Easter Guinea Pigs

We, the guineas, of FT were subjected to an Easter photo shoot. It was not bad, we would do anything for carrots, but we all don’t have that amazing photogenic quality. Our human found some tiny shirts on sale at Petsmart, and then purchased some Easter supplies.

This is our human’s favorite:
FTone

Fizz was so willing, she had no problems with the shirt, basket, or eggs and kept her paws on the rim of the basket the whole time!

I want to show off more, didn’t I do well!
FTtwo
Love the angle, the quality of the shot is not as good as I wanted.

FTthree
Just look at her little face! Love this one too.

Here I am next to the basket, just because:
FTfour

Cola on the other hand, did not come out so photogenic:
FTfive

Next to the basket:
FTsix

Even the new guinea pigs got in on the act, even though they do not seem to like photos:
FTseven

Looking like fur blobs:
FTeight

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
-Fizz

Pokemon Easter Eggs

Do you decorate Easter eggs? There are so many different ways to do so, some much more simple than others depending on what you really want. My human has not decorated eggs while I have been around, but I don’t think she really likes them.

How much effort do you put into your designs?

Take a look at these Pokemon Easter Eggs:
QQF1xqo
(source)

These are so awesome! I cannot imagine how much time it took to make them.

– Cola

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Time to kick back and relax a bit, like this bunny in bunny slippers:
Qdn1Ybt
(source)

So cute! The bunny does not seem to be enjoying his slippers or maybe he is just contemplating the ridiculousness, in any event, I think the photo op was worth it.

– Cola

Easter Nail Art

Nail art is all the rage these days! Well, at least if you have been following that trend on the internet. Some of the designs that people come up with are very intricate and require advanced skills. Don’t know anyone that skilled at painting both hands, (maybe most don’t or have someone to help paint the other hand?) so here are some cute beginner designs for Easter/Spring. Good luck!

A couple tips:
1. Make sure your base layer(s) are dry before adding details.
2. Use dotting tools, nail art pens, or thin detail brushes to add details. Some people create designs with brushes and acrylic paint instead of nail polish.
3. Depending on design you may have to let some portions dry before moving on to make sure you don’t smear or rub off tiny details.
4. Always apply a top coat to protect your design!

Bunny Designs

Chocolate Bunny or a bunny from the back:
Chocolate Bunny Nail Art sideview for blog

The Ten Colorful Nails blog even added a tutorial image on how to paint this bunny:
Chocolate Easter Bunny Nail Art tutorial
(Ten Colorful Nails)

Bunny Faces:
tumblr_loya4z76Ki1qidveyo1_500
(weheartit)
These are cute and easy, look great in multiple colors, and have very simple eyes and ears.

Here is a tutorial on this kind of face:
bunface
(iinailsart)

Another similar bunny face with larger ears:
tumblr_n2q0ypydIf1tsyouzo1_500
(tumblr)

Chick Designs

How to paint your entire nail as a chick:
howtochick
(pinterest)
This is pretty simple! Nail all one color, then you just have to paint on the eyes, beak, and feet.

Here is a video from MissJJan showing this process and how to make Easter eggs:

Chick with egg shell:
chicknails
(pinterest)
This adds another layer to the design, a bit more intricate and interesting. It would be cute to have a mix of chicks – two shells, one shell half, no shell at all.

Sheep:
SheepTut
(blogspot)
I think this is a great example of how to paint a sheep on your nail, something a little different but still very related to Easter!

Of course, for those who can have more advanced bunny painting skills:
bunny hand holographic nail art 2

Just look at that bunny!
bunny thumb nail art
(Kawaii Nail Art)

Hope you guys give it a try, I know my human is going to. Silly though, because everyone knows that guinea pigs are far superior to rabbits!
– Fizz

World’s Largest Rabbit

The Guinness record for largest rabbit in the world is currently Darius, of the continental giant breed. He is 4ft 3in long and weighs 50 pounds!

Darius lives in Worcester, England. He is still growing and could end up being a few inches longer than he already is. Darius eats 12 carrots a day!

Darius with his owner:

At the dinner table

(Today)

A Measure of his ear

To read more about Darius see MailOnline and Today

Chocolate Bilbies

In Australia chocolate bilbies are an alternative to chocolate bunnies for the Easter holiday. This prominence on store shelves keeps these little guys in the public eye and could help save an endangered species.

A chocolate bilby:

(Haigh’s Chocolates)

If you are unfamiliar, rabbits are a non-native species in Australia. After its introduction into the ecosystem with European settlers 200 years ago the bunny’s aggressive nature and quick breeding talents have taken a toll on native wildlife. Especially at odds with the rabbit is the native bilby – which once filled the niche that rabbits are taking over.

What is a bilby? They are rabbit sized nocturnal marsupials. Currently numbering in the 1000s, these little guys used to bounce all over Australia. Now they are endangered, from habitat loss due to people, to rabbits pushing them out of their burrows and eating their food supply, and from being eaten by foxes and feral cats. They are omnivores who have poor eyesight but very acute hearing and smell. Like the Koala, they do not drink water because their food provides it all.

A bilby out at night:

A 9 year old girl wrote a story called “Billy the Easter Bilby” in 1968 and published it 11 years later. This story helped to change public interest to move from using an Easter bunny to native wildlife, and in 1991 the Easter Bilby Campaign was started by the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia. Chocolate makers too began to support the Bilby effort and two major chocolate makers donate the profits made from the chocolate bilby sales to groups helping the real animals.  A lot of the money goes to fencing projects that keep cats and foxes out of bibly territory and into breeding programs.

Haigh’s chocolates has a page on their website dedicated to the bilby and how to help them, found here.

So if you live in Australia, please choose a chocolate bilby this year for your Easter Basket and not a chocolate rabbit. The program has already helped bring awareness to many Australians who will never see a bilby in the wild.  I hope that it continues to help and these little guys make even more of a comeback!

You can read more about this on NPR “Chocolate Bilbies, Not Bunnies, For An Australian Easter“.

Chocolate Easter Bunnies

Have you ever wondered which of the many available chocolate Easter Bunnies out there is worth your money?

For some people, they have one classic favorite. Maybe because it is the bunny they always received in their Easter Basket, like the basic chocolate bunnies made by brands like Hershey or Palmer. Some are not so loyal to one bunny, and are seeking the best for their tastes and price range. I found a few sites offering reviews of a good sampling of bunnies, and want to share the results with you. Many of them were chosen in blind taste tests for flavor, while others were chosen for cost effectiveness.

1. Lindt Milk Chocolate Bunny

Price: $4.50 for 3.5 oz

This little guy won at epicurious.com for its wonderful smell, creamy texture and taste, and elegant packaging. It is a hollow bunny. There are some varying opinions about the flavor of Lindt chocolate, but that like anything else depends on your tastes. I have had this bunny and agree that it is my favorite of the more “well known” brands available at my local super market. I have purchased a couple of these little guys just to keep around for me to eat. The only down side to this guy maybe that it is not the cutesy bunny form you are seeking for your kids.

Can’t find it at your local market? Purchase it at Lindt’s website for $4.50.

2. Hershey’s Bliss Milk Chocolate Hollow Bunny

Price : $4.99 for 4 oz

At epicurious taste testers enjoyed the colorful and detailed foil packaging, and the dark chocolate like taste of the bunny itself. The downside is that some find that it has a chewy texture. And of course, if you do not like the taste of dark chocolate then this bunny is not for you. This bunny should be easy to find at your local super market.

3. Godiva Bertie the Milk Chocolate Bunny

Price: $25 for 9 oz

The testers at epicurious loved this rabbits packaging, saying it was cute and classic. The taste of the bunny is rich and creamy, with maybe a too sweet aftertaste. The downside to this treat is its cost. I am also not sure if you will be able to find this little guy locally if you do not have a Godiva store.

You can order this bunny at godiva.com.

4. Reester Bunny

If you love Reeses or know someone who does than this is the best cholcolate bunny choice! It is surprisingly good, and has all the flavor that you love in Reeses peanut butter filling.

These bunnies are also avialble in a smaller size:

For those who are not a fan of the cartoon bunny packaging, there is also another large chocolate bunny option, the Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Bunny.

All three of these options I have found at my local super market. I am afraid though that I do not have exact prices on these items, but they should be comparably priced to the Hershey’s bunny above.

5. See’s Candy Bunny –

Price: $9.10 for 10 ounces

This bunny was suggested by sweets.seriouseats.com, as being a good amount of chocolate for the price, having a nice presentation, and as having a taste not overly sweet, nor fake. I have never had Sees candy, but I know quite a few people who love it and claim it as their favorite brand.

Can’t find it a local store or mall kiosk? Find it at Sees website here.

6. Fran’z Chocolate Bunny

Price: $8.00 for 4 oz

Another choice at sweets.seriouseats, this bunny has no frills in packaging complete in just its golden foil wrapper. This is single origin Venezuelan chocolate which has a wonderful cremey texture, that is not too sweet. This is probably another bunny better for the chocolate lover rather than for a child’s easter basket.

Want to order one? Please visit franschocolates.com.

7. Hershey’s Snapsy Bunny

Nothing truly special here in taste or quality, but it is easy to find at the local supermarket and if you love the taste of Hershey’s chocolate this bunny is for you. It also features a unique design so that it is easy to break apart – for easy consumption or to share. This is especially nice for kids who cannot consume a whole bunny on their own. While I do not have the exact cost, it will be comparable with the above Hershey’s bunny.

8. Dove Milk Chocolate Bunny

This can be considered one of the “upper end” super market chocolate bunnies. The packaging is just like many of the other available bunnies, but this bunny has an advantage in taste. Dove has a rich chocolate flavor without any strange after tastes or textures. If you love Dove chocolate, or want to get a little bit more for your money in flavor this year, then this guy is for you. Comparably priced to the Hershey’s bunny above.

Palmer – honorable mention. The picture at the top of the article is of a larger offering of the company’s products. They have them in all shapes and sizes. I will eat their chocolate, but it is not my favorite and I have found some of their offerings to have bad after tastes. But if you are looking for a well priced bunny with lots of choices, Palmer is your brand.

 

I really wanted to do this myself this year! But lets face it – I cannot purchase and taste test all of that chocolate myself! Maybe in the future, but I hope that you enjoyed these reviews.

Anatomy of a Chocolate Bunny

Every Easter brings tons of different kinds of chocolate bunnies to choose from in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some actually resemble rabbits, others do not. Some are cute and others well…they did not try too hard. All taste fairly good, and there is a chance that if you chose a good brand someone will eat the candy. But, I must say that not all chocolate bunnies are created equal! So, still in the spirit of Easter, lets take a look at the anatomy of some chocolate bunnies:

1. Palmer Big Ears Chocolate Bunny

Some rabbits do have large ears, but this is kind of ridiculous. Not cute…but definitely for the chocolate bunny connoisseur who loves to eat the ears and well, mostly just the ears.

2. Palmer Da Bunny Collection

I am sure that these bunnies are good for the people whose personalities they share….but I am just not attracted to these candies. I really do not like anthropomorphic animals (where animals take on human characteristics), sometimes it can be done in a cute manner but this is a bit much for me.

3. Dove Fairy Bunny

So the bunny is cute, but the addition of the wings is just crazy. However, if you like that kind of thing then this bunny is for you.

4. Reester Bunny

What this bunny lacks in cute he makes up for in taste! If you love Reeses candy then this guy will keep you happy for a long time.

5. Palmer My Little Bunny

These little guys actually look like bunnies and the packaging helps to that effect. They even come in pink and blue for boys and girls.

6. Russell Stover Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny

These guys are an Easter classic, at least where I live. I even got one of these in my Easter basket (it has different packaging). Classic pose, classic chocolate, and these guys are reasonably priced.

7. In the same position, Dove makes solid milk chocolate bunnies:

To be fair, Dove has created a more realistic bunny and has superior chocolate to Russell Stover, but these guys are more expensive.

8. Godiva Milk Chocolate Bunny

Cute, nice shiny wrapping, and it is made of Godiva chocolate… It could afford to lose the random flowers, but I am okay with that.

9. In the same line are the Lindt chocolate bunnies:

The eyes are not quite as cute, but the chocolate is amazing. I prefer Lindt to Godiva.

10. Frankford Easter Bunny – Hollow

This little guy is adorable! He might not be in a realistic position, but he sure is cute. He also gets good reviews on taste, check out slashfoods taste test of easter bunnies from 2009.

11. Vosges Chocolate Bunnies

This little guy is adorable! His ears are over-sized but in a good proportion to make him cute. I have no idea what company actually made the bunny in this photo, but the ones at Vosgeschocolate.com are identical.

12. Zachary Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny

This guy is kind of scary looking, but I hear that he has good flavor from candyaddict.com.

13. Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Speedy the Bunny

Again with the anthropomorphic bunnies? At least he is staying fit while you are getting a sugar high from consuming him…

14. Chocolate Bunny on a Motorcycle

This strange creation is available from Confections by Joel for $4.95. I do not think he is very cute, but someone else might.

15. Harbor Sweets Famous Chocolate Rabbits

While these guys have a strange look about them, the inside is apparently what counts. Each bunny comes in two halves, and “Each half contains an assortment of the soul of the Sweet Sloops (almond butter crunch), Sand Dollars (soft creamy caramel and pecan), and Barque Sarah (toasted almonds).”  However, the cost on these is quite steep starting at $15.95. Available at Harborsweets.com.

16. Conrad’s Candy – Giant Bunny

This is one large bunny!  He is 26 inches tall and weighs 7 pounds, but will also cost you $144.95. With that hat and strange candied front, I would be afraid of this bunny! But if you know a chocolate lover, this is the perfect Easter gift. Currently the bunny is unavailable at Conradscandy.com.

I know there are a ton more bunnies out there, but I think this list is long enough for the moment. Maybe I can come back to this idea next year.

Hope you guys enjoyed (or will enjoy) eating any of your chocolate Easter bunny treats!