New supermarket rules on buying Easter Eggs from Aldi, Sainsbury's, Asda and Tesco

© PA We've taken a look at the restrictions around buying Easter eggs at

supermarkets This year, everyone's Easter celebrations will no doubt be different
than usual with the country still on lockdown and all pubs, bars and restaurants
now closed. However, one thing which we are all able to still enjoy is chocolate
and Easter Eggs, but with current food restrictions across supermarkets some
shoppers have been left wondering what this will mean to them. Over the weekend
Sainsbury's announced it was relaxing its restrictions on products including Easter
Eggs. Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe sent a message to customers to say
changes were being made now that stock levels are returning to normal. He said: “We
have been working hard with our suppliers to improve our product availability.
"Most people are now just buying what they need for themselves and their families.
"This means we now often have stock on the shelves all day and at the end of the
day. "People have been queuing to get into our stores when they open in the
mornings, but customers are now finding they can shop at any time of the day and
feel confident in finding most of what they need. "As stock continues to build, we
have been reviewing whether we still need to limit the number of items people buy.
"I am pleased to tell you that we will start to remove limits from Sunday. "Limits
will remain in place on the most popular items which include UHT milk, pasta and
tinned tomatoes. "We have removed limits from Easter eggs immediately as we know
families often want to buy more than three and we have plenty of these in all
stores and online." Sainsbury's isn't the only store to relax its restrictions
either as Aldi announced restrictions will only remain in place across three
products: Hand Wash (maximum 4 products) Shower Gel (maximum 4 products) UHT Milk
(maximum 2 products) Last week, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) cleared
things up regarding the sales of Easter Eggs, and has told members to continue
selling Easter goods as normal. That means if you want to buy an Easter egg for a
loved one or for yourself, there's no rules preventing you from doing so. However,
under the governments lockdown rules shoppers must only do one essential shop per
day so Easter Eggs would need to be purchased during this time and not as an
additional shop. Some websites such as Cadbury and Amazon are still selling eggs,
though these are now considered 'non-essential' items and have been de-prioritised
for delivery, so there's no guarantee you'll receive them in time for Easter which
is this Sunday, April 12 this year.

DIY dye: How to make egg-cellent Easter egg colors with items in your pantry while
staying at home

Cleveland, Ohio – Each year, the Orthodox Church I attend passes out vibrant red
Easter eggs at the end of the service. The color is meant to represent the blood of
Christ. This is no Paas red. It’s a rich, rusty red that is achieved by soaking the
eggs in onion skins. This is just one of the ways Easter eggs can be colored using
natural materials found in your kitchen in this week leading up to Easter, April 12
(Orthodox Easter is April 19). If you’re not able to get out to the store this year
to pick up an egg decorating kit, here are some egg-cellent – I couldn’t resist -
ways you can get creative at home. And even if you have a store-bought kit, making
your own DIY dyes is a creative way to get in the Easter spirit with your family at
this time of quarantine. Dye colors: Pink eggs: 4 cups chopped beets Red: 4 cups
yellow onion skin (about 12 onions) Orange: 3 tablespoons chili powder Yellow eggs:
2 tablespoons Turmeric Royal blue eggs: 2 cups blueberry juice (do not dilute) or 4
cups blueberries Blue: 2 cups grape juice (do not dilute) Lavender/purple: 4 cups
purple cabbage Brown eggs: Black coffee (do not dilute) How to make the eggs.
Process will need to be repeated for each color: Bring 1 quart of water to a boil
Add two tablespoons white vinegar Add dye agents and bring down to a summer for at
least 30 minutes. Strain the dye into a mason jar or mug. Soak hard-boiled eggs for
at least 30 minutes; the longer they soak, the deeper the color. For the most
vibrant colors, soak overnight in the refrigerator. Want to get creative? Wrap your
eggs in rubber bands or use wax crayons to create designs. Dried flowers and herbs
can also be used as stencils; hold them onto eggs in dye cups with cut-up nylons.

Don’t Let Egg Shortages and Quarantine Ruin Your Easter Fun This Year—Here’s How
You Can Still Celebrate

© Provided by Meredith Corporation Easter might look a little different this year.
Sure, it still falls on Sunday, April 12, as scheduled, but with physical or social
distancing recommendations in place past Easter Sunday, family Easter games and
Easter dinner (not to mention your Easter church service, if you typically attend)
won’t look the same as they have in years past. The holiday’s roots remain the
same, but many classic Easter activities—including Easter egg coloring—are likely
to be affected by supplies at your area stores, the space constraints of your home,
and the crafting supplies you have on hand from last year. According to a new
survey from personal finance site WalletHub, Easter spending is down, and 70
percent of people in the U.S. celebrating Easter this year plan to do so at home;
last year, only 25 percent stayed home. This may not be the year of new Easter
outfits for the whole family or your most creative Easter egg designs yet, but you
can still celebrate: Here are six ideas for celebrating Easter at home this year.
Sure, it may not be what you’re used to, but you and your family will be all the
safer for it. Change the way you dye eggs For many families, dyeing Easter eggs
together is an annual tradition. This year, though, fresh eggs may be hard to find
on grocery store shelves as people stock up unnecessarily. Also, if you do have
fresh eggs at home, you want to preserve them for eating, not decorating or
crafting. (For best results, avoid dyeing eggs and then eating them later. Not all
dyes or decorating tools are food-safe, and even though they’re on the shell, it’s
better to be safe than sorry.) Instead, consider using Styrofoam eggs or another
type of crafting egg. These eggs can be ordered straight to your door—you want to
avoid unnecessarily trips to the store—and decorated with markers, crayons, and
more tools you likely already have around the house. Best of all, you can save your
favorites (and any extra, undecorated eggs) for next year. Do an alternative egg
hunt Setting the kids loose on a field or playground dotted with eggs isn’t really
social distancing, especially if you typically do it as a group with other
families. Instead, if your home and yard have the space, tuck eggs around your
house for your kids to find. For a larger egg hunt, get in touch with your
neighborhood group text or homeowners’ association. Ask all participating families
to decorate large Easter eggs on paper and then tape the paper eggs into windows
facing the street. On Easter Sunday, families can head out in cars, on bikes, or on
foot—careful to keep their distance from one another—to try and spot all the eggs
in the neighborhood. Rethink Easter baskets and gifts The overflowing Easter
baskets of years past may not be possible this year, either because money is tight
or you’re unable to visit your go-to stores to pick up all the supplies and gifts.
(Online delivery may not be as speedy as you’d like this year, either.) Save the
big adult Easter basket for next year: Consider tucking homemade sweets into
baskets or fill them with print-outs or drawings of the Easter gifts you plan to
order or buy once businesses are open again. (Consider it an IOU from the Easter
Bunny.) If you can, for Easter gifts for kids, focus on digital gifts you can enjoy
in the moment: Buy and download a new movie or new game for them to enjoy at home.
Order in for your Easter dinner If you typically go out for Easter brunch or dinner
—or head to Grandma’s for her Easter specialties—don’t take it upon yourself to
cook a multi-course meal. You want your groceries to last as long as possible, and
taking a trip to the grocery store just to pick up extra eggs and potatoes for your
Easter spread isn’t worth the risk. Instead, consider supporting local businesses.
Call around to see if any restaurants are offering a to-go or delivery special for
Easter meals. (Chances are, at least one place is.) Place your order a few days in
advance so the restaurant is prepared and get ready to enjoy your meal with minimal
prep or stress on your part. Focus on small-scale Easter games A bunny hop race or
Easter egg toss may not be possible this year if you don’t have the supplies,
numbers, or space (or all three). Focus on games—beyond the egg hunt—your family
can play together, such as guess the number of jelly beans or Easter egg
basketball, even if you only have one or two kids in the family. For older kids,
consider giving your favorite family games an Easter spin: Play Scrabble with all
Easter- or spring-themed words, for example. Adjust your expectations for your
Easter service If your Easter celebration includes a religious component, think
carefully about attending church services. Many states, counties, and cities have
banned all group gatherings, but WalletHub’s survey says 56 percent of people who
attended Easter services last year would attend this year if services were held.
Even if your church does still hold a service—some are skirting federal
recommendations to do so—consider if attending is the safest option for you and
your family (and others attending). You can stay connected with your church on
Easter by checking to see if it’s hosting a digital service: Many religious
organizations have been offering online services, so do a little research online to
find one you can stream.