As I write this it is both Good Friday and the first day of Passover, and I find myself asking how are we already in the middle of April?! I have been so focused on moving forward with my BHAG (If you don’t know what that is you can look back at this post for the background story.) that I have fallen behind in bringing you all the recipes you may want to make for Easter. Hopefully you were all able to secure reservations for brunch, which we did attempt this year as both our boys are off at college and most of the rest of our family is also away or busy with other things this year. But alas I did not plan ahead and there were no tables to be found, so tomorrow Jason and I will be hosting a small gathering here. Frankly I feel lucky to have found a ham to throw in the oven! I will be trying this recipe from New York Times Cooking and making a few family favorites that I promise to bring to you in time for Mother’s Day.
If you’re in the same boat and are wondering what to make for Easter tomorrow fear not, there are lots of simple recipes you can pull together for an impromptu brunch or dinner. I’d start with a simple main dish, like that ham I’m going to throw in the oven. It will go great with Curried Spinach Salad and Sauteed Green Beans with Shallots and Lemon. Or perhaps you’d prefer Warm Potato Salad and Sauteed Brussels Sprouts. My Granny’s Carrot Cake or Lemon Tart with Raspberry Sauce are both excellent Easter desserts and don’t take much time at all. And this recipe for Chocolate Almond Torte is perfect for Passover, which lasts all week.
The point is there are lots of different things you can pull together in a pinch, and if you end up with just deviled eggs and mimosa’s it’s still far better to get together with family than not, which I am ashamed to say we actually considered. This is partly because as part of my BHAG I identified the biggest danger to my mental health as too many unfinished projects around the house and am committed to making as much progress as possible on those by the time the big 5-0 hits. I started by delving into a thorough spring cleaning, but as anyone who has embarked on that kind of project knows things usually look worse before they get better (think everything that was once inside a closet is now out, waiting to be weeded through and tidily returned after it has been sorted). Fortunately the dining table is free and clear so we have a place to eat!
Since cleaning has been my focus lately and Earth Day is right around the corner, I am excited to bring you my favorite environmentally friendly house cleaning tips next week. It will be a bit of a departure from my usual content, but we all know how important a clean kitchen is. And if, like me, you did not have a chance to clean out every nook and cranny during Covid lockdown (I was working in health care and continued to go to the office) now is a great time to tackle those projects, the term spring cleaning is common for a reason. I’ll be returning to my regular recipe based content after I get this kitchen in order!