A Life, Lived

Easter Dinner

Easter dinner was a fairly simple meal. One of the things that I have learned from the pandemic was there are all sorts of wonderful food producers who have amazing food for purchase. While I started buying things from an urge to support local businesses who were hurting I continue because it makes live easier.

Don't get me wrong I did make some parts of the dinner myself. Like a loaf of challah to serve with dinner. That was a complicated tasks but other than rookie braiding, turned out well.

I ordered a ham from a butcher in Dundas. It was from a local farm that doesn't feed the livestock a bunch of chemicals and crap. The animals are raised free range. The ham was smoked over fruit wood. All I needed to do was heat it up and glaze it. I used the delicious (and super simple) glaze that we got out of a 1991 Gourmet magazine. It consists of rum, candied ginger, and brown sugar. MMM

The butcher also makes delicious things to serve with their meat. In this case I ordered their potato gratin made with thinly sliced potatoes, cream, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. MMMM

I also bought a lemon meringue pie from a nearby bakery for dessert (augmented with treats from the Greek bakery). I like that they use a graham cracker crumb crust instead of pastry for their lemon pies.

We generally keep the appetizers simple. Deviled eggs and kielbasa. I picked up kielbasa from a favourite producer while we were away the other weekend. When it came to the eggs I was feeling like I needed to take things up a notch. I googled Easter deviled eggs and some horrific things came up (I do not think i could bring myself to eat egg whites that have been dyed pink, purple, blue, and yellow). However, all was not a bust. This recipe for Easter Chick deviled eggs came up and I was inspired. It was a bit complicated and my wee chicks aren't going to when any food styling contests  but it wasn't bad for a first attempt and was thrilled so it was all worth it.

Dinner was mostly set - I just needed to make a vegetable. I went with a recipe I've made a few times before - peas and carrots with dill, mint, and lemon. It is a fresh take on good old peas and carrots. I find the freshness is a good foil for the rich ham and potato gratin.

 

Easter Brunch

For Easter we tend to to a big brunch followed by an early dinner. If the menus are planned properly there is time to sleep in and time to get a mid-day nap. Well, there would be time to sleep in were it not for a cat named Jake who demands his owners awaken at 6 AM and present him with food.

I did a breakfast casserole that I have made before. It is a Martha Stewart recipe calling for English muffins, Canadian bacon, cheese, and lots of eggs. You make it the night before and the bread sucks up all of the eggy goodness. I made a hash brown casserole to serve with the strata. We also had the traditional Hot Cross Buns. The ones I had made on Thursday were all gone so I whipped up a new recipe (which I didn't like as much as the other one). Paul made mimosas to sip.

Remember when one could drink a few mimosas and not require a nap?

Goodness, one mimosa and I was DONE! LOL

 

Good Friday Dinner

Dinner on Good Friday was inspired by finding this:

It is difficult to find Pastitsio noodles in Canada - when I did the memu was set.

Pastitsio is a Greek casserole made with noodles, a beefy tomato sauce, cheese, and a rich bechamel  sauce. Some folks call it Greek Lasagne because in their minds it is easiest to connect something new to the 'known'. Enough. It is Pastitsio and it is a delicious, rich casserole.

We started with appetizers some made and the rest purchased at the Greek bakery in Toronto and cooked at home.

Fried feta with honey and thyme, spanokopita, tiropita, and tzatziki.

Dinner was the pastitsio and a Greek salad.

Dessert was super simple - treats purchased from the Greek bakery. MMMMM So good. I used to pop into Sareno a fair bit when iIwas working but since I've retired it has been awhile some I made the trek into the Toronto Greek Village.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

This never gets old . . .

After al of these years and in the middle of a pandemic, it still puts a smile on my face . . .

Happy Easter

In the midst of the chaos created by COVID19 I hope that you are able to find some of the happiness and joy associated with Easter.

It will be a different Easter this year.

No family and friends.

Dinner for two.

A different menu than normal because of shopping restrictions and shortages.

Different cards and treats then normal because of store closures.

A very different feeling . . .after three weeks of self isolating we're all getting a bit stir crazy!

Whatever.

We will get through it and there will be plenty of celebrations at the other end of this.

Happy Easter!

Hope that all who celebrate have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Butter Lamb - An Easter Tradition

Lent and Easter are full of seasonal foods. Chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks are the likely conversation starters nationwide, but in Buffalo you can’t make it through a conversation without including the famous Butter Lamb.

With every unique eat or holiday custom you hear about in Western New York – from the “angel wings” chrusciki to the post-Lenten bash, Dyngus Day – just about every one of them stems from European culture and is faith-based. Most people don’t consider the religious symbolism behind the popular foods they eat every spring – be it pork (a “forbidden” food) or bread or eggs (signs of new life) – they just know it’s all good!

And for the cute little creamy butter lamb, the same rings true. There is a very significant meaning to the butter lamb, which ties specifically to the biblical time of Passover and the exodus of the Jews from slavery. During this time, the blood of a sacrificial lamb was placed at their door so the angel of death would pass over their first born. Catholics refer to Jesus and His sacrifice as the Lamb of God.

Today, the lamb in its butter form is usually accompanied by a ribbon around the neck and a cross or a banner with a blessing such as “Alleluia” on its back. Peppercorns make the eyes, said to symbolize the light of the world. So why make it of butter?

Simple. To eat! Butter is an ingredient in just about everything so we can pin the idea on necessity.

For many the Spring and Easter season isn’t complete without a trip to the Broadway Market – which is Butter Lamb Headquarters. Look for Malczewski’s (Malla-cheski’s) – that’s where the Buffalo Butter Lamb got its start. And if you can’t make your way to the east side market this year, lucky for you most of the major grocers in the area carry at least a size or two in stock. This is what we do (although we have been to the Broadway market a few times)

Of course - if you can't make it to Buffalo you can always try this 'do-it-yourself' version I found on the internet:

Buona Pasqua

I hope you have a wonderful Easter and don't incur too much difficulty with April Fools Day falling on Easter - the possibilities for mayhem are endless. :-)

We are forgoing the traditional Easter Egg Hunt this year due to mom's mobility issues. We are forgoing the fake grass in the Easter Baskets due to the fact that the damn kittens get in everything and Easter grass is a huge draw for them right now.

Dinner and drinks with friends and family on tap for later today.

Peeps Out

It's that time of year when people have access to many different types of multi-coloured peeps. You have a choice - eat them and go into a diabetic coma or . . .