Are you looking for a fabulous Christmas Gift for a favorite child? Take a look at a few of my top recommendations:

Gifts For Girls:

Vera Bradley Back Pack*

The Vera Bradley craze is big with this age group, too!  Consider the cute, useful backpack in a fun, youthful pattern like Mediterranean Blue (pictured) or Pinwheel Pink. (Vera Bradley Backpack, $88 (pictured)).  Consider also a cell phone case or a zipper cosmetic bag! (Cell phone case, $32; Medium Cosmetic Bag , $23)

Bella’s Mystery Deck

This is a set of 52 brightly illustrated cards, each with a mystery for your child to solve, testing powers of deduction and promoting reading skills! (Mindware, Bella’s Mystery Deck, $14.95 for 1 set, $24.95 for 2 sets)

Coco Dot Games

From Pottery Barn Teen, three classic games get a colorful and girly update!  Choices include:  Playing Cards, Twister and Backgammon (pictured)

Adorable Candy Themed Jewelry

Each of these pieces of jewelry from Shanalogic are so cute and  perfectly unique!  A few standouts include:

• Cupcake Charm Bracelet
• Candy Jar Necklace (pictured)
• Super Sprinkles Heart Necklace
• Scented Bubble Tea Necklace

Christmas Gifts for 9 and 10 Year Olds and Up Boys

Paper Jamz Guitars and Amplifier

These guitars let kids play along with the stars’ greatest hits by strumming the strings on these cool paper thin “guitars.”  Versions include Pop, 80’s Classics, Country and Rock and feature built in speakers with volume control.  (Guitars, $19.99;  Amplifier, $14.95)

Electronic Guitar Shirt

This is another fun guitar themed gift!  The t-shirt has a built in electric guitar and a small amplifier that snaps onto a belt.  Kids play actual chords, not prerecorded music! (Electronic Guitar Shirt, $29.99)

Young Architect Kit*

This reusable toy allows children to plan their dream home, sketch it and construct a 3D model. (Hearthsong, Young Architect Kit, $79.98)

Ripstick Caster Board

Reviewers describe this skateboard as groundbreaking!  With only two casters, skaters experience a ride that’s compared to snowboarding, allowing kids to accelerate or turn without pushing, just like carving down the slopes.  You may want to pick up a spare set of casters for this toy, along with the necessary safety equipment if you don’t already own that gear! (RipStik Caster Board, five color choices, prices starting at $59.99, replacement casters starting at $11.99)

EyeClops Bionic Eye

This cool new toy is a hand held device that magnifies ordinary objects 200 times and then projects the image onto your TV screen! (EyeClops Bionic Eye, $69.99)

Christmas Gifts for 9 and 10 Year Olds and Up Boys and Girls:

Forensic Detective’s Toolkit

This authentic kit allows kids to develop observation and problem solving skills using the same equipment and techniques as real detectives!  (Mindware, Forensic Detective’s Toolkit, $49.95)

Share the Music with RockStar

This device for Ipods allows up to five kids to plug in and listen to the same music! Perfect for this age group!  (Belkin, Rockstar, $14.99)

Lego Games

Lego has taken its fun building toys to a new level with a variety of terrific board games that incorporate construction with an ever-changing game board!  Here are a few of the choices (prices vary – $9.99 to $29.99):

• Atlantis Treasure
• Ramses Pyramid
• Orient Bazaar
• Harry Potter Hogwarts

Do you have a favorite idea for a Christmas gift for a 9 or 10 year old boy or girl? I’d love to know!

*It’s serendipity when the products we love are from the sponsors we love.

For more ideas on Christmas gifts for children, see:

• Christmas Gift Guide 2008
• Christmas Gifts for 1 and 2 Year Olds and Up
• Christmas Gifts for 3 and 4 Year Olds and Up
• Christmas Gifts for 5 and 6 Year Olds and Up
• Christmas Gifts for 7 and 8 Year Olds and Up
• Fabulous Birthday Gift Ideas

Spring and Easter meals are delicious, but may leave you with some unusual leftovers.  Do you end up throwing out dozens of hard boiled eggs?  Wonder what to do with the ham that everyone has already had enough of?  Or the asparagus that your children didn’t like?  Well, here are several fresh recipes that will use all of those very leftovers!

Deviled eggs a la Sam

Makes 20 halves

Ingredients

• 10 large hard boiled eggs
• 1 T. water
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into small chunks
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 4 cherry tomatoes, minced
• Juice of 1 large lime
• Dash of hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
• 2 thick slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine water, cumin, garlic, and salt and mix well
• Add the avocados, onion, tomato and lime juice
• Mash with a potato masher
• Add hot pepper sauce and prosciutto and mix well
• Set aside
• Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut in half
• Remove the yolks and set aside the whites
• Add the yolks to the avocado mixture, mixing well to combine
• Spoon mixture into the egg halves

“Fit to Eat” Egg Salad

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 8 large hard boiled eggs
• 3 T. part skim ricotta cheese
• 3 T. plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 t. Dijon mustard
• 2 t. finely chopped fresh chives
• ½ t. coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 c. watercress, thick stems removed
• 8 thin slices whole grain bread

Directions:

• Peel eggs, cut in half and remove yolks.
• Crumble 2 yolks and set aside. Discard the other yolks.
• Finely chop egg whites and transfer to a medium bowl.  Add crumbled yolks.
• Whisk together ricotta, yogurt, mustard, chives and salt in a small bowl and season with pepper.  Add to egg mixture and stir gently to combine.
• Arrange egg salad and watercress on 4 bread slices and top with last 4 slices.

(184 calories per sandwich!)

Deviled Ham Salad on Marbled Rye

Enjoy this recipe from Food and Wine! – Deviled Ham Salad on Marbled Rye.   Makes 4 sandwiches or 16 tea sandwiches!

Heavenly Potatoes and Ham

I made this dinner using ham leftovers last year!  This is a sure family pleaser!

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
• 1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
• ½ c. butter
• 1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ c. chopped green onion
• 2 c. cooked, chopped ham
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ½ c. parmesan cheese flavored bread crumbs
• ¼ c. melted butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 13” x 11” baking dish.
• Place potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Boil until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a bowl.
• Mix sour cream, butter, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, green onions, ham, salt and pepper with the potatoes.  Spread in prepared dish.
• Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven.

Asparagus Mimosa

This recipe incorporates ham, asparagus and hard boiled eggs!!
Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon or ham, crisply cooked
• 4  4 inch slices focaccia or hearty toast
• 2 lbs. asparagus, cooked
• 2 T. chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 T. orange zest
• 2/3 c. vinaigrette (homemade or bottled)
• 4 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped

Directions

• Place two strips of bacon/ham on each piece of bread and top with some asparagus.
• Stir the tarragon and orange zest into the vinaigrette.
• Drizzle over the asparagus and top with chopped eggs.

You may also enjoy:

• Host an Easter Egg Hunt
• Cute Easter Craft
• Celebrating Easter with Kids
• Fabulous Easter Baskets

Photo of ham, top of page, is from allrecipes.com - see for tips on cooking ham and more ham recipes.

Tags: what to do with Easter leftovers, using, recipes, recipe, leftover, how to use your Easter leftovers

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon or ham, crisply cooked
• 4 4″ slices focaccia or hearty toast
• 2 lbs. asparagus, cooked
• 2 T. chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 T. orange zest
• 2/3 c. vinaigrette (homemade or bottled)
• 4 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped

Directions

• Place two strips of bacon/ham on each piece of bread and top with some asparagus.
• Stir the tarragon and orange zest into the vinaigrette.
• Drizzle over the asparagus and top with chopped eggs.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
• 1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped green onion
• 2 c. cooked, chopped ham
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 c. parmesan cheese flavored bread crumbs
• 1/4 c. melted butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 11″ x 13″ baking dish.
• Place potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
• Boil until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Drain and transfer to bowl.
• Mix sour cream, butter, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, green onions, ham, and salt and pepper with the potatoes.  Spread in prepared dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven.

This recipe calls for smoked ham, but there shouldn’t be a problem with using your Easter ham!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound smoked ham, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• Hot sauce and salt for seasoning
• 8 slices bakery-style marbled rye bread, crusts removed, or 32 slices cocktail rye
• 1 1/2 c. alfalfa sprouts

Directions

• Put the ham in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Transfer the ham to a medium bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, parsley, jalapeno, mustard and paprika
• Season the deviled ham salad with hot sauce and salt
• Lay half of the bread slices on a work surface and spread them with the deviled ham.
• Top with the sprouts and close the sandwiches
• If making larger sandwiches, quarter them before serving

This recipe was taken from Food & Wine