EASTER TRADITIONS Celebrate by putting a twist on the tried and true

Add a touch of the unexpected to mark the rebirth of spirit and spring.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Easter has plenty of traditions: baskets, eggs, a pastel palette.
But the day -- March 27 -- also should include the new and unexpected because it's a holiday celebrating the rebirth of the spirit and spring. So put a twist on the tried and true when hosting family and friends.
Decorations
Use the elements of an Easter basket to create a centerpiece that's fun for kids but elegant enough for adults. For a runner, use moss along the center of the table. Lay a basket on its side and fill it with gerbera daisies. Place a tall chocolate bunny that can be divvied up after the meal or a rabbit-shaped chocolate mold on top of the moss.
Ditch daffodils in favor of cheery branches of forsythia or redbud, says Brian Morley , floral designer and owner of Bergamot & amp; Ivy in Kansas City, Mo. Their blooms can be forced one to two weeks before Easter by placing the branches in buckets of water in the basement or garage. Fill vases with the branches on Easter and place them in the family room and bathroom.
"It's agrarian and outdoor-looking, opposite of the typical Easter," Morley says.
Pack away the ecru and gray winter linens and bring out bright-colored napkins in chartreuse or coral. Set a 3-inch terra cotta pot filled with fresh herbs at each place. Inside each pot, tuck a hard-boiled egg painted with each guest's name. The herb-filled pots double as take-home gifts.
Activities
After the kids have hunted for Easter eggs and are peacefully playing by themselves, the adults can enjoy a cocktail. This would be the time to eat a hard-boiled egg and drink a mimosa made with champagne and blood orange juice.
"The fruit (the blood orange) is in season and is a beautiful color mixed with the sparkling wine," says Jennifer Maloney, executive chef of Cafe Sebastienne at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Menu
Skip the ham and lamb this year.
"You don't even have to cook," Maloney says. "So when the kids play, the adults can be free to talk and have fun, too."
Order takeout from a soul food restaurant, she suggests. On Sundays, she and other local chefs frequent 3 Friends Restaurant and Barbecue in Kansas City. Maloney likes eating pork chops, fried chicken, greens, mashed potatoes and peach cobbler at the after-church hot spot, where Sunday diners are dressed in their finest suits and bonnets. The restaurant is open on Easter.
For additional sweets, she recommends ordering iced sugar cookies in egg, tulip and bunny shapes from a bakery.
"After all that eating," Maloney says, "naps will be in order."
Hard-boiled eggs
All those eggs you dyed should be used on Easter or the day after if you've displayed them more than a couple of hours outside the refrigerator. Some ideas:
UDeviled eggs: Include smoked salmon and chives in the filling.
UEgg salad: Spoon onto croissants.
UEggs and vegetables: Mix eggs with cooked or raw spinach.