetable Noodle Soup

Here is a quick and delicious noodle soup which is perfectly delicious as a vegetarian dish. But if you happen to have cooked chicken handy...that is also a good addition.  It started with a vegetable soup recipe on the back of a 'fine egg noodle' package and evolved from there.  Since we like things zippy around here...I add Sambal Oelek (a chili paste) but a hot sauce of any kind would do the trick as well.

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2-3 cups chopped cabbage
• 8 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
• 1 cup fine noodles, uncooked
• 1 cup green peas (small)
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (hot chili paste), optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Heat oil; cook onion, carrots and cabbage for 5-6 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken stock.  Bring to a boil; then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add noodles, peas, soy sauce and salt (along with hot sauce, if desired).  Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
4. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Serves six.