Do you remember seeing these as a kid? I do, and though I can’t quite place where I may have seen them, I remember them being around every spring. I’m pretty sure my mom didn’t make them, so perhaps they were bake sale items, or egg hunt treats.

We are in full blown easter mode these days. The baskets are bought, the eggs are stuffed, the hunts are scheduled. I’ve always loved the changing of the seasons; and most especially winter to spring. Though we’ve had many warm days already this year, Easter time just feels like the true start of spring.

I managed to make this wreath a few weekends ago, we’ve spread our new pine straw, and this weekend we’ll tackle the potted plants, hanging ferns, and my new herb garden. And today Big Zoom and our friends Owen and Becky helped make these cute egg nest deserts.

The ingredients are so simple. 12 ounces of butterscotch chips, 12 ounces of chow mien noodles (dried), and some egg shaped candy. We used Cadbury’s mini eggs but jellybeans would work well too.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butterscotch in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment. When butterscotch is completely melted, pour over chow mien noodles. Mix until coated thouroughly.

Scoop out 1/4 cup sized nests onto parchment paper and top with candy. These firm up pretty quickly and can be transferred within 10 minutes or so to a platter or cake stand.

Little hands always seem to invade after a couple of seconds of picture taking.  Give these a try if you’re looking for a sweet Easter table centerpiece!

One of the first things I remember about the food scene in our current city was the abundance of sweet potatoes. It seemed there was a variation on every menu and they were bountifully displayed in every supermarket. Mr. Zoom and I had just moved back to the States after living in Dublin, and I was very excited about indulging in the local (southern) regional cuisine which was something totally new to me.

The sweet potato fries at The Pit, were my introduction to eating a sweet potato outside of my mother’s holiday casserole (which is delicious). They were beautifully golden, equal parts crispy and soft, and such a novelty after nearly 3 years of irish white potatoes (also delicious…in moderation). I was instantly an addict and seeked out sweet potato fries everywhere we went.

I’ve attempted to create my own sweet potato fries at home without much success. They are either too soft or totally fried. So when I came across this recipe two weeks ago, I knew I’d try it immediately. The result: a nicely roasted, slightly spicy, perfect bite sized bit of delicious. Seriously, so good.

I made the recipe as written for Mr. Zoom, who devoured it with salsa and spicy black bean dip on top. I’ve been on a rice bowl kick lately, so for my dinner I threw a bunch of the roasted sweet potatoes on top of some nutty brown rice and added spicy black beans and half an avocado. And then I died and went to spicy, sweet, nutty, creamy heaven.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili power
1/2  teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons oil (I’ve used both olive and a meyer lemon infused olive, on separate occasions. Both were yum).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together sweet potatoes, spices, and oil until well coated. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.

Serve in these delicious quesadillas, or mix up your own rice bowl or salad. These would also make a delicious side dish to accompany this chicken.