Swiss Easter Eggs

My mother-in-law is from Switzerland. When she was growing up, she learned to create beautiful Easter eggs using weeds and onion skins. We've carried on the tradition, earning me the reputation in the grocery store as the "weird lady who buys bags of onion skins." This year we shared our tradition with some Chinese friends.

You will need:
raw eggs
small weeds and plants
thread
cheesecloth
onion skins - use a combination of yellow and red


Cut the cheesecloth into pieces just big enough to fit around an egg. Put a raw egg on a piece of cheesecloth and put some weeds around it. Then bring the sides of the cheesecloth around the egg.

Take the thread and wind it around the egg with the weeds and cheesecloth on it. Be careful not to break the raw egg as you wrap it. Make sure it is secure, then cut the thread.











Fill a large pot with water and add the onion skins. Carefully put the eggs into the pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.













Remove the eggs with tongs and place in a bowl of cold water. For each egg, find the end of the thread and pull on it, letting the egg spin in the water. Remove the cheesecloth and weeds. The egg will be brown with yellow designs where the weeds were placed. It will look like it's been painted by an artist.