Passover and Easter are right around the corner and L.A. is ready to celebrate. From brunches to bunnies to sweet and savory treats, we’ve rounded up fun and delicious ways to celebrate these spring holidays with your family.
Celebrate at home
PJ Library has a host of Passover resources to make the holiday fun and accessible for children and their families. For ideas on how to make Passover more meaningful for kids, check out their guest post, which includes tips like making a seder plate vegetarian, getting outside and more.
Want an easter egg hunt without the setup? Watson Adventures is hosting an Online Easter Egg Hunt for ages 10 and up. Follow fun clues as you travel around the world on a quest to find all the eggs.
Celebrate spring holidays with a book, and dive deeper into the world of Passover and Easter. “The Passover Mouse” by Joy Nelkin Wieder and illustrated by Shahar Kober tells the story of a little mouse who disrupts a town’s preparation for their seder, but ultimately brings everyone together for an even more meaningful holiday. Little ones will love following their favorite Sesame Street characters in “It’s Passover, Grover!” by Jodie Shepherd and illustrated by Joe Mathieu. Ages 2-5.
The 100-year old classic, “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams gets a fresh, new look with illustrations by Erin Stead. Young readers will love “Open the Easter Bunny’s Door…“ illustrated by Jannie Ho, an interactive board book with little flaps hiding eggs, baskets and other sweet surprises.
Celebrate Out
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 17, Smorgasburg LA is hosting its annual “Put An Egg On Everything Day.” That means tons of Smorgasburg vendors will feature egg-themed specials and collaborations throughout the market. Attendees can get a version of Evil Cooks‘ famous chilaquiles burrito, stuffed with potato flautas made by Los Dorados. Or, they can opt for an egg topped bungkus from Bungkus Bagus, a mouth-watering breakfast sandwich from Picnic Sandwich, a special Vietnamese egg coffee from Be Bright Coffee and loads more. Trying all the specials is an egg hunt in and of itself!
Legendary Compton pit-master Kevin Bludso will be on site selling and signing copies of his brand new cookbook “Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook” while offering up barbecue specials of his own, direct from the book.
There will also be a family-friendly beer garden. Entry is free; pets are not allowed. Smorgasburg LA is located at ROW DTLA, 777 S. Alameda St, Los Angeles.
Brunch & Bunnies
Nothing says Easter like Sunday brunch and bunny photo ops!
Bianca in Culver City has your Easter eats covered with fresh treats from the bakery and Sunday brunch on April 17, featuring crepes, mimosas and other items inspired by the owners’ family traditions. Reservations are required. Grab some Easter treats from Bianca’s bakery, like carrot cake and chocolate eggs, available for pre-order through April 12.
There’s something for everyone at Balboa Bay Resort’s Easter Sunday Brunch in Newport Beach. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 17, sample from the sushi bar, pancake station, chocolate fountain and more, while enjoying waterfront views, live music and a visit from the Easer bunny. $95 per adult; $45 per child.Reservations are encouraged.
2ND & PCH in Long Beach invites the community to Hoppin’ Photos with Bunny April 9, 10 and 16 to capture memories and grab a selfie in front of a spring-themed backdrop, including a vintage Volkswagen bus. Crafts and additional activities will be provided by Family Church in Signal Hill on April 16.
Shop for hand-crafted treasures and support local artisans at 2nd & PCH’s Creative Communal Makers Market on April 10 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The unique open-air market features a curated assortment of vendors, kids activities, a photo op and live music from Ernando and the Nandos.
Visit the Easter Bunny at Bunny Bungalows at The Grove and Americana at Brand April 1-17 for more springtime captures. Professional photo packages are available for $45 and up.
The Collection at RiverPark is hosting a spring fun all month long. For the month of April guests can participate in a Spring Bunny Scavenger Hunt. Pick up a map at Guest Services and hop around the shopping center to search for items and win a prize. Bring the little ones and pets for Photos with the Spring Bunny April 8-10 and April 15-16. On April 9 the Collection will host a family-friendly Spring Festival, featuring live sing-alongs, local musicians, arts and crafts and more.
Sweet & Savory Treats
Spring themed gift boxes from Dylan’s Candy Bar, like the Garden Party Tackle Box ($28) featuring a gummy butterflies and sour gummy worms, is the perfect sweet treat for Easter or to celebrate spring. Or stick to the classics with a chocolate bunny ($10). dylanscandybar.com
Make your own spring-themed treats, like Weelicious founder Catherine McCord’s easy Nut-Free Nutella Matzo Sandwiches or PJ Library’s Matza Pizza Lasagna.
Nut-Free Nutella Matzo Sandwiches
Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
4 matzah sheets
Preparation
1. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until melted, stirring halfway through.
2. Add the sunflower seed butter to the bowl, and stir until thoroughly combined.
3. Gently break matzah sheets into 4 pieces each, spread with the faux Nutella mixture and sandwich together.
Matza Pizza Lasagna
Ingredients
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (24-ounce) container small-curd cottage cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 tablespoons fresh Italian herbs (oregano, Italian parsley, basil), chopped
1 (23-ounce) jar marinara
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 sheets of matzah
Pinch of salt and pepper
Your family’s favorite pizza toppings (we used green bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, olives, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Set the mixture aside.
- Grease a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish and spread a thin layer of marinara over the bottom.
- Lightly dampen the matzah with water (run quickly under a faucet, so as not to completely soak), then place two sheets on top of the layer of marinara. Spread a third of the remaining marinara over the matzah, and spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the cottage cheese mixture and add the first layer of pizza toppings.
- Continue to layer ingredients, adding another two sheets of matzah, half of the marinara, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, half of the mozzarella, and more toppings.
- Add the last two sheets of matzah and the remaining marinara, mozzarella, and toppings.
- Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and broil the lasagna for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top is browned to taste. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
