Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images

President Obama helps a young participant during during the 134th annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House last year.

Famous athletes, celebrity chefs and a pint-sized president will all be part of the festivities on Monday when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the 135^th annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

A crowd of 35,000 representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia is expected on the South Lawn for the largest annual public event at the White House. A special guest will be Robby Novak, better known as Kid President, the 9-year-old YouTube sensation from Tennessee whose stated mission is to make the world less boring. Novak helped film a promotional video for the White House earlier this year to let his peers know about the Easter Egg Roll.

In addition to rolling Easter eggs on the lawn, there will be live music, sports instruction, cooking stations and storytelling. “American Idol’’ stars Jordin Sparks and Jessica Sanchez headline the group of musical performers, while those handling storytelling duties for the children will include NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, Oscar-nominated child actress Quvenzhane Wallis and characters from Sesame Street.

Food Network stars Ann Burrell and Ina Garten will be among those cooking up tasty and healthy eats for the attendees, and a host of professional athletes will be on hand to teach kids fun ways to stay fit as part of this year’s theme of “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!”  There also will be a “Yoga Garden’’ for children.

More than 300,000 tickets were requested from people from across the nation, and a lottery was used to determine the 35,000 recipients of invitations, according to the White House. The White House seemed to hint that the annual event was in jeopardy of being canceled earlier this month, due to spending cuts, but quickly shot down that speculation and confirmed the celebration would go on as scheduled.

This year’s souvenir Easter eggs will come in purple, blue, yellow and pink, bearing the signatures of the President and First Lady. There also will be a commemorative teal egg available with a paw print of Bo, the Obama family’s dog.

Read more: 

Kid President helps President Obama spread word about White House 'Egg Roll' 

Bo hunts Easter eggs for White House Egg Roll

White House: Sequester won't stop Easter Egg Roll

This Easter, one billion peeps will be produced (enough to circle the globe), and will find their way into 70% of the candy-filled baskets across the country.

So, where do they all come from? Weekend TODAY anchor Dylan Dreyer went to the source — or the roost, if you will — the Just Born factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has been home to Peeps since the very beginning.

Peeps came into existence 60 years ago, but the process behind the sugar chick has evolved quite a bit from its early days, when each chick was made by hand and making one took more than 24 hours.

Back then, the marshmallow mixture was squeezed out of a pastry bag by hand to form the signature Peeps shape. These days, the factory produces more than 5 million chicks every day, using "one of a kind" equipment — and lots and lots of sugar.

Slideshow: Holy Peeps! Elaborate candy creations hop to silly heights

See the most creative Peeps of the year, as candy fans turn the sugary treat into works of art.

Launch slideshow

"We use a little bit of granulated sugar, liquid sugar, and some corn syrup, and then at the end we might add a bit more sugar," explained Mark Wright, the director of operations at the factory, as he walked Dylan through the operation.

Peeps get their signature granular texture from a systematic dusting of white sugar once the marshmallow has been aerated, Wright demonstrated, showing Dylan that a bed of white sugar is placed on the conveyor belt where the marshmallow lands to give it that sandpapery coating.

And before a Peep makes it off the line, it has to pass inspection: no crazy eyes, crooked beaks or improper peeps allowed.

As Dylan quickly observed: "Easter depends on this."

Related: Peep show! Creative ways to dress up your Easter candy

Hot chicks! At 60, Peeps more popular than ever

Brit + Co.

By Brit Morin, Brit + Co.

Ready to take your Easter brunch table to a totally adorable level? Follow this simple tutorial on how to turn a paper napkin into a bunny and you'll be an instant hostess with the mostess.

Materials:
Paper napkins

Instructions:

1. Start by unfolding your napkin and folding it in half so you have one really long side. 

Brit + Co.

2. Take each end of the napkin and fold over the front at an angle.

Brit + Co.

3. Now, fold each bottom corner up towards the middle of the napkin.

Brit + Co.

4. Next, fold again on the side at a slight angle, like you see in the photo.

Brit + Co.

5. Repeat on the other side as well.

Brit + Co.

6. Flip the whole thing over and fold the larger part of the napkin up to the center.

Brit + Co.

7. Flip back to the front and turn the whole thing so that the top of the triangle is pointing up.

8. Now, fold in one side and then the other, so that the second side fits into the little pocket that has been created.

Brit + Co.

9. Now you've got a little bundled up bunny. Pull out the ears and tail, and you're done! 

Brit + Co.

We're loving how sweet these little bunnies look with our egg-cellent table setting.

Want to see more DIY tutorials from this morning's Easter segment? Check out Brit's wrap up on Brit + Co.

More: Creative Easter baskets: More than just jelly beans!

Photos of cute bunnies: Our readers hop to it

Peeps, the sugar-coated marshmallow chicks and bunnies, have been an Easter candy tradition for decades. But Peeps dioramas, statues and other decorative art using the sweets have become popular over the years, making the treats more than just a holiday basket-stuffer.

New York chocolatier Jacques Torres first developed a taste for the gooey chicks and bunnies when he moved to the States from his native France. “I discovered that Peeps have a deep part in people's heart," Torres told TODAY.com. "It's a very American thing. It's a part of the Eastern tradition."

He decided he wanted to find a way to combine Peeps with his chocolate-making profession, telling his store managers he was planning to coat the candies in chocolate and other costumes. "People looked at me like I was crazy," he said. But he went ahead with the plan, dipping Peeps in fine chocolate and dressing them up in tuxedos with white-chocolate buttons and bow ties. "We had a big success with them. They sold very well."

Rebecca Davis/TODAY

Torres uses white chocolate to make 'buttons' for his tuxedo-wearing Peeps.

Torres's tuxedoed chicks aren't the only decorative route Peeps have taken. For nearly a decade, newspapers like the Pioneer Press and The Washington Post have held annual contests calling for creative diorama submissions using Peeps. Each year, they're flooded with miniature marshmallow snapshots of everything from classic literature scenes to political satires to famous works of art.

"One of our favorites, 'Eep', was based on the the movie 'Up,'" Tracy Grant, the editor in charge of The Washington Post's Peeps competition, told TODAY.com. "It was a balloon that lifts the house up, and the balloon is all made out of Peeps."

Other recent submissions included a parody of the Occupy Wall Street movement dubbed "Occupeep DC," a diorama featuring 2011's trapped miners in Chile, and a mock-up of the Roman Colosseum. Grant thinks making decorative work out of Peeps has turned into an artistic community effort. "People are very, very creative," she said. "I would say most of our entries are team entries of people working together. Offices work together.  It's turned out to be an incredible testament to the ingenuity of people." This year's contest winners will be featured on the newspaper's website on March 27th.

Deb Lindsey / For the Washington Post

This finalist in the Washington Post's Peeps contest, titled 'Peepius Maximus,' shows a marshmallow-populated version of the Coliseum.

Publications aren't the only ones getting in on the decorative Peeps game. The Carroll County Arts Council in Westminster, Maryland has been holding a popular PEEPshow for the past 6 years, featuring full-scale sculptures and dioramas made out of the candy. Arts Council Executive Director Sandy Oxx says the show, which will run at the Carroll Arts Center from March 28th through April 7th, has received some clever, and occasionally massive, submissions over the years.

"Someone did a whole prom dress, full-sized," she told TODAY. "We tend to get really big monsters and cartoon characters." Oxx says some of her favorite submissions have been simple designs with titular plays on words. "Someone did a horseshoe-shaped magnet," she said. "They called it a 'chick magnet.'"

Oxx thinks Peeps' popularity stems from the candy's long-standing tradition as an Easter basket standby. "Everyone has a Peeps story," she said. "When I was growing up, the fact that they were big and took up a lot of room in the basket, parents could spend $2 and make their baskets really big. If you're Christian, Jewish, like to eat them, hate them, everyone's got Peep memories, so it's a really easy product to base an event around."

Rebecca Davis/TODAY

For Peep-decorating beginners, Torres recommended an easy approach like dusting the chocolate-dipped candy in shredded coconut.

Grant says that annual contests have given a whole new meaning to the holiday treat. "It's a very nostalgic thing," she said. "In a very high-tech world, [the dioramas] feel very old-fashioned and very sweet. It's a real tradition."

And Torres says he hopes to put out even more fun chocolate-covered Peeps creations in the future.  "This year, I want to do a Pope Peep," he said. "Don't get offended about that one."

More: New York City bakery sells $1000 Easter egg

Confessions of a real-life Easter Bunny

Slideshow: Awkward Easter: Some really scary bunnies

awkwardfamilyphotos.com

A hysterical selection of candid photographs of people getting into the spirit of Easter.

Launch slideshow

This year, think outside the Easter basket! The Easter Bunny is getting creative and delivering more than just chocolate and jelly beans.

Lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky shows off some cute and unique ideas to surprise your kids, friends, and even the dog lovers in your life this year. Try filling up a cute tote bag with goodies like shoes, sunglasses, and even Scotch that last long after the holiday is over.

Check out these creative basket ideas and tell us what you're whipping up for the weekend!

L.A. Burdick

Delicious macaroons from L.A. Burdick are sure to make your Passover meal even tastier.

Passover starts March 25 and runs through April 2, and as Jews around the world prepare to give up leavened bread for eight days and nights, they have more options than ever to fill their Seder tables. Here are some of the most delicious ways to bring haute Hebrew goodies home.  

Gefilteria
These days gefilte fish is the sexiest Jew, next to Bar Rafaeli. This New York-based company makes their fish quenelles with salmon, pike and whitefish caught from the Great Lakes, then gently poaches the loaves in an onion broth. The result is airy, mild and elegant, closer to fine French food than the stuff in jars at the supermarket. It is shipped nationwide and arrives at your door frozen and ready to be consumed on Pesach.

Matzel Toff
Standard matzah isn’t the most exciting stuff. But, cover it in buttery toffee, rich dark chocolate and a touch of sea salt, and you have a treat that isn’t only Passover-approved, it’s year-round delicious. Beloved by celebrities like Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray, this sweet and crunchy treat is sure get your kids to try some matzah without bribing them with gelt (money).

Sarah Durlacher

Ish
Horseradish is always served at a Seder, both on the Seder plate and as an accompaniment to gefilte fish. But now it’s actually tasty instead of overly acidic and sulfuric. Ish makes artisanal prepared horseradish with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it is so tasty that you will never believe it’s related to the neon pink stuff you are used to choking down. From traditional earthy and hot beet horseradish to Asian-inspired ginger horseradish, this really elevates a traditional Seder meal.

William Greenberg Desserts

William Greenberg Apple Macaroon Cake
Though Passover is often a holiday filled with chalky jelly rings and insipid matzo meal cookies, it doesn’t have to be. Legendary New York City bakery William Greenberg (yes, you may have seen Betty from “Mad Men” carrying some of the bakery’s goods to a dinner party) treats Passover as an excuse to roll out the big guns, especially with its apple macaroon cake. This soft almond sponge cake is crusted in buttery pecans and topped with fresh apple slices. The cake ships nationally, but be warned, it might not make it to the end of the meal before guests finish it off.

Vermatzah
Remember the cardboard-like stuff that you are used to? Well, forget it. Vermatzah is here to save the day. This small batch, handmade matzah from Vermont is truly the Cadillac of matzohs. It is made from Vermont-grown wheat, is hand formed and wood fired, and the company prides itself on creating a hearty texture and taste.

Distillery 209 Vodka and Gin
It isn’t only bread that observant Jews must avoid during Passover. Oh no, it’s all forms of wheat other than matzah, as well as legumes, rice and other grains. Because of this, most liquor is not kosher for Passover. Luckily for those of us who need a little liquid courage to get through a night with our families, Distillery 209 has created kosher vodka and gin. The vodka tastes clean, the gin is lightly herbaceous without being too floral, and both go well with your favorite mixer.

L.A. Burdick’s Coconut Macaroons
What is Passover without a macaroon? This year, go for the high-end stuff from renowned chocolatier L.A. Burdick. While some macaroons can taste dry and dusty, these luxurious cookies are anything but. The macaroons are sweet, pleasantly sticky and loaded with fragrant coconut flavor. Dipped in the company’s trademark rich dark chocolate, they will make you wish that the holiday came more than just once a year.  

For more from Sarah Spigelman, visit her blog, Fritos and Foie Gras.

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

The Dreyer family in Manalapan, N.J., in 1984.

By Dylan Dreyer, Weekend TODAY

With Easter season upon us, we reached out to Weekend TODAY weather anchor Dylan Dreyer to share some of her memories of what the holidays mean to her and her family. Here’s what Dylan had to say.

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

Dylan and her brothers wait on the stairs in 1993.

On Easter, I’d be the one to wake up first, then I’d go down the hall and wake up my two older brothers. Once I was sure they were awake, I’d wake up my parents. They took forever to get up and ready and the three of us kids would have to wait on the stairs until they were.

We’d slowly creep down, one stair at a time, but would never dare to go all the way downstairs because we knew our dad would kill us! We’d pass the time by trying to sneak a peek in the reflections on the pictures on the wall to see if we could spot a colored egg. Eventually our mom and dad would walk past us on the stairs, but then they’d have to go to the kitchen to make coffee, then find the video camera. Even that took a long time because it was one of those old-fashioned film cameras that took forever to set up, even though more modern ones were certainly on the market.

Then they’d go into the living room and say “Nope! Guess the Easter Bunny didn't come this year!” That was our cue that we could run into the living room and start the hunt. It was the same old lie that was told to us every year. We knew the Easter Bunny always came to our house!

The whole tradition would begin the night before, when my mom would hard boil a couple of dozen eggs while we were at church. She had plenty of time to do it, because the Easter vigil is a long Mass! My poor dad had the task of keeping three kids focused and awake through the whole thing.

When we got home, the Paas egg-dying kit would be on the table and I’d measure out glasses of water and vinegar. After we dropped in the magic dye tablet, we’d all grab clear crayons and start decorating our eggs. It was always fun setting them in the dye long enough for them to turn into the most brilliant colors, and of course then we'd see how sloppy our invisible egg drawings were. But it was a clear marker of whose eggs were whose, so the Easter Bunny wouldn't mix them up! 

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

A very young Dylan Dreyer tastes some candy at Easter in 1983.

When it was time for bed, I’d leave out some carrots and water for the Easter Bunny, then I’d try as hard as I could to sleep through the night. I had to get some sleep because the next morning started around 6 a.m.

We’d each have our own room to hunt in: Jamie got the living room (he’s the oldest, so he got the biggest), Mike would have the dining room, and I’d have the little sitting room off the kitchen. I was the youngest and those were the breaks.

Now finding our colorful eggs hidden in the most obvious of places was great, and finding the giant Easter basket full of candy and little presents was even better (mine was always hung from a hook on the ceiling). But the best part was breakfast. We’d take two of our newly discovered eggs, peel them, and mash them up with mayo, salt, and lots of pepper. My dad would make a pile of buttered toast and a plateful of bacon and it was the absolute best breakfast ever. It was Easter breakfast, which was more predictable and traditional than what we ate for dinner. (Come to think of it, I’m not even sure what our standard Easter dinner was. Ham I assume, but don’t quote me on that.)

After breakfast, I had to go check out if the Easter Bunny ate his carrots. He always did, and there were always two perfect, huge marks of bunny teeth proving he gnawed away at them!

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

An elated 8-year-old Dylan with her Easter basket in 1990.

As time went on and my brothers moved out, I was the only one left waiting on the stairs on Easter morning. But right on schedule, my dad and I colored eggs the night before, they were hidden away on Easter morning (only now with everyone out of the house, I got the biggest room!), the Easter Bunny ate his carrots, and we’d eat our egg salad with toast and bacon. Age wasn't a factor: teens, 20s, 30s.

Even just a couple years ago, my dad visited me in Boston for Easter and we colored eggs after church, I waited on the stairs the next morning, the eggs were hidden, then found and eaten. 

That’s why I love holidays. It’s the family tradition, the familiarity of that season that comes each year, the childlike excitement, and the genuine laughs and smiles that bring you back to your youth. My brothers have passed those same traditions on to their kids, and I will someday too.

Until then, Mr. Easter Bunny? You can now find me in New York City. And I’m sure my dad and I will have those eggs colored for you! 

Dylan Dreyer is weather anchor for Weekend TODAY. She's a native of Manalapan, N.J.

More:

Spilling the beans on the Bunny: A father's Easter quandary
Which came first? The Easter or the egg?
Where was Dylan Dreyer during the blizzard?
Meet Weekend TODAY weather anchor Dylan Dreyer
Pets, Pictionary and pie: Anchors share holiday traditions

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Dave Blackmer: PR by day, Easter Bunny once a year.

Most of the time, Dave Blackmer does PR for a medical billing company in Taylorsville, Utah. But  once a year he takes on a very special side job: dressing up as the Easter Bunny.

He first stepped inside the suit a few years ago, when his mother told him the neighborhood was organizing an Easter egg hunt. While the homeowner's association had the money to put on the hunt and procure a bunny suit, "they hadn't found anyone willing to don the costume for an hour or so,” Blackmer told TODAY.com.

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

The worst part of being in the bunny suit? The sweat, says Blackmer.

So he stepped up and accepted the challenge, agreeing to wear the costume. Before he tried it on, he tried to come up with a voice that would help him get into character. “I eventually settled on something that sounded like a cross between Kermit the Frog and Stitch [from Lilo & Stitch],” he said.

When he first got into the costume, Blackmer couldn’t believe how physically challenging it would be. The bunny suit — fur lined with latex — was quite warm, and he couldn’t stop sweating underneath it.

“After anybody hugged the Easter Bunny, there was an audible SCHLORP as the latex pulled away from my sweat-soaked face,” he said. “I felt dehydrated and thirstier than I'd ever been before. I still danced and hopped, but a little less. My goofy Easter Bunny voice was getting slightly hoarse.”

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Blackmer says being the Easter Bunny is tiring, but he enjoys the experience.

Though he got tired from hopping around, jumping, posing for photos, and interacting with the kids, he kept it going when he saw how much fun people were having. Luckily, there were other Easter-themed activities to keep the kids occupied, and he got to take some breaks and relax while the kids dyed eggs and played games.

Just when Blackmer was about to change out of his costume for the day, one last family arrived, disappointed that they were too late to take part in the fun. He agreed to say hello to the kids and take pictures with him, and someone let him know that one of the children was deaf.

Courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Blackmer loves dressing up as the Easter Bunny to put a smile on kids' faces.

“I only know the basics in sign language, and it's next to impossible to sign while wearing fluffy white bunny mittens, but I knelt down and managed to sign 'I love you,'" he recalled. “Her eyes lit up and she threw her arms around my neck in the most endearing, genuine hug.”

The experience opened his eyes to the power of being the Easter Bunny, and Blackmer soon found himself committing to future wearings of the suit, despite the sweat. “I immediately informed my mom that I wanted to do this again the next year,” he said.

While being an Easter Bunny may be a demanding — and hot — job, Blackmer admits he’s hooked. “It's always more effort and more physically demanding than I anticipate,” he admits.

So why keep doing it, year after year? “The rewards are equally astounding, every time. Seeing a child's face light up with joy is one of the greatest things in the world.”

Sugar and Plumm

A New York bakery has created this $1000 specialty Easter egg.

If you want to be the first one to buy a $1,000 chocolate Easter egg from a New York City chocolatier, there’s still time—as of this writing, Sugar and Plumm had not yet sold one of its Giant Egg Showpieces, which went on display in the store on Friday. 

Even though it stands at nearly 3 feet tall and weighs 22 pounds, the egg is still very fragile, according to a company spokesperson, so it’s available for pick-up only, at either the store's Upper West Side location or its branch in Paramus, NJ. 

It takes 30 hours to create the giant egg out of dark, white and milk chocolates, and the whole thing is edible.

“I wanted to show the world the work of art and creativity that [we] could come up with,” says company founder Lamia Jacobs. “This egg is one of our masterpieces.”

The whimsical-feeling Sugar and Plumm, a bistro, bakery and chocolatier, specializes in over-the-top creations, such as its “Earthquake in a Fishbowl” dessert ($17), which is a bowl full of three slices of cake, a slice of pie, three types of ice cream, oh, and butterscotch pudding.

If all that sugar goes to your head and you find yourself contemplating shelling out for the $1,000 egg, you may want to turn your attention to the smaller Chicks-n-Egg, available for a mere $95. 

More from TODAY:
Easter crafts bonanza! DIY eggs, baskets, and more
Photos of cute bunnies: Our readers hop to it!

Looking to make an Easter basket or decorate Easter eggs before the holiday? Look no further! TODAY brought in the experts to help with all your Easter craft needs.

Martha Stewart's artistic Easter eggs

Whether you're looking for an elegant centerpiece for an Easter brunch or colorful eggs to decorate with your kids, Martha Stewart shares a few of her most egg-cellent decorating tips.

Creative Easter crafts: baskets, cupcakes and more!

Soleil Moon Frye, founder of MoonFrye.com, shares some of the Easter crafts she enjoys with her daughters, including hand-decorating Easter baskets and adorable Easter-themed cupcakes.

6 creative Easter baskets under $20

Deborah Stumm, founder of SuperMom360.com, shows how you can make colorful and creative Easter baskets with fun themes for kids who are sports fans, aspiring gardeners, or enjoy pampering themselves.

TODAY

White House spokesman Jay Carney has assured that the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 1 will go on as planned despite a memo last week indicating it could possible be cancelled due to looming spending cuts.

The looming sequester crisis will not stop the Easter Bunny from visiting the White House for the 135th straight year. 

The annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, will go on as planned on April 1 this year after a memo sent out by the White House last week indicated it could potentially be cancelled due to spending cuts. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the event is still on. 

"I just want to be clear that we are currently planning to proceed with the Easter Egg Roll," he said. "Because we distributed tickets to the Easter Egg Roll far in advance of the actual event, we alerted all ticket holders that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty, including the possibility of a government shutdown." 

The event on the White House's South Lawn is expected to attract 35,000 people who won tickets via a lottery system. In the White House invitation sent out last week, it notes that “by using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies. If cancelled, the event will not be re-scheduled.  We will notify you if there are any modifications to this event.”

"Again, the language that got attention on the Hill and was reported duly by the press was prepared well in advance, and it had to do with the potential for at least the possibility of a government shutdown should there not be a resolution on the continuing resolution,'' Carney said. "It was not about sequester principally.

"So having said that, I want to be clear that because it certainly looks like there is progress being made, and nobody expects a government shutdown, that we have every expectation that the Easter Egg Roll will proceed as planned.  I hope that settles the matter."

That led to speculation that the event would be a victim of spending cuts if a resolution is not reached to prevent a federal government shutdown. Carney had previously reassured a crowd last week that the Easter Egg Roll would go off as planned. 

The White House seemed certain that the event would survive when it released a promotional video on Monday of the Obamas' dog, Bo, prowling for Easter eggs on the White House lawn. 

More: 

Could sequester shut down White House Easter Egg Roll? 

Bo hunts for White House Easter Eggs

Kid President helps Obama spread the word about Easter Egg Roll

This story was originally published on Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:53 PM EDT

Here, Ray Isle, executive wine editor of Food & Wine, names his top picks for wines under $15 to celebrate Easter and Passover.

Passover Wines under $15
2011 Barkan Classic Chardonnay ($12.99)
Barkan, Israel's second largest winery, makes this Chardonnay in a lighter, more Chablis-like style. It's crisp and citrusy, making it an ideal accompaniment to lighter dishes like soups—like Passover matzo ball soup.

2012 Segal's Fusion ($14.99)
This Merlot-based blend from Israel is full of lively berry and currant notes.

Baron Herzog Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel California ($14.99)
A lot of people suggest Cabernet with chocolate but personally I think if you are serving a dry wines with chocolate, red Zinfandel is a better answer; its juicy dark fruit and plush texture work well with the bitter-sweetness of chocolate. This one is from a prominent kosher wine producer in California, Baron Herzog—it's great with kosher for Passover chocolate macaroons. 

Easter Wines under $15
NV Sciarpa Prosecco ($12.99)
Easter dinner is usually either ham or lamb (at least here in the US), and for my part, with ham—which is salty—I think an affordable sparkling wine is a great choice. Prosecco is hugely popular these days; there are a lot of good ones out there for under $15. One example is this wine from Sciarpa, which is crisp and citrusy, and awfully good for $13.

2011 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz ($11.99)
If you're headed towards Easter lamb on your menu, go for red—particularly Syrah (or Shiraz, as the Australians call it). The gaminess of lamb and the peppery richness of Syrah were made to go with one another. Yalumba, an Australian producer that's been making wine since 1849, makes this terrific Shiraz—really juicy and delicious, with lots of blackberry fruit—that's ideal.

Fonseca Fine Tawny Port ($14.99)
Finally, you need something sweet for the adults to go with all the candy the kids are eating, or else they'll never be able to keep up with them. My suggestion is tawny port—it has a nutty, candied citrus character, and is ideal for sipping after a big Easter dinner, with or without Peeps or Cadbury eggs. Serve it a little bit chilled.

More from Food & Wine

• Fabulous Easter recipes
• Beautiful Easter desserts
• Best Passover recipes ever
• Amazing Passover desserts
• More Easter recipes

Could politics shut down the White House Easter Egg Roll?

The annual event, along the same lines as the hokey White House tradition of the Thanksgiving Turkey pardon, will celebrate its 135th anniversary this year — unless the partisan battle over the sequester gets in the way.

A memo released by the White House last week is causing a stir, as it seems to hint that the sequester could shut down the Egg Roll.

The White House invitation to the event, which went out to all members of Congress, notes that “by using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies. If cancelled, the event will not be re-scheduled.  We will notify you if there are any modifications to this event.”

More than 35,000 people are expected at the festivities on the South Lawn. The 2013 souvenir eggs come in purple, blue, yellow and pink and include the stamped figures of the president and first lady, according to the White House website. The five-pack "Collector’s Egg Set" also includes a commemorative “Bo” egg; commemorative eggs become part of the tradition in 1981, under President Reagan.  

But if you’re a Congressperson — or one of the lucky regular folks who won a ticket via the lottery system to the 2013 Easter Egg Roll on April 1 — you can breathe a sigh of relief.

A staffer at the White House Office of Legislative Affairs told TODAY.com on Monday that a cancellation of the event is unlikely.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said.

On Monday, the White House seemed to anticipate that the Egg Roll would go off without a hitch, as it released a promotional video of Bo Obama hunting for Easter eggs on the White House lawn.

Press Secretary Jay Carney also reassured a crowd last week that the event would happen as scheduled.

More: Bo hunts for White House Easter Eggs

Kid President helps Obama spread the word about Easter Egg Roll

This story was originally published on Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:52 PM EDT

The Obamas' youngest family member is on an important mission — to find Easter eggs!

To get folks into the pastel-hued spirit, the White House has released a video of America's favorite pup, Bo, scouring the South Lawn for official White House eggs in honor of the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 1.

More than 35,000 attendees will get the chance to join the first family in search of blue, purple, pink and yellow souvenir eggs tagged with the president and first lady's signatures.

Also on the agenda: Games, stories, recipes and exercises to celebrate Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. 

White House / YouTube

More on TODAY:

• Surprise! President and first lady greet unsuspecting White House tours
• Bo Ho-Ho! First dog inspects the White House holiday decorations
• Happy Birthday, Bo Obama! The first dog is 4

June Tantillo

Trix are for bunnies!

Rabbits get a lot of love in literature: There's Peter Rabbit, the Velveteen Rabbit and the White Rabbit, to name a few. But what about those less famous bunnies, the ones that keep you company at home?

To give them their due time in the spotlight — and celebrate the coming Easter holiday — we asked for photos of your charming bunnies to share with others. And oh my, did your adorable photos come pouring in.

We have bunnies in baskets, shoe boxes, cardboard castles and more. Take a look at these little ones in the photos below:

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Slideshow: So hopping cute! Bunnies around the world

EPA

In honor of the Easter holiday, we rounded up some photos of the floppiest and fluffiest bunnies we could find.

Launch slideshow

TODAY

Send us pictures of your pet bunnies, and they might be featured on TODAY.com!

As spring approaches, ushering in warmer weather and the Easter holiday, our thoughts turn to a creature particularly well-suited to the season: the bunny rabbit. With the coming thaw, we’ll be seeing a lot more of those baby cottontails bouncing around outside (and oh my, are they ever cute).

 But let’s not forget those pet bunnies you share your homes and lives with — the ones who’ve kept you company with their antics and, well, adorableness. In anticipation of Easter — the bunny’s biggest night in the spotlight — we want to see your pet rabbits in all their furry cuteness. We’ll be featuring our favorites in the coming week for all to admire.

Please share your own photos here: 

Slideshow: So hopping cute! Bunnies around the world

EPA

In honor of the Easter holiday, we rounded up some photos of the floppiest and fluffiest bunnies we could find.

Launch slideshow