7:10 a.m. After reviewing our day's plan, we decide to watch "Easter Snoopy," which part about the way Marcy messes up the eggs really amuses the kids; the birdhouse difficulties with Woodstock confuse them.
7:43 a.m. We are downstairs, dressed and ready to start all the cooking for the day's meals, including Orange Monkey Bread, plain ol' strawberry jello, Chocolate Chess Pie, Mushroom Quiche, and Split Pea Soup. Sis says, "Mom, wants the name of the chef that helps the real chef?" "Sous chef," I answer. "You're the sous chef, Mom." Later Mama takes the kids to the bakery.
9:16 a.m. Ma, Gong, and Goo arrive! Let the fun begin . . . they go tricycle riding, play ball in the backyard, draw in the living room, build worlds in the basement. In between activities we nibble on the monkey bread plus store-bought hot cross buns, pink sugared bunny cookies, and little fruit tarts (the latter that Sis and Bud chose at the bakery when they picked up the former with Mama).
10:24 a.m. Goo is a saint and helps make the soup. Mama is busy with the quiche. I realize I'm out of flour and can't start the rolls, so Gong and I make a run to the store (and get an extra bag of KA Flour for Goo!), where we run into two friends and buy lots of ice cream (what is it about grandads and ice cream? Both of the kiddos' grandads always seem to be buying ice cream!).
11:50 a.m. Lunch isn't ready but we're all hungry. So we have a "fruit plate" snack with yummy mangoes, oranges, cantaloupe (which Ma cut into pretty scalloped shape and then Goo decorated with toothpicks and strawberries as an alien!), strawberries, papaya, and grapefruit. Bud wanted to keep a seed from everything to plant in the backyard.
1:02 p.m. Instead of having lunch at 1 p.m., we opt for rest time. Mama, Ma, and Gong head to the store for a few things, including Port for the soup. I set the table, roast the asparagus, and start the carrots. I forget the macaroni and cheese until we are ready to eat, but luckily it is fast.
1:49 p.m. The kids finish rest time early and so Goo and I hide plastic eggs outside for a practice run. Bud finds 5. Sis finds more than 20. He thinks that isn't fair. I bet Aunt Banana would agree. But I was there, Sis found them all fair and square.
2:57 p.m. We're sitting down to eat. Mama brings out a chilled bottle of Prosecco to toast her departed college friend, whose favorite drink it was. We raise our glasses to friends, family, and spring! There is Ham, Red-Eyed Gravy, Virginia Light Rolls, salad, Roasted Asparagus, Glazed Carrots, macaroni and cheese, quiche, and soup. It was all delicious. Though, the adults are now sorry that rest time was before lunch!
4:30 p.m. The kitchen is clean. There have been games and puzzles. Now we have dessert--jello, chocolate pie, two ice creams from the store, some mini Cadbury eggs--accidentally dark chocolate but extremely good--plus coffee and tea with the left over evaporated milk (it's a Thai thing. And a good one).
5:12 p.m. We get ready for the Easter Bunny by putting our empty baskets on the front porch (no real flowers or grass up here to continue my family's tradition of building Easter nests outside), along with the dyed eggs and empty plastic ones, and a plate full of carrots (from Sis) and strawberries (from Bud). Time for Easter!
7:20 p.m. With the kids bathed and in bed, the house back in order, and all the leftovers and such packed up, Ma, Gong, and Goo head home while Mama and I start our second shift, as the Easter Bunny!
7:58 p.m. I dye more eggs, since our family's bunny always made special marbled eggs to add to the ones we colored. We also fill plastic eggs with quarters, chocolate eggs, and jelly beans.
9:14 p.m. We fill the family's baskets with goodies, having to search high and low for a few things we'd hidden too well.
9:30 p.m. We're outside in the darkness, with Mama in her handy miner's lantern contraption, hiding 3 dozen painted eggs (one dozen for each of the kids plus the bunny) and probably 3 more dozen plastic eggs (some of which we also hide inside). I had already scoped out possible spots during our afternoon trial run and so know exactly where things go. Mama becomes "sous bunny" and just follows along with the basket! Mailbox, car bumpers, upturned toys, swingset, gutter drains--all the places my childhood bunny would hide eggs!
10:40 p.m. We have a little snack, finish cleaning up, and head upstairs to get ready for bed.
12:06 a.m. Not quite ready for bed, but very, very ready for Easter tomorrow!
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Orange Monkey Bread
2 can refrigerator biscuits
½ stick oleo
2/3 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup orange juice
Open containers of biscuits and quarter each circle. Coat in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar (in bowl or zipper bag). Layer biscuits in Bundt pan coated in cooking spray. Melt oleo and remaining sugar; add juice and pour over biscuits. Bake at 350°F til brown (15-25 minutes).
*Note: I didn't think there was enough orange "sauce" and would consider doubling the oj, sugar, and butter next time but worry that it won't cook--maybe add some sauce halfway through cooking?
Mommy Hungry, via Gommie Hungry
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Chocolate Chess Pie
¼ butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9” pie shell
Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and cocoa. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs; do not beat. Stir in the vanilla and evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pie shell; cover edges with foil until last 5 minutes. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set. Let stand until cool. Chill, covered, until serving time.
Meet Me at the Loveless cookbook
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Mushroom Quiche
Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare pie crust (we had store-bought) and line a 10" quiche pan with it. Prick intersection of rim and bottom with a fork and line pie crust with foil and weight with dried beans, corn, or lentils. Bake 5-10 minutes or until edges of the crust are a very light brown. Remove foil and beans and turn oven down to 375F. Remove pie crust from oven.
Meanwhile, wip clean (do not wash) and slice 1 pound mushrooms. You may use button mushrooms (we did); these days we use oyster mushrooms. Finely chop 3 tablespoons onions and saute onions for about a minute in a large frying pan in 2 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms; turn heat up high until liquid evaporates and they begin to brown. Stir occasionally. Add 1 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup tawny port (we used sherry). Set aside.
Beat 3 eggs together in a mixer or a bowl. Add a grating of nutmeg, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, and some fresh ground pepper.
Add mushrooms to pie crust (note: without any liquid they've dropped meanwhile). Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese (we used a little more) over them and return pie to oven. Carefully add custard to the quiche. Bake until puffed and browned, 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Individual pieces of quiche may be wrapped, frozen, and later reheated in a toasted oven (our note: it won't last that long!)
Best of Bloodroot: Vol 1, Vegetarian Recipes
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Split Pea Soup
In a large soup pot, simmer 1 pound split peas in ample water to cover until just done. Do not add salt.
Chop 3 medium onions (we had 2) and 1/2 bunch celery (including leaves) and saute in 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (we had vegetable) in a frying pan. When medium brown, add 2 large cloves garlic, crushed, 3/4 teaspoon marjoram (we used herbes de provence), and 2 bay leaves. Stir until well browned.
Turn vegetables into kettle of cooked split peas. Deglaze frying pan by adding 1/2 cup red wine. Bring to a simmer, scrape up brown bits, and add to soup kettle.
Simmer soup at least 1/2 hour or until it seems done. Season with about 1 tablespoon salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. Any lentil or dried bean soup must be salted after hte beans are cooked to avoid toughness.
When soup is about done, peel, quarter, and dice 1 bunch carrots. Add to soup and continue cooking until carrots are just done.
Serve soup with a splash of port wine in each bowl.
The Best of Bloodroot: Vol 2, Vegan Recipes
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Ham
butt portion
Bake uncovered at 325°F for 1 1/2-2 hours.
Gommie Hungry
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Red-Eye Gravy
ham drippings
1 cup coffee
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
Remove ham from roasting pan (which had been coated in oil and then got an extra cup or so of water later on, to minimize mess and maximize drippings).
Place roasting pan on stove set to medium. Scrape drippings but remove any obvious solid fats or other tissues. Add cup of coffee and continue heating; add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon white sugar, to taste. Boil and serve.
Mama Hungry (with Ma Hungry)
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Roasted Asparagus
2 bunches (1 ½ lbs) asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450°F. Trim tough ends from asparagus. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese. Roast until asparagus is tender and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Everyday Food
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