Coloring eggs

1. To make your dye, combine 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and about 10 drops of food coloring.

2. Dip hard-cooked eggs in dye for about 5 minutes or until you get the color you want. For variety, try dipping the top half in one color and the bottom half in another, or leaving the eggs in the dye for different lengths of time, creating different shades of a particular color.

3. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to add or remove eggs from dye.

For further decoration, you may try these techniques:

Marbleize: For marbled eggs, combine 1/4 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon oil, and 4 to 8 drops of food coloring in a shallow bowl. Gently roll each egg in the mixture for 30 seconds, or until the egg is the desired shade. Transfer the egg to a second color mixture, and repeat the process. Allow the egg to dry completely, and wipe away excess oil with a paper towel.

For hand-painted designs: Combine 10 drops of one color, 1/2 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in a small container. Then hand-paint hard-cooked eggs with a paintbrush or cotton swab. Go wild with stripes, polka dots, or zigzags.

Make a K for Kate: Personalize your family’s eggs by using a white or light-colored crayon to write names on them before dipping them in the dye.

Source: McCormick

Shrimp contest

Seafood lovers are invited to enter Old Bay’s fourth annual Peel &Eat Shrimp Classic.

One grand-prize winner will receive $10,000.

To enter, describe in 100 to 250 words the lengths you’d go to for a taste of Old Bay, and why you deserve to compete in the Old Bay Peel &Eat Shrimp Classic.

The winner of each regional semifinal will receive $500. The winner and first runner-up from each regional will win a trip to Baltimore to compete in the national final on Sept. 2.

The Northwest semifinal will be held July 23 at the Bite of Seattle. Deadline is April 8.

For official entry form and contest rules, call 800-632-5847 or visit www.old-bay.com.

Herald news services