Spring Equinox Eggs

To celebrate the Spring Equinox, my children and I carried out our usual tradition of naturally dyeing eggs. Even in the middle of life’s busy shuffle, we managed to fit this in late last night, and I’m glad we did, because they were a cheery thing to wake up to and usher in the turning of the year towards Spring.

We have been doing this for several years now, and have our reliable standbys of onion skins with turmeric, purple cabbage, spinach, beets and often some sort of berry. This year I was inspired by this chart someone posted on Facebook, and branched out with one batch steeped in tea. 

We got our four pots going of purple cabbage, onion skins and turmeric, spinach and spirulina, and black tea. These were brought to a boil, the eggs were put in for 10 minutes, and we turned them off to let them sit overnight. The colors in the morning were exceptional, and I owe it to the long steeping time. I think I’ve gotten impatient and pulled them too soon in past years. 

At age 11 the kids were not too old yet for a visit from the Spring Fairies. They set out their baskets of straw overnight, and were gifted with some seeds for the garden, a handcrafted bunny from Lillibelle Farms (another yearly tradition), some various treats and a pencil case.  There were also a few plastic eggs hidden around the front porch encased in my Great Grandmother’s crocheted chickens with some fun stickers and small crystals inside.

I recall this time last year we had a late snow, but today with the torrential rains pouring down, and flowering trees raining down their white petals, it feels good to know Spring is really here. I’m getting abundant eggs from the hens, the raised bed is putting out prolific greens, and daffodils are blooming all along the roadsides. It’s a rich season we’re headed into, indeed.

Happy Spring Equinox!