Restarting Easter Traditions - Egg Decoration Competition

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was wondering if anyone was interested in a competition based around an old Easter Tradition of egg decoration?

I'd put up a small prize (yet to be decided upon, but probably a small kitchen gadget or cookbook of your choosing) for the best decorated blown set of 4 eggs.
(4 would allow for 2 failures in blowing half a dozen.)

There's just over two weeks to Easter Sunday which would make for the most obvious closing date. Midday GMT+1 (the UK will be on BST by then).

I'd like to see what you can do with 4 eggs. They don't have to be chicken eggs that are blown, if ducks eggs are easier to get hold of, that's fine. It would be interesting to see trials along the way. They could be hand painted, done by your kids (for those with them) or even done solely using natural colouring such as onion skins or beetroot.

I'll only run it if there are at least 4 entries.

I know there are a lot of other competitions or cooking challenges being run at the moment but is anyone interested?

 

[Kake Lover]

Do they have to be blown? Can they be hard boiled?

 

[Morning Glory]

I'm always interested in challenges! But I would probably do hard boiled too. OTOH - you wouldn't really know if they were empty eggs or not from the photos.

Could just say 'decorated eggs'?

 

[medtran49]

Just in case you don't know, you really have to have a very good set of lungs to blow an egg unless you make a really big hole, or buy the tool hobbiests use to do it.

No snarky comments BT!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have blown eggs in the past, and I think part of the challenge should be that you try and prove you have blown them. It's not actually that difficult. The trick is to break the yolk inside before blowing the eggs. Give it a try next time you're being an egg for something... (obviously not an egg for separating or frying but scrambled or omelette, cake, flan etc).

 

[classic33]

Can the eggs be sucked, not blown?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@classic33 yes they can be sucked, but blowing does at least allow other members of the family to eat said yolk and white afterwards

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ok.
Since that last post and now, I've been and got 1 egg, and blown it to test and show how easy it is. It took less time than it does to make an omelette. Only made longer by photographing each step, editing the pictures and then fighting with my internet service to upload them.

Original egg (dated 15/1 so similar age to a shop bought egg).


Holes at each end (made with a pin)


Blown


Intact first time.

Editing the photos took the longest time. It's just a case of patience, nothing more.

I'll post a ruler against the holes in a moment.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ok, the hole in the pointed end is 2mm diameter, the home at the rounded end (dated in my picture) is 3mm diameter.

 

[Masticator]

As children, our Ukrainian background Grandmother showed us how to decorate ornate eggs ...multiple waxing, colourings, toothpicks as brushes, etc....never paid a lot of attention..
She used hard boiled eggs (not blown), decorated them & expected everyone to crack them open & eat them within a reasonable time (day or 2/refrigerate)

 

[buckytom]

I know of a coupla judges:that can help out. Very curious chaps.

 

[Kake Lover]

I will have a try next time I need an egg for cooking.
I am so clumsy that I am worried about breaking it whilst decorating it.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

We were in Germany and Austria around Easter - they make a lot more of Easter than we do in the UK and many houses have decorations in the windows and around the doors.

Here's a picture I took of a decorated fountain in Rothenburg:

You could also buy ready-painted hard boiled eggs in the supermarkets and campsite was giving them out to everyone when they arrived.

 

[medtran49]

It's too late for this year, but my DD called me yesterday telling me about the Easter party they had for the kids where she teaches preschool. One of the other teachers brought in plastic eggs, that really look like eggs and take dye like eggs. She got them at Wal-Mart. DD just called and said they still had them, like $2 for a dozen, and asked if I wanted some. I may give decorating eggs a try again along Fabrage lines, except with fake jewels and metals.

 

[Kake Lover]

Apologies that although I have got through a lot of eggs recently making cakes, I didn't have time to try and blow any out.
I wonder if we could re-run this competition next Easter?