A chalkboard menu hangs prominently in our living room, and if you look closely, you'll notice the remnants of a faint inscription scribbled in large capital letters. GUINNESS CAKE! This cake is a special delight my wife prepares for me every year on my birthday. And it gets better every year — one of those things worthy of its own tradition.

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.
More

Crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, a good coconut macaroon is an irresistible thing. It's also a particular favorite for people observing Passover and those who avoid gluten. As long as you have some shredded coconut stashed away in your cupboard and a few eggs that you don't mind cracking, a batch of sweet macaroons can be yours in less than a half an hour.

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."

In my quest for the perfect Passover cocktail to share with you for today's 10-Minute Happy Hour, my first instinct was to phone a friend. Since she converted to Judaism as an adult, I thought she would forgive my ignorance and be able to give me the inside scoop on what a kosher cocktail might look like. Her hard and fast answer was, "We don't really drink cocktails. We just drink wine and champagne."  Hmmm, I thought, that's a start.

Q: While I don't only eat Passover-certified foods, I adhere to tradition and in addition to staying away from traditional grains, also avoid corn, beans, lentils and soy during those 8 days. However, over the last year I've drastically decreased my meat intake.