Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping, the tulips are sprouting out of the cold ground and all around are signs of warmer weather. But Old Man Winter delivered a final punch to us this week as both boys woke with sore throats, fevers and runny noses. Sick again, we headed to the doctor's office. Good thing we did because it turned out ALL FOUR of us had strep throat.

I leafed though a few parenting magazines in between wiping noses and applying sanitizing lotion. In one of them were deviled eggs made out to look like Easter baskets. I decided to give it a try at home that night, after putting my sick little guys to bed. The trick was how to do it without using dairy. I found a bottle of Aunt Mid's Creamy Slaw dressing in the fridge and hatched an idea for an Easter treat. It worked out well, so I will be making a dozen to pass out next week.

The next day, my boys took it as easy as two little boys can. Most of the day was spent on the couch, but they found ways to get into mischief and burn off energy -- envision a constant pillow fight, tug-of-war, tumble fest. When they calmed down, we watched a few cartoons.

One of their favorite Disney characters, Special Agent Oso, got their attention by making juice pops in ice cube trays. I happily suggested we try out this special assignment in our own kitchen. After all, fresh fruit is good for sick kids, and the ice-cold pops would feel good on their sore little throats.

Here are some recipes we discovered during our final round of -- hopefully --- being under the weather.

Deviled Egg Baskets
4 eggs, boiled*
1 1/2 tablespoons Aunt Mid's Creamy Slaw dressing
1 teaspoon salt
Thin strips of celery for basket handle
Grated carrot for garnish

Boil eggs and peel. When cooled, slice top and bottom section so filling can be placed in egg and the egg won't fall over (see photo below). In separate bowl, mix yolks, dressing and salt with a fork and spoon into the eggs. Slice a piece of celery into very long, thin strips and push into filling so it looks like a basket. Garnish with carrots.

*Here's what Julia Child says about boiling eggs ("Mastering the Art of French Cooking"):

Lower the eggs into boiling water and boil slowly according to the following table, adding 1 minute if the eggs are chilled. U.S. large eggs: 6 minutes Extra large: 6 1/2 minutes Jumbo: 7 minutes As soon as time is up, drain off the boiling water and run cold water into the pan for a minute to set the white, and to cool the eggs enough to remove the shells. Tap gently on a hard surface to break the shells, peel carefully under a stream of water.

Juice Pops
1 cup white grape juice
1/2 cup rice milk (or cow's milk or yogurt)
1/2 cup frozen berries (we used blueberries and raspberries)
1 mango, cut into pieces*

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor and pour into ice cube tray. Cut plastic straws into "sticks" and float in each cube. Freeze for 2-3 hours and serve with lots of napkins.

*To slice a mango:
A mango's seed is a long, flat disc, running almost from the top of the mango to the bottom. The flesh is on either side. Cut about 1/4 inch away from the stem, lengthwise, on either side in a curved line along the core. Slice what flesh you can from other two sides and peel skin.