Need some ideas for the Easter dinner table? We got you.

Spring is my season.

I love the not-so-warm days and the beautiful azaleas, wisteria and wildflowers. Mostly I am thankful that it is a season of rebirth, a time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and to watch my granddaughter run wild hunting Easter eggs.

To some, Easter and the Resurrection should never meet. To them, Easter is a pagan holiday. To me, I get to be a kid again, decorating eggs with Lilly and watching the joy in her face. She loves God, but at 8 this girl wants to have fun.

Guess what? Grandma is there celebrating Jesus, dying eggs, baking treats for our church lunch and proudly displaying the eggs she found.

Since Easter is a week away, parents, grandparents and siblings can spend quality time with the under 12 set creating edibles and trying new ways to dye eggs. I suggest having an egg-dying party complete with snack foods that the kids will eat. The kids can socially distance around the dining or kitchen table and wear their masks. Others may want to limit it to siblings only.

Strawberries are one of Lilly’s favorite fruits, so I am making a strawberry ricotta bruschetta to accompany a ham and cheese loaf for a light lunch. For a side, try making hummus with edamame served with rice crackers. This dip is a good way to get kids to eat more soy. The light lunch also would be perfect for a graduation tea or luncheon or a bridal or baby shower.

For decorating eggs, I use natural food colors that do not have harmful dyes. For tie-die eggs, non-dairy whipped topping is used for the main ingredient with a few drops of food coloring. Mix in a variety of patterns. Craft stores will have non-toxic dyes. This mixture produces a marbled look.

Boiled eggs can be decorated simply with melted, non-toxic crayons. For the older kids, find a jar of colored sprinkles and use acrylic paint to paint small, confetti type lines over the boiled eggshell and, and yes, sprinkle the eggs. Everything goes better with sprinkles. Do not try to be a perfectionist with this dying technique.

And now for the food.

Strawberry ricotta bruschetta

24 slices French bread baguette (1/2-inch thick)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

3 tablespoons minced fresh mint

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel

Brush bread slices with butter place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the strawberries, mint and honey set aside. In another bowl, combine the ricotta, jam and lemon zest. Spread ricotta mixture over toast, top with strawberry mixture.

Nutritional data 1 piece: 89 calories; cholesterol, 88 milligrams; 14 carbs (4 sugars, 1 gram fiber); 2 grams, protein. Diabetic exchanges 1 starch, 1/2 fat. – From “Holiday & Celebrations 2020”

Ham and cheese loaf

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust

10 slices deli ham (can use deli turkey)

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll dough onto a greased baking sheet, top with the ham, onions and cheeses. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a long side pinch seam to seal and tuck ends under. Brush with butter,

Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, cut into 1-inch slices.

Freeze option: Cool unsliced loaf on wire rack. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Wrap loaf in prepared foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Let loaf stand 5 minutes; cut into 1-inch slices.

Nutritional data for 2 slices: 406 calories; 13 grams, fat 65 milligrams, cholesterol; 1151 milligrams, sodium; 34 grams, carb (5 grams sugars, 1 gram fiber); 26 grams, protein. -- From “Holiday & Celebrations 2020”

Edamame hummus

1 package (16 ounces) frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup water

1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped mint

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Assorted fresh vegetables

Rice crackers

Microwave edamame covered, on high until tender, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor add the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables and rice crackers.

Nutritional data per 1/4 cup 167, calories; 13 grams, fat (2 grams saturated fat), 0 grams, cholesterol, 167 milligrams, sodium 7 grams, carb (1 gram sugar, 2 grams fiber); 7 grams, protein. -- From “Holiday & Celebrations 2020”