Easter Feast

I got the April 2014 issue of Better Homes and Gardens in the mail. The recipes in One Happy Easter Feast intrigued me. They had taken all sorts of Easter classics and gave them new spins. I normally don't like to try a bunch of new recipes at once but hey, there's a first time for everything. I wouldn't do this often especially when it's hard to gauge time with a lot of unfamiliar recipes. It would be awesome if these special meal plans would also have a timetable on what time to start each stage of the recipes.

The raspberry glaze for the ham was perfect. I'm not a huge fan of raspberries. But the glaze with it's honey and orange juice made the ham scrumptiously sweet.

The garlic potato rolls were made with roasted garlic and purple potatoes. The recipe called for 2-3 bulbs of garlic. I'll admit that I thought it said cloves when I went shopping. So I roasted one bulb. I think that was wise especially with younger children. I don't think they would eat it if it was packed with 2-3 bulbs of garlic. My husband agreed that 1 bulb seemed just right. These rolls tasted like they were from some specialty bakery. Yummy!

I thought the pink deviled eggs would tickle my daughter and have her eating more. No such luck. The relish was replaced with pickled beets which didn't really change the flavor, only the appearance.

The asparagus with lemon sauce will be made tomorrow night with the leftovers. The lemon sauce seems a bit involved with folding and monitoring temperature. I didn't feel like I could get it done with the major meal cooking. We steamed some brussel sprouts instead.

The Happy Easter mashed potatoes was the only fail. It tastes ok. The idea was to add a secret ingredient that would keep people guessing. Yes, it would be hard to guess that it had white chocolate in it. But it didn't add any great flavor. Only a little sweetness which seemed out of place with the rosemary. If I could do it over, I would make the potatoes without the chocolate and only a splash of cream instead of a whole cup.

Hope everyone is having a Blessed Easter celebration. We've had a wonderful Easter Vigil last night (the kids were pretty awesome to be up past bed time), an Easter egg hunt this morning, an Easter feast and a nap for the cook.

Good Friday

Intended on making a Greek lentil soup but my yogurt didn't handle being frozen as well as I had hoped. So I will make a Black bean and quinoa enchilada bake. This will be my fourth time making it. Super scrumptious and quite filling!

I think there is something completely beautiful and powerful about millions of people all over the world fasting (partial = two smaller meals and one regular meal) and praying.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB

 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I just know that has to change lives if nothing but our own.

Holy Thursday

Today is my second Holy Thursday as a confirmed Catholic. I love the liturgical year and how we can place ourselves in the mindset of the particular events in the Gospels.

Today we celebrate The Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples. It was Passover so the disciples spent much of this day finding the location Jesus told them about and preparing the Passover meal. This night, Jesus would go to the garden to pray. Before dawn, he would be arrested. By tomorrow, the only disciple that hasn't betrayed him, denied him or run for cover will be John.

How heavy his heart must have been! At least as a human, you could hope that against all odds that the ones you love the most will stick by you no matter what. But as God, he knew better. What deep love it had to have been to still go to the cross! Knowing how so many would fail you. For even those who would never call your name.

Friday and Saturday will be much more somber days. We will contemplate the cross as we bear our own. Remembering through all the trials and hurt feelings that life may bring, resurrection is right around the corner. And I'm sure that Jesus' resurrection was nothing like any of the disciples imagined his victory.

Today I spent time preparing. I don't want to be running errands that aren't absolutely necessary so I went to the grocery store, gas station, etc. I will make some Greek lentil soup for the fasting and abstinence from meat. Preparation of our space and time to be a little more reflective. I will still have young children to tend to so it won't exactly be quiet. But I will do what I can at this stage in life. And offer up my service in my vocation of motherhood in lieu of prayers that may not get said.

Have a blessed Easter season!