Just like Easter bonnets, eating styles change with the times. All of the elements of a traditional Easter dinner are here, with some unusual and tasty variations.

Updated Easter Menu
For a head start on this spring-fresh brunch menu, follow these easy make-ahead steps.

Raspberry-Pepper Glazed Ham
Update traditional Easter ham by basting it with a raspberry sauce flavored with chipotle peppers.

New Potatoes and Peas
Freshly snipped chives from your herb garden add flavor to this quick-to-fix side dish.

Sherry-Almond Cake
Cream sherry adds extraordinary flavor to the tender sponge cake and whipped cream topping. Or you can substitute milk or orange juice for the sherry in the cake.

Edible Flowers
Flowers make a colorful garnish for desserts and salads. They're safe to use as long as they have been grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals.

You can find packaged edible flowers near the fresh herbs in most major grocery stores. Or you can pick some posies from your own backyard if they haven't been sprayed with chemicals. Do not use flowers from florist shops -- they're usually treated with chemicals.

Pansies span every color of the rainbow, so you can have fun decorating food. Plan a party months ahead and grow pansies to match your decor, best outfit, or favorite color. Their flavor is slightly minty.

Nasturtiums may be vivid yellow, orange, or red as well as muted tones and bicolors. Both the leaves and the flowers have a peppery flavor and are best eaten uncooked. Toss petals into salads.