When your dad is an Episcopal priest, Easter is more than bunnies and chocolate. It’s about getting to church early so you can get a seat, and seeing parishioners you haven’t seen since the Christmas Eve service. It’s about looking serious while you prepare communion with your dad because you are an acolyte and this represents the body and blood of Christ (“for heaven’s sake stop that smirking”). It’s about wearing a spring dress on a cold April day so you bundle up with a winter coat and make the best of it. It’s about tulips lining the alter. There was one Sunday my mother got all commercial on us and we woke to bunny prints (powdered sugar!) all over the house which eventually led to a monumental basket of chocolates. That was a great day. But then, off to church.
It wasn’t all about bread, wine and hymns. Dinner was an event in our house. Usually ham. Often scalloped potatoes. A green vegetable. I don’t know if we had dessert. My mom isn’t big on desserts.
I almost never go to church now. This is for another blog post OVER HERE sometime. In short, Easter for me is another way to be present with family – kids and grandparents – and enjoy hunting for eggs together, making a meal together (definitely an expression of love and perhaps rising again) and coming together at a table. This year will be no exception. I have never hosted Easter, but if I did, I would make this menu. Lovely deviled quail eggs that are a cute surprise. A braised lamb dish that is (yay!) cooked ahead and dreamy – and comes alive with a bit of lemon. Serve with, as the recipe suggests, over fregola. It’s a day partly about bunnies so let’s make some delicious carrots. And then this cake – I’ve wanted to try this cake for a year. I even bought a special tart pan. Rhubarb is barely around and worth grabbing up. Happy Easter everyone, whatever that means to you and your family.
Tips and Notes
Eggs: http://www.dartagnan.com/deviled-quail-eggs-with-bacon-and-thyme-recipe.html
Lamb: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018017-braised-lamb-with-egg-and-lemon
Order Fregola: http://www.amazon.com/Rustichella-Abruzzo-Fregola-Sarda-17-5/dp/B000B38C6A
Carrots: http://www.marthastewart.com/863971/glazed-carrots-thyme
savegourmet.com 
OK —from Mom—–first of all, bunny prints are done with flour and not sugar—–do you really want ants trooping across the floor to the basket of chocolates? Banner day for them!!!!!..
Secondly, Mom isn’t a “wasn’t”…..still as ‘is”. re desserts ——come on — chocolate mousse was a favorite…..or chocolate cookie wafers w/ whipped cream……..and not that sprayed stuff or in a tub, either.
Happy Easter to all!!!
be happy I thought it was sugar what a great memory! I loved the ham so much dessert didn’t matter :-). You are now back to “isn’t” xx