Hopping the bunny trail

Well, here we are, back at Easter. It is good to know that spring is under way, even if we are all still “Zooming” with friends and family.

We need to celebrate and let loose. So, here's my lighthearted foodie nod to the spring holiday weekend, with a few ideas on how to have some fun.

I watch my puppy, Freyja, get spring scents in her nostrils - her tail perks up, like she has inhaled a tonic, and she takes off at top speed, running willy-nilly in the yard. (Her kind of “zooming” is much more fun.)

Children are the same at this time of year, running to hunt for Easter eggs and enjoying more outside time. Adults should have a dose of that, too.

Celebrating joy at Easter with food and fanfare is meant to be a multi-faceted affair. With the past year, however, we are a bit out of practice at entertaining.

I am here to tell you we need to get back in the game.

Consider this a dress rehearsal – pull out that pastel-coloured tablecloth and napkin rings and buy some tulips for the table (or ask a neighbour if you can have some cuttings from a spring bush).

You might not have guests sitting at the table, but their hearts will be warmed when they see your efforts on that Zoom call.

If you aren’t up to preparing an Easter feast, think of supporting a local restaurant.

In Kelowna, Okanagan Table has a ham dinner option. In West Kelowna, Mission Hill and Quails’ Gate wineries are offering packages.

Many restaurants now have menu items prepared and frozen to take home and some will do custom orders ahead of time. Please show them some love if you can.

Chocolate is a mandatory component of the Easter season. Jellied candies, Peeps and caramel-filled treats make up the rest of the four Easter goodie food groups.

In case you weren’t sure, I am hear to tell you that all of them should be present in an Easter hunt.

This is the one time of year when the theme overrides the issue of quality; you can have just as much fun eating Peeps as you can savouring artisanal chocolate bunnies made from estate cocoa beans.

I would highly recommend a visit to Sandrine’s for a special treat, though. And if you are a crazy foodie, you can try making your own Peeps.

I always enjoyed the hunt for my Easter “loot.” It was one more reason to enjoy every morsel, the celebration of having followed directions or solving the riddle.

One year when I was a kid, we had a poem whose rhymes gave hints on where to find the eggs – it included a quote from Macbeth that was to lead us to the eggs hidden in the washing machine.

A scavenger hunt is a great virtual Easter activity. Everyone can search for the same colour of egg for a given prize, or you can play an “I-Spy” version with the task being something of a certain colour or shape.

Couples can play this game at home too, with prizes being favours granted for the winner, maybe? (wink wink)

You can have an Easter parade if the weather co-operates, too. The kids can decorate bikes or scooters, and everyone can sport a decorated Easter bonnet as they walk around the neighbourhood or at the park.

I know it’s not the same as Easters of old, but we owe it to ourselves to embrace the new energy of spring and share some love.

I certainly plan to sample a jellybean or two, and I promise to savour a chocolate bunny on Easter Monday (I'm a tail-first gal; I eat the ears last.)

I will watch the dog bounce in the new grass. I might even check in the washing machine to see if the Easter Bunny remembered a long-ago hiding place.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.