For me -- and for many Southerners, I presume -- Easter is the first real mark of spring. We dress our houses and tables (and even ourselves) to impress, pulling out all the stops from the freshest flowers to the fanciest flatware. We join together to celebrate a time of joy, renewal, and life. And then we eat! Here's a look back at my own Easter weekend celebration, with a recipe for a classic Southern ham, warm and glossy with a mustard glaze.

Have you decorated any eggs for Easter yet? You can dye them naturally or paint them with watercolors, but if you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary, look to these clever, modern takes. (How cute are those fruity eggs?)

Robin's eggs are such a lovely hue and a happy sign of spring. With a certain "egg-centric" holiday fast approaching, why not take a robin's egg dessert to family dinner? Or, just make one for something special to enjoy at home, in honor of Easter or in honor of Spring. Here are some desserts that take the robin's egg theme and run with it:

Like every large family, the faces around our holiday table have changed over the years. Faces we loved are gone, and there are new faces that bring us joy. In the last few years, our table has changed a lot, and I'm finally ready to be more organized about it, which is not my strong suit, but you have to grow up some time, right? Easter dinner will be in my dining room — and kitchen, and living room — this year and I'm ready, more or less, thanks to the help of plenty of loved ones. (Okay, I'm not really ready, but I've been eating plenty of Jordan almonds and making lists!)

It's that Easter egg-dying time of the year! I grew up using store-bought colored dye pellets that we dropped into bowls of water and vinegar, with wild and lurid results. This mild trauma has lead me down the path of natural dyes, which have come a long way from their murky, muddy hippie days. Read on for a roundup of sources for fun, innovative ways to dye and decorate eggs without all the chemicals.
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If you're looking for an untraditional centerpiece for your Easter table, then this 'paint' palette made up of an array of pastel macarons is perfect. All you need to recreate it yourself is a wood paint palette, macarons of varying colors, and a little buttercream to use as the "glue."

Q: I've started planning Easter dinner for my family. We have 6 adults, two of them vegan. My plan is to do lamb chops for the carnivores and go vegan for the side dishes. My other challenge is that I'm on-call Sunday morning so I need things that can be prepared a head of time. 

Citrus and poppy seeds go hand in hand, as do muffins and spring. So what better way to welcome in March than with these scrumptious orange-infused poppy seed muffins? The bright and sunny flavors are guaranteed to lift your winter spirits, even if the weather is not ready to comply.
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Q: We cooked a ham for Easter and I was lucky enough to be able to bring home the ham bone. I have no idea what to do with it! Does anyone have an suggestions on what would be tasty and not extremely difficult for me to make?

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When presented with a bowl, bag or basket sprinkled with jelly beans I've always gone straight for the red ones. When shaking up a jelly bean cocktail recipe it seemed appropriate to pay homage to my childhood favorite. This sip is sweet but not cloyingly so and it's the perfect way to enjoy the nostalgia of an Easter basket in a grown-up glass. More