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Sunday 12 April 2009

PASTE EGGS

One Eastertime, I observed a class of primary school children rolling their Paste Eggs down the steep bank on which the Penshaw Monument stands. I thought to myself that I would like to do that one day! So last night I made the eggs. I placed parsley leaves against the white shells (it's hard to get white-shelled free range eggs but they had them in the market at Darlington) and then wrapped them in onion skins. I went to Sainsburys while in Darlo and stole lots of red onion skins from the veggie bin there. These eggs were then carefully placed in an old stocking foot and tied tightly, then boiled till hard.
The results are shown above.

Having woken to a brilliant Easter morning, blue skies, calm air and blossoms and daffodils everywhere, I am now off in search of a place to roll them. The egg that rolls furthest and/or lasts longest without breaking will bestow good luck upon its "Roller" for the year. I can manage that!


We did this as children when we visited Granny in Murton around Easter and the paste Egg making and breaking was always an enjoyable ritual. Granny did some with candle wax resist and cochineal dye in the pan. These had our names written on them in white where the wax had been.


According to "England in Particular" , paste/pace comes from old scottish or french for Easter.

I hope that you all enjoy a happy and peaceful time this weekend, whatever you choose to roll,

Cheers Gillian

5 comments:

Heide said...

Your eggs are beautiful. Do you add vinegar to the water when you boil them? Egg rolling sounds like fun. Perhaps next Easter we'll try and organize a mini contest for the neighborhood children, many of whom consider themselves too old to hunt for eggs. Happy Easter.

Amongst The Oaks said...

I did mine that way again this year, but I used snips of fern, boxwood, ivy, and geranium. Then I could only find navy blue hose and I think some of the dye transferred because my eggs were awfully dark brown. Oh well, there's always next year.

Anonymous said...

Oh.My.God
That is amazing, who would have thought of boiling eggs with red onion skins with coriander leaves and wrapped in stockings! Gillian, you legend!

Joanna Bogle said...

Not for publication

Dear Gillian

How lovely to be in touch!! Please send me a note of your EMAIL address...I tried using thee email link on your blog but it didn't work!!! Can you send me a Comment to my Blog with your address in it? Then we can be in touch!!!

lots of love

Joanna

stitching and opinions said...

Thanks for the positive comment re. my first video. I am quite shy about using it, and no one else has even mentioned it, so I am glad you liked it!