My daughter and I were in the store yesterday and passed a display of cascarones. I asked if she thought her brother would have fun at college with a dozen cascarones for Easter. She said yes and that she would like some too. I certainly would enjoy giving cascarones more than giving any kind of Easter candy.

If you are not familiar with cascarones, they are confetti eggs. They are a Hispanic tradition for Fiestas and Easter. It's easy to make them yourself. Instead of cracking your eggs in the middle, you break a hole about the size of a nickel in one end and shake the egg out. The yolk usually breaks, but if you were going to use the eggs for baking or in an omelet that won't matter.

Rinse the empty shell and dye it the way you would dye a hard boiled Easter egg. Fill the shell about ¾ full with paper confetti, then glue a piece of tissue paper over the hole.

Then you walk up to a friend and break the egg over their head, sprinkling confetti in their hair. (Note: do not smash the egg on someone's head. That hurts - I know from experience! You sort of crush the shell in your hand as you rub their head)

Someone started a thread on the Forum looking for healthy Easter ideas. Cascarones are fun for people for all ages. I have another Easter idea for small children.

When my children were little, I tried to keep them away from sugar as much as possible. For my son's second Easter, my Mom bought some of the plastic eggs that you can take apart and put back together. She filled some with raisins and some with bits of cereal. Then she hid them around her house. He had a wonderful time finding the eggs, opening them, and eating the healthy snack inside.

Because I never wanted baskets of bunnies and eggs to distract us on Easter Sunday morning from church and worship, I always gave my children their baskets on Saturday before Easter. They thought it was very cool to get their baskets a day ahead of everyone else. They had their fun on Saturday, and on Sunday we could all celebrate the risen Christ.