Easter Fun

Here I sit on Tuesday morning, staring at some plum blossoms, marshaling my thoughts to tell you about my fabulous Easter long weekend. I've got the washing machine humming away in the background and I'm surreptitiously looking up ham bone soup recipes, while cleaning out my email and trying to get a jump on this week's adventures.

I love a holiday long weekend, especially one that has a special meal.  That usually means decorations, lots of great food, fun activities, traditions, and family.  The build up is exciting with all of it's prep and anticipation; the execution is fun although sometimes I forget to live in the moment and enjoy it; and then you are left with a 'clean slate' feeling as thoughts move towards the next big event (in my case Victoria Day long weekend).  I also derive an enormous amount of satisfaction putting things away.

I've inherited these fabulous over the top purple dishes from my grandmother.  They aren't really my style but I have a deep visceral connection to my grandmother through them and I feel enormous pleasure in being able to have a dish that comes out only for one occasion.  What a luxury.  Plus they class up the joint.

Maritime Rose - aren't they fabulous?!

They graced my table three times this weekend, my favourite was for an Easter breakfast.

We also decorated eggs.  I love decorating Easter eggs.  This year Marn and I found a cool gadget that lets you spin the die all over them.  I had my doubts but it actually worked. I use fake eggs from the dollar store - amazing -  and they are actually die-able. So no more waste, or trying to blow out the actual egg which was just torture.

My kids and I usually get together with my friend Cathy and her son to decorate eggs. We've been doing this for years.  But as the kids get older they don't seem to stay as long. They will decorate a couple of eggs and then are off playing while Cath and I sit at the table for hours experimenting and 'zenning' out with pretty colours.  I've learned that the die that comes from a decorating kit is glossier than plain old food die. And don't forget glitter- glitter is the proverbial icing on the cake, if you will.

We also took the grandparents out go-karting, as one does at Easter.  My oldest is obsessed with formula one racing right now and although not nearly old enough, can't wait to drive. This is when I wish we lived on a ranch or working farm.  Because then he could get behind the wheel much earlier, even if it were only a riding lawn mower.

Easter colour at the race track

And no Easter themed blog would be complete without mentioning food.  This weekend we ate. A. Lot.  I roasted a bone in ham this year.  I used a bastardized version of the Pioneer woman's ham glaze - it was delicious.  But I've decided I prefer a spiral ham.  Turns out when I was talking to Marnie, she won't serve anything but spiral ham.  I need to listen to that girl more often.  Sadly, some things you just have to learn for yourself.  Spiral hams are essentially pre-carved and it makes everything so much easier.  I don't really know how to carve a ham and I encountered uneven meat and gristle that was a pain to present.  The ham was delicious but not easy.  And really, it turns out I am all about easy.  Plus at $2 a pound how can you go wrong. (And that's Canadian.)

These hams are always wrapped in red, I wonder why?

I also used Ree Drummond's recipe for croissant french toast.  This is one of the best recipes on the planet; and is absolutely perfect for spring, and summer,  Something about a blackberry.

Don't these look good.  Stole this picture from Mann Farms.

The rich custardy egg mixture that bakes into the croissant is divine and when I serve it on my grandmother's plates, well now, that's just perfection!