Easter magic...

The kid's table

Strawberry Rhubarb pie!

(The hunt is about to begin!)

(following the trail, gathering eggs)

(discovering the kid's table)

Ok, so...here's what happened. Stayed up nearly all night, despite trying hard to get everything started earlier in the week, but you know, wanted the kids to be surprised...really surprised...and so had to get them all in bed before I could make the breads...or set the table...or make up their baskets...ohhhh, that bunny works hard! Yes indeedy! But the kids, well the kids were delighted, and delightful, and that, that was my reward. Did I successfully re-create the Easter magic of my 6th Easter? Well, I came close.

I made 'nests' of Italian Easter bread, (you can find the recipe here), a strawberry-rhubarb pie, (recipe here) a wonderful baked egg dish, (recipe courtesy of one of my wonderful neighbors), with a side of fake bacon, deviled eggs, grapes and cheese and crackers and little favors baskets made out of paper cups, cupcake liners and pipecleaners at each place setting. You just don't see those little favors baskets anymore and I remember them so well...my homemade version was just charming enough, with paper grass and tiny little silk flowers tucked in next to the handle, filled with a scattering of jelly beans and a few foil wrapped chocolate eggs, made me happy.

Made sugar cookies too, with the kids help, and though they were pretty, you know they weren't very delicious if you've still got a plate-full left over a day later. Sorry, Martha. I'll need a more delicious recipe next year!

I brought in forsythia the day before and the buds started opening right away...and yes, the forced cherry blossoms bloomed right on time, Easter morning! makes me want to plant a quince tree, just to force those showy blooms in the spring, but I don't love the thorniness - no matter how appropriate for the season...

Aurora only had one complaint: "the Easter bunny forgot to bring those yellow marshmallow chicks this year and I really wanted them". Ah, right. Peeps. For goodness sake. Bought them last year's Easter on a (idiotic) whim and she was only newly 4 years old. Memory like a steel trap, that one.