CELEBRATING EASTER & SPRING WITH DIY EXPERT LYNN LILLY

Author & Founder of CraftBoxGirls.com Shares Her Super Secrets for Celebrating the Holidays with Budget Friendly Recipes & Craft Inspiration

The Easter holiday involves many traditions.  Of course, celebrating the religious holiday is at the top of the list, but for many people Easter is a holiday that involves bringing family and friends together.  In fact, food, fashions and getting creative are an important part of the festivities for many people. Lynn Lilly the Founder of CraftBoxGirls and author of Screen-Free Crafts Kids Will Love! shared some timely recipes and craft ideas for making this a memorable Easter holiday.

SPOKESPERSON BACKGROUND: After being laid off from her corporate job in marketing, Lynn took her savings and decided to follow her passion of crafting and entertaining. CraftBoxGirls.com, which launched in 2014, is the online destination for craft-­‐enthusiasts to discover DIY made simple. Now two years later, CraftBoxGirls.com is sought after by many around the country looking for easy and affordable recipes for all ages. The site is not just about providing DIY’s, but Lynn also strives to encourage her readers that living a creative lifestyle is affordably obtainable. She is releasing a book in June (Ulysses Press) dedicated to the art of simple and obtainable crafting ideas.

A GREAT APPETIZER FOR WHEN THE FAMILY COMES TOGETHER
A tasty appetizer recipe is Baked Hummus with Crunchmaster’s Sea Salt Multi-Grain Crackers. By focusing on wholesome ingredients from trusted sources, Crunchmaster™ has crafted simply delicious snacks to fit every healthy lifestyle. That is because Crunchmaster Crackers are gluten-free, non-GMO, and oven baked to deliver seriously crunchy satisfaction for the perfect spring treat. This recipe is so easy, all that is needed some hummus, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, chopped fresh tomato and olive oil.  Just layer into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes and you have a delicious app that the whole family can share! For this and other recipes, check out Crunchmaster.com.

Baked Hummus
Serve with Crunchmaster® Original Multi-Seed Crackers

Ingredients

• 2 7 oz. containers of plain prepared hummus
• 1 ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Spread hummus evenly into an 8×8 inch square baking dish.
• Sprinkle with feta cheese, being sure to evenly cover the surface.
• In a separate bowl, gently toss the tomatoes and olives together until blended well.
• Layer the olive and tomato mixture on top of the feta cheese.
• Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil.
• Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve warm with Crunchmaster® Original Multi-Seed Crackers

Nutrition Facts: Per 1/26 recipe (about 2 Tbsp / 30g), Calories 60, Fat 4.5g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 160mg, Carbohydrate 3g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 0g, Protein 2g

SUGGESTIONS FOR A TASTY BEVERAGE FOR EASTER CELEBRATIONS
LaCroix sparkling water and drink it on the daily because it is the perfect alternative to unhealthy beverages being that it’s 100% natural with no sodium, caffeine, calories or sweeteners. When it comes to entertaining, create festive mocktails with LaCroix sparkling water. Any thoughtful host or hostess should always provide a non-alcoholic option for their guests. LaCroix comes in 20 different flavors, it can be hard to pick just one, so in addition to serving single cans at parties, the Mure Pepino Lemon Fizz they feature on their site is perfect in a spring mocktail. Simply muddle blackberries, lemon juice and a little bit of honey in the bottom of a glass, pour in a can of LaCroix Curate Mure Pepino, add ice, and voila! You can not go wrong serving your friends and family a beverage that is 100% innocent! For more information visit, www.lacroixwater.com

LaCroix Cúrate Blackberry Lemon Fizz

Ingredients

• 1 can LaCroix Cúrate Muré Pepino
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
•  1 tbsp honey
•  cucumber for garnish

Instructions: Muddle the blackberries, lemon juice and honey in the bottom of a glass. Add ice and top with LaCroix Cúrate Muré Pepino. Garnish with blackberries and cucumber.

EASTER BASKET MUST-HAVES
Easter can't be celebrated without eggs! According to a 2017 survey, approximately half of respondents who celebrate the holiday say Easter Eggs are an essential part of the holiday. There are all kinds of eggs, but an Easter favorite egg is chocolate. This year Hershey is putting all kinds of eggs in this Easter baskets by announcing a variety of new egg-shaped candies including Cadbury Mini Crème Egg Assortment, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Eggs and Reese’s Peanut Butter Crème Egg, available at Walmart. For more information visit,  www.hersheys.com
 
MORE EASTER FAVORITES!
This is great for fans of the Reece’s Peanut Butter Eggs. With the continued success of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg, this season Hershey is debuting the Reese’s Peanut Butter Crème Egg. No Easter basket is complete without chocolate eggs, so don’t forget that rounding out the egg-inspired items this season, are the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Egg, capturing the taste of marshmallow wrapped in creamy milk chocolate, and Cadbury Mini Crème Egg Assortment, so you don’t need to choose a favorite. For more information visit,  www.hersheys.com