If you’d like to enjoy your Easter Eggs without the chemicals in the store bought kits there are alternatives found in nature. Choose your favorite colors, follow the instructions below and safely enjoy the eggs for yourself and your family. Happy Easter!!
Purple = 1½ cup shredded red beets
Rust = 7 yellow onion skins
Yellow = 3 tablespoons ground turmeric or cumin
Orange = 3 tablespoons chili powder
Sky Blue = 1½ cups shredded red cabbage or 2 cups of grape juice
Royal Blue = 2 cups of blueberry juice
Green = 2 cups spinach
Brown = 2 cups brewed coffee (do not dilute with water)
Instructions:
- Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil.
- Add coloring agent.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or longer for the deepest color.
- Strain liquid into a large mason jar, and allow to cool to room temperature, 2-3 hours.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons white vinegar and add 3 hard-boiled eggs.
- Seal the jar, and refrigerate overnight or until the egg is the desired color.
- Rub dried eggs with a dab of vegetable oil to give them a shinier finish (optional).
One of the first tasks to this project was reinforcing the main beam in the basement of the house to ensure it will continue to be structurally sound for another century. The house had a noticeable droop in the middle and walls were cracking and some doors were not level because of this. Then, throughout the main floor we refinished the wood floors and trim. We fixed the pocket door between the dining room and office and opened part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room. We removed the drop ceiling and paneling, updated all of the electrical and added new light fixtures.
Beyond opening the kitchen to the dining room, we also reduced the full bathroom to a powder room in order to add more cabinet and counter top space into the kitchen. The new cabinets, counter tops, tile and paint compliment the classic design of the property. It was important to us to maximize the kitchen design to include the most storage space as possible while not interfering with the back entrance to the house or basement door. We overcame this challenge while still maintaining the big open feeling everyone desires in a kitchen.
The office is on the main floor with access from three doorways; the front hall, dining room pocket door or the kitchen. It was also a victim of the drop ceiling and paneling. We also had some damage to the wood floors in this room which was able to be remedied to blend.
One of the greatest improvements to Midtown Blue is the addition of a master suite. Fortunately this room already had a grand size walk in closet which we know is not always the case in houses built in this era. Once the clutter was cleared we were able to construct a plan to open a doorway between two bedrooms to add an en suite bathroom. The second bedroom (the blue room) also provided a stairway to finish the attic into livable space. The master suite is stunning and we are slightly jealous of the future homeowner who will get to lay their head down here each night.
