Personally, I love the month of April. Spring is here, the weather is still tolerable, and we have Passover and Easter. Both with great food traditions. I won’t forget Earth Day, and the chance to remember how much of what we enjoy can be fresh from the Earth and in our fresh markets each weekend. And of course, it’s time to play ball and fire up the tailgating grills. So please enjoy Five Fun Things for April! 

1. I think Easter I think chocolate, specifically chocolate bunnies. Everyone knows you start with the ears! But you have to love this kid’s method you’ll find on YouTube. At the very least, it’s pretty creative.

2. Wonder just how much we spend on Easter candy each year? The National Confectioner’s Association says it adds up to $1.9 billion dollars a year. Included in that figure are 700 million marshmallow peeps and 16 billion jelly beans. That’s enough to circle the globes nearly 3 times.

3. Speaking of chocolate (I do that a lot, don’t I?!) a recent article on CNN has a study from the Archives of Internal Medicine that links eating chocolate on a regular basis with a lower body mass index, or BMI. But no, that doesn’t mean you can over indulge and not pay the price in any number of ways. Chocolate does have caffeine, so it you’re watching that, it’s something to consider.

4. What foods do we traditionally set out on the Easter and Passover tables? Roast lamb goes back to the first Passover and it was always on my Grandmother’s Easter dinner table, complete with my favorite vinegar based mint sauce. I am so craving that right now. We also love our baked ham, hot cross buns, and those colored eggs.

5. Let’s talk baseball and hot dogs. They just go together, and somehow the Texas Rangers have taken that to new heights with their $26 hot dog. Yep, $26. What do you get for that? A one pound hot dog that can feed up to three or four people, is close to two feet long and is loaded with chili, sautéed onions and shredded cheese. Unbelievable! 

Finally, congratulations are in order for the winners of the Child Abuse Council's Third Annual Chef of the Year competition; they are Chef Rich Mathis from the Tampa Bay Times Forum, taking home won two awards; “Top Chef of the Year Tampa Bay” and “Best Table Décor.” Chef Ryan Mitchell from Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar won the “Top Philanthropic Chef of the Year Award.” Top Chef of the Year Tampa Bay raised nearly $42,000 for the Child Abuse Council and its programs. More more on the work of the Child Abuse Council log on to childabusecouncil.com.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams