A family tradition we had growing up was dying eggs in preparation for the Easter bunny to hide them on Easter morning. We would get so excited as we pulled together all the various cups and utensils and ingredients. In addition to the store-bought dye, we used a little vinegar to help the colored dye stay on our eggs. Our mom always had us taste a little vinegar to help us remember the real reason we celebrate Easter. When the Savior asked for water while on the cross, he was given vinegar. Easter is a celebration of our Savior and all He did for us, so it was a great way to keep things in perspective and remember why we even celebrate Easter.

Of course, when getting eggs ready for our Easter tradition, you need to hard boil them. This is one of those things that seems like a basic thing everyone should know how to do- until you actually do it. The first time I tried to hard boil eggs, I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I knew it involved eggs, water, and a stove- and that was about it. So I spent some time researching and found a recipe for getting the perfect hard-boiled egg every time. So of course I had to try itJ.

Verdict: Pretty successful! My eggs were thoroughly cooked and yet not so overcooked that they had the nasty grey ring around the yokes. They were also relatively easy to de-shell. They peeled pretty well- I think I only had one egg that was a little more stubborn and didn't want to leave it's shell;).

Here is the method: (This recipe in particular calls for 6 eggs, so I would imagine you may need to adjust times if you are cooking more than that- though I haven't had time to perfect my techniqueJ).

Place your eggs in a large pot (it needs to be big enough that the eggs won't be bouncing into each other). Fill your pot up with cold water until the eggs have at least one inch of water above them (so it will be pretty full). Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda (this will help make the eggs easier to peel).

Turn the stove on to high heat and wait for the water to boil (it needs to be a full boil, not just bubbling). Once it has reached a full boil, set the timer for one minute. Once that minute has passed, remove the pot of eggs from the heat and cover them. Set the timer for another 10 minutes.

At the end of the 10 minutes, put the eggs in a bowl of ice water and let sit for a final 5 minutes.

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Like I said, I think this method worked great. Another variation I saw said to gently crack the eggs on the countertop after they have cooked and then run them under cold water in a colander. This is supposed to cool the egg down on the inside as well as outside. I think the ice water did great, but this could be a great alternative if you don't have access to ice. (Do you have any tricks you could share below in the comments?)

Hard boiled eggs are great for dying Easter eggs, but they are also great for recipes like deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter as you spend time together and as you reflect on the miracle of our Savior as we celebrate his Atonement and Resurrection.