Easter Supper 2006

Full again, full again, thank God, we're full again. (This is what mom and I say to each other after we have lunch everyday.) Today, we are all really full, for sure! What a feast.

I started out setting our kitchen table with my pysanky and an old Ukrainian embroidered breakfast cloth (that I found at a YARD SALE!!) and some bee's wax tapers. Since Grammy and Grandpa get up way before any of us on weekends, I had their breakfast plates out for them to enjoy a nice Easter breakfast together. Later in the day, I made my BLT deviled eggs from Paula Dean's magazine. (If anyone is interested, I'll post the recipe.) I mixed them on an egg platter with some of my naturally dyed eggs. It looked so pretty. I was amazed I had some left after the teenager has been eating them all weekend!! He'll probably be sick of eggs come next week!! ha. I also opened Ann's Easter gift to us which was the cutest little chocolate nest (chocolate covered almonds) with a beautiful small bunny and some gum balls (not chewing gum). It was so sweet! (Thank you again, Ann & G, we've been nibbling all day on it!)

Grandpa and I did all the cooking. He prepared the kyshka and kobassa for me. I made sure to watch him this time, so I know exactly how he does it. He's the masta. I did the pyrogi (sauteed in onions and garlic) and the green beans (steamed with a little lemon, butter and salt). The hulubtsi (stuffed cabbage) was frozen, so no biggy there. We also had a honey baked ham which we just reheated. I made a salad, which no one touched. Hey, at least we got the green beans in us! We also had yeast rolls and of course, all the trimmings--horseradish, red horseradish (mixed with cranberries--but normally made red with beets) mustard, sour cream (for the pyrogi), half sours (not fully done pickles) and of course eggs, lots and lots of eggs. We did begin supper with a prayer and a piece of kryshanky (hard boiled egg) and paska. The paska was dry and Grammy said to cut back on the cooking time, which I will do next time. So if you took the recipe down, check the paska at 40+ minutes and go from there. Grandpa said it is what he is used to, so we were all happy with that response! (Gee with all the cooking, I forgot to put the Easter lamb butter on the table. I just remembered. Isn't there always at least one item you forget?? OY!)
The table was set with our finest. Our "wedding" china was used with some silk napkins that the hub had picked up in Bangkok from Jim Thompson's. I used Ukrainian tapers I had bought at Surma's years ago (waiting for that right time to use) and the kid put out some small bunny tapers too. This is the cooked holubtsi, kyshka and fresh kobassa. It was delicious. I will definitely order from Polana's again. The skinny kobassa was good too. We nibbled on that all day.

Here's the two mothers at the head of the table. Looks to me they started their prayers early.

Mass was nice. We went to the 5:30 mass which is the normal Teen Mass. It is the first year our church has held it at this time on Easter Sunday. It was not crowded and I just adore our priest (no pinch hitter was brought in). He makes it fun and interesting always. We were finished by 7. Of course, we came home to my carrot cake. Soooo sweet--a little too sweet. Ouch. Good thing we waited a bit after supper.

Now I'm tired. Think I may hit the hay early tonight. The "kids" (in-laws) are still awake. I think I may go to bed before them tonight! Well, it is a school night! Good excuse, eh!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter also.