Recipe for Estonian Easter Eggs......

Anyone who might want to try their hand at making some really different and
special easter eggs might want to try these.

My mother in law made colored easter eggs using dry brown onion skins, a
piece of cloth (or paper towel) and some white thread (and of course some
eggs).

First go through all your onions, and gather up all the loose brown skins
that you can. Don't peel the onion, just only take the loose pieces of dry
brown skin! Try to keep them in as large pieces as you can.

At this point I usually put the onion skins in a bowl of water to soften
them.

Wet an egg, and lay pieces of the onion skin over it. It helps if the
onion skin is also wet or soaked in water. Try to place it all over the
entire egg.

Now take a small piece of paper towel or a small piece of cloth (cheesecloth
is good, or a cloth handkerchief, or a rag. I always use paper towel) and
place the paper towel on your palm, then lay the onion skin covered egg in
it, and carefully wrap the paper towel around the egg.

Now take a spool of thread and begin to wind some thread around the egg
package over and over in every direction, till the onion skin is carefully
pressed against the egg within the paper towel casing. Usually you will
use rather a lot of thread for this, since you need the the close contact of
the onion skins against the egg to do their magic. I don't tie the end,
just let it dangle. If you have wrapped it well enough it will be OK.

Now hard boil the eggs in their little packages.

When they are done, place them in cool water, and carefully unravel and
unwrap each little package.

You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.

It's really gorgeous and quite amazing and almost everyone has a few onion
skins, some thread and paper towels around!

OH.... it works best with white eggs!


--
--
Best Regards,
Evelyn

Rest in a sky-like mind.
Sit like a mountain floating on the earth.
Breathe like the wind circling the world

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:08:52 -0400, "Evelyn" >
wrote:

>You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
>marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.

How cool

Our Russian traditions are to paint a bowlful of eggs by hand, to each
person's choice, and to have one solid red egg in the middle to
symbolise the Virgin Mary; the eldest lady of the house paints that
one, much to my sister's disgust, because she's a true artist and
feels that she misses out by doing the boring one! I'm not an artist,
so usually do spots or stripes, a smiley face if I'm feeling inspired.
The eggs must be painted whilst hot, and then sealed by being rubbed
(carefully) with butter-paper. Some lesser beings paint the ends with
extra-thick paint, because tomorrow we'll have boiled eggs for supper
- complete with egg-fight; we take turns to crack eggs together, and
the person with an intact shell is the winner

Nicky.
T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
D&E, 100ug thyroxine
Last A1c 5.3% BMI 25

Nicky > wrote:
: On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:08:52 -0400, "Evelyn" >
: wrote:

: >You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
: >marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.

: How cool

: Our Russian traditions are to paint a bowlful of eggs by hand, to each
: person's choice, and to have one solid red egg in the middle to
: symbolise the Virgin Mary; the eldest lady of the house paints that
: one, much to my sister's disgust, because she's a true artist and
: feels that she misses out by doing the boring one! I'm not an artist,
: so usually do spots or stripes, a smiley face if I'm feeling inspired.
: The eggs must be painted whilst hot, and then sealed by being rubbed
: (carefully) with butter-paper. Some lesser beings paint the ends with
: extra-thick paint, because tomorrow we'll have boiled eggs for supper
: - complete with egg-fight; we take turns to crack eggs together, and
: the person with an intact shell is the winner

: Nicky.
: T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
: D&E, 100ug thyroxine
: Last A1c 5.3% BMI 25

Many of us do that egg fight at the seder with our hard boiled eggs. It
entertains the kids who have been siing through a looooong service.

Wendy

"Evelyn" > wrote in message
...
> Recipe for Estonian Easter Eggs......
>
> Anyone who might want to try their hand at making some really different
> and special easter eggs might want to try these.
>
> My mother in law made colored easter eggs using dry brown onion skins, a
> piece of cloth (or paper towel) and some white thread (and of course some
> eggs).
>
> First go through all your onions, and gather up all the loose brown skins
> that you can. Don't peel the onion, just only take the loose pieces of
> dry brown skin! Try to keep them in as large pieces as you can.
>
> At this point I usually put the onion skins in a bowl of water to soften
> them.
>
> Wet an egg, and lay pieces of the onion skin over it. It helps if the
> onion skin is also wet or soaked in water. Try to place it all over the
> entire egg.
>
> Now take a small piece of paper towel or a small piece of cloth
> (cheesecloth is good, or a cloth handkerchief, or a rag. I always use
> paper towel) and place the paper towel on your palm, then lay the onion
> skin covered egg in it, and carefully wrap the paper towel around the egg.
>
> Now take a spool of thread and begin to wind some thread around the egg
> package over and over in every direction, till the onion skin is carefully
> pressed against the egg within the paper towel casing. Usually you will
> use rather a lot of thread for this, since you need the the close contact
> of the onion skins against the egg to do their magic. I don't tie the
> end, just let it dangle. If you have wrapped it well enough it will be
> OK.
>
> Now hard boil the eggs in their little packages.
>
> When they are done, place them in cool water, and carefully unravel and
> unwrap each little package.
>
> You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
> marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.
>
> It's really gorgeous and quite amazing and almost everyone has a few onion
> skins, some thread and paper towels around!
>
> OH.... it works best with white eggs!

My uncle used to make these. He also used different kinds of tea to dye
them.

"Nicky" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:08:52 -0400, "Evelyn" >
> wrote:
>
>>You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
>>marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.
>
> How cool
>
> Our Russian traditions are to paint a bowlful of eggs by hand, to each
> person's choice, and to have one solid red egg in the middle to
> symbolise the Virgin Mary; the eldest lady of the house paints that
> one, much to my sister's disgust, because she's a true artist and
> feels that she misses out by doing the boring one! I'm not an artist,
> so usually do spots or stripes, a smiley face if I'm feeling inspired.
> The eggs must be painted whilst hot, and then sealed by being rubbed
> (carefully) with butter-paper. Some lesser beings paint the ends with
> extra-thick paint, because tomorrow we'll have boiled eggs for supper
> - complete with egg-fight; we take turns to crack eggs together, and
> the person with an intact shell is the winner
>
> Nicky.
> T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
> D&E, 100ug thyroxine
> Last A1c 5.3% BMI 25


Nicky the Estonians do the egg cracking fights too! I won once and it was
at an especially appropriate time!

--
--
Best Regards,
Evelyn

Rest in a sky-like mind.
Sit like a mountain floating on the earth.
Breathe like the wind circling the world

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Evelyn" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Recipe for Estonian Easter Eggs......
>>
>> Anyone who might want to try their hand at making some really different
>> and special easter eggs might want to try these.
>>
>> My mother in law made colored easter eggs using dry brown onion skins, a
>> piece of cloth (or paper towel) and some white thread (and of course some
>> eggs).
>>
>> First go through all your onions, and gather up all the loose brown skins
>> that you can. Don't peel the onion, just only take the loose pieces of
>> dry brown skin! Try to keep them in as large pieces as you can.
>>
>> At this point I usually put the onion skins in a bowl of water to soften
>> them.
>>
>> Wet an egg, and lay pieces of the onion skin over it. It helps if the
>> onion skin is also wet or soaked in water. Try to place it all over
>> the entire egg.
>>
>> Now take a small piece of paper towel or a small piece of cloth
>> (cheesecloth is good, or a cloth handkerchief, or a rag. I always use
>> paper towel) and place the paper towel on your palm, then lay the onion
>> skin covered egg in it, and carefully wrap the paper towel around the
>> egg.
>>
>> Now take a spool of thread and begin to wind some thread around the egg
>> package over and over in every direction, till the onion skin is
>> carefully pressed against the egg within the paper towel casing.
>> Usually you will use rather a lot of thread for this, since you need the
>> the close contact of the onion skins against the egg to do their magic.
>> I don't tie the end, just let it dangle. If you have wrapped it well
>> enough it will be OK.
>>
>> Now hard boil the eggs in their little packages.
>>
>> When they are done, place them in cool water, and carefully unravel and
>> unwrap each little package.
>>
>> You will discover that the onion skin has dyed each egg in incredible
>> marbleized designs of red, brown, russet, even bits of green.
>>
>> It's really gorgeous and quite amazing and almost everyone has a few
>> onion skins, some thread and paper towels around!
>>
>> OH.... it works best with white eggs!
>
> My uncle used to make these. He also used different kinds of tea to dye
> them.



I have not tried any teas, but I have tried them with red onion skins etc.
It is quite amazing how the ordinary brown onion skins can have bits of
green and russet and gold and all related colors in them and impart such
beautiful marbled designs on the eggs!

--
--
Best Regards,
Evelyn

Rest in a sky-like mind.
Sit like a mountain floating on the earth.
Breathe like the wind circling the world