What's on your Easter menu?

Winchester

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Rick's mom and dad are coming here for Easter dinner and, I think some friends are also coming. My sister and BIL are coming here for dessert. There will be eight of us for dinner and ten for dessert.

It is also Rick's parents' wedding anniversary; I think they will be married 68 years on Easter. We paid for the church's chancel flowers in their honor for next week. I'll buy a pretty floral centerpiece for our Easter table, too, and then Evelyn can take that home with her to enjoy. (As much as I love indoor flowers, we can't have them; the cats consider them lunch.)

I have my menu fairly well figured out.....

Baked Ham with Apple Butter Glaze

Scalloped Potatoes

Maple Sweet Potatoes with Granola and Dried Apricots and Cherries OR Baked Pineapple (haven't decided which yet)

Asparagus with Leeks (for Rick's mom)

Dried Corn (for Rick)

Salad with Tangy Tomato Dressing (this is my version of the house dressing at Outback Steakhouse; got it from somewhere years ago)

Honey Oatmeal Bread (but I'll shape the dough into rolls instead of loaves of bread)

And for dessert:

White Coconut Cake (probably with a lemon filling and extra coconut ..... just for my sister and me)

And something for everybody else (just don't know what yet....something very spring-y and fresh)

I found the recipe for Apple Butter glaze at allrecipes. com and, while it's probably more for autumn than spring, I'm going to try it anyway; it seems to be favorite there. I always make Tyler Florence's potatoes as they are simply wonderful. Rick just loves dried corn and he hasn't had any lately, so he requested that be put on the menu.

I have pretty much everything; just need to buy the produce and the cream for the potatoes. Asparagus is on sale, so it's a good time to buy.  We really like asparagus. And for whatever else I make for dessert. Whenever we have coconut, I need something non-coconut, too.

I hope to have enough ham leftover to make a batch of split pea soup and some ham and bean soup for the freezer.

So....what's on your menu?
 

betsygee

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Ooohhh, coconut cake sounds good!!  Sounds like it will be a lovely dinner.
 

MoochNNoodles

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My step-dad has requested lasagna and a ham.  I'm hoping Mom does a spinach lasagna!  He also requested apple pie.  I think that's my job to make. I'm not sure what we are doing for side dishes yet.  I have been pretty busy so I've not really considered it yet I guess.  I should do a side or a vegetable.  Maybe something simple like steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.  Mom usually makes red rice and beans for every holiday.  I think that's a given at this point. 
 

starryeyedtiger

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If we do anything, it will probably be low-key and I'll make something like ham, deviled eggs, and maybe a casserole of some sort.
 

peaches08

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I'm craving ham something terrible these days.  I'm by myself, but I freeze portions of it for thawing later.

What's dried corn?
 
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Winchester

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Dried corn is simply corn kernels that have been dried, I think. You can either buy it in cans where it's ready to cook or you can buy it and then soak the corn for about 2 hours, add cream, and simmer it that way. I usually buy it, then soak it. Cope's is the brand of dried corn around here. Rick loves the stuff. I never had it until I married him; his mother made it often. That and spoonbread. We are spoonbread fans here, too. (My grandmother dearly loved spoonbread.)

Dried corn is probably more of a Pennsylvania Dutch kind of dish. http://www.johncopes.com/ It makes a nice change from standard baked corn all the time.

Hmmmm, wonder if I could make my own kind of dried corn in the dehydrator? They say it's good as a snack-type food.
 

pat

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We have a fresh ham curing, and will smoke it the day before Easter. Big tossed salad, maybe tuna mouse stuffed cherry peppers, mashed cauliflower and a slice of either a recipe I want to try for a canolli cheesecake or a favorite of ours - Torta di Ricotta (ricotta cheesecake).
 

For brunch am thinking escarole and cheese frittata.
 
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blueyedgirl5946

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My son is bringing his family from two hours away to go to church with us. We call it Resurrection Sunday. Because they drive so far, I don't expect them to drive any further to get to where we live. I am going to cook my dinner and take it with me. I am having ham, collards, probably a sweet potato dish. I will do a dessert of some kind for them. Beyond that, I am not sure. I am just so glad to be seeing them. I think I have the best son in the whole world. :lol3: My little red headed grand kids are so special and his wife is a jewel. I am excited in case you can't tell. I can hardly wait. We will eat at the church and spend some leisurely time together before they go back home.
 

feralvr

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Pam - VERY impressive Easter menu! I think you had better start cooking now. I always wonder how in the world you manage such extravagant holiday dinners on top of everything else you do. You must be part super-woman. :bigwink: :hugs: Sounds really delicious, all of it. Especially that coconut lemon filled cake. My taste buds are exploding just thinking about it. :yummy: :drool: You have a tendency to make people drool. YOUR RECIPES, I mean... make us drool. :D

We are going to Larry's sisters for Easter dinner. She lives back in IL and it will take about an hour to get to her house. My daughter will meet us there since her Aunt only lives 30 minutes from her. It will be my SIL two daughter's and their husbands also. So about 12 of us all together. I am brining a vegetable/nut tray and making my corn casserole. Everyone requests that casserole for Easter. My SIL's husband does all the cooking for holiday's!! She is so lucky that way. He loves to cook and is very good. Not sure what they have planned on the menu this year but whatever it is, it will be delicious!
 
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stewball

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My son is bringing his family from two hours away to go to
church with us. We call it Resurrection Sunday. Because they drive so far, I don't expect them to drive any further to get to where we live. I am going to cook my dinner and take it with me. I am having ham, collards, probably a sweet potato dish. I will do a dessert of some kind for them. Beyond that, I am not sure. I am just so glad to be seeing them. I think I have the best son in the whole world. :lol3: My little red headed grand kids are so special and his wife is a jewel. I am excited in case you can't tell. I can hardly wait. We will eat at the church and spend some leisurely time together before they go back home.
I'm going to have to argue with you on that. My son is the best son in the world.
:-)
 

stewball

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We celebrated the passover yesterday.
We were at my daughter's house. 8 adults and 3 little ones.
We started with 2 sorts of fish. Fried and gefilte. Then my chicken soup with carrots and matza balls.
Then about 5-6 different salads, baby chickens in a sweet/sour sauce, stuffed artichokes, roast beef, assorted roasted root vegetables and I can't remember. Then we had a wonderful chocolate cake with cream but before the meal ee read a book about how the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt by God using moses as his vessel. I would imagine at least 80% of the country read the 'Hagadah' which I could easily be one of the 80%!
The passover is meant to be during the time of easter as Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the first night of the passover and that was when the Romans arrested him.
 

denice

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Is the Passover meal the one that also has some ceremonial foods that include bitter herbs and matzo eaten in a certain order?
 

margecat

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Irish food in an Irish restaurant, of all things!  (That's the day they have live Irish music, even though it's Easter Sunday.)
 
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Winchester

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Pam - VERY impressive Easter menu! I think you had better start cooking now. I always wonder how in the world you manage such extravagant holiday dinners on top of everything else you do. You must be part super-woman.
Sounds really delicious, all of it. Especially that coconut lemon filled cake. My taste buds are exploding just thinking about it.
You have a tendency to make people drool. YOUR RECIPES, I mean... make us drool.


We are going to Larry's sisters for Easter dinner. She lives back in IL and it will take about an hour to get to her house. My daughter will meet us there since her Aunt only lives 30 minutes from her. It will be my SIL two daughter's and their husbands also. So about 12 of us all together. I am brining a vegetable/nut tray and making my corn casserole. Everyone requests that casserole for Easter. My SIL's husband does all the cooking for holiday's!! She is so lucky that way. He loves to cook and is very good. Not sure what they have planned on the menu this year but whatever it is, it will be delicious!
Thanks, Lauren. I'm not fancy by any means, but I love to cook. And I love everything about making holiday dinners. It's so much fun for me. By Saturday, I will have it all written down, including what time each food goes into the oven, at what temperature, and for how long. 

That cake is wonderful. Simply wonderful. But as much as I would like to take credit for it, I can't. I've started to order the cake at a local restaurant/bakery. I can make a white coconut layer cake. I swear I can. And it comes out beautifully and it takes great. But I don't have time....and this cake takes a long time for me as I am not an expert baker. Between baking three layers, then cooling them down, making the filling, making the frosting (seven-minute frosting takes forever and that's with good weather), toasting the coconut, icing the darn thing, and then topping it with tons and tons of coconut, it usually takes me two days to make it. I do make it when my GF from CT comes down to visit or when we go up to see her, but that's about the only time I make it anymore. The bakery cake is about $30 and I consider it money well spent. It is still a delicious cake.

I was thinking about not getting the cake at all. But then my sister texted me with: Did you order THE CAKE yet???????????????????????????  (It's never just the cake or the coconut cake.....it's always THE CAKE
). So I figured I'd better get on the stick. And this is pretty much for my sister and me. I'm sure that others will have "thin" pieces. My sister and I, however, will probably scarf down half the cake, between us. 
 And it's a ten-inch cake. 
 I will hardly eat any dinner....must save room for cake!

I love corn casserole! 

Sounds like everybody is having a good dinner!! 
 
 
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feralvr

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....and this cake takes a long time for me as I am not an expert baker. Between baking three layers, then cooling them down, making the filling, making the frosting (seven-minute frosting takes forever and that's with good weather), toasting the coconut, icing the darn thing, and then topping it with tons and tons of coconut, it usually takes me two days to make it. I do make it when my GF from CT comes down to visit or when we go up to see her, but that's about the only time I make it anymore. The bakery cake is about $30 and I consider it money well spent. It is still a delicious cake.

My sister and I, however, will probably scarf down half the cake, between us. :anon:  And it's a ten-inch cake. :anon:  I will hardly eat any dinner....must save room for cake!

 
Well - IF it would take you TWO DAYS to make White Coconut Lemon-filled cake, then it would take me TWO WEEKS. :lol3: And, another laugh, because I also save room for desserts at most holiday gathering's. Desserts trump dinner any day for me. I could definitely join in on eating half the cake or more if it were left over. :lol2:
 

AbbysMom

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Those look good!


I have been debating whether to go out to eat or to do something here. It's just my mother and us. I decided about three hours ago that we are going to fire up the grill and cook here. We're having hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage, chourico and chicken. I'll make a green salad and I was lazy and picked up potato chips and two different pasta salads. I have some buckeyes brownies and chocolate chip cream cheese brownies in the freezer if anyone wants some. Now my brother and his youngest daughter are coming over too. :lol3:
 

nurseangel

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I have no kitchen.  Those chocolate cupcakes look delicious.  I may go to my mom's and cook dinner for them.  I don't know what would be on the menu, but at this point I would be happy with a can of Spaghetti-O's.  
 
 
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