Preppin'

All of our Ukrainian goodies came in on Friday. The kobassa, kyshka and skinny kobassa are all here! Hurray! It was shipped frozen so I've had it out the last couple of hours thawing. We're going to have an early supper, probably around 2ish and then hit 5:30 Mass tomorrow. This is the first year our church has held 5:30 Mass on Easter Sunday. It's a blessing because they only had two Masses in previous years and we have a huge parish. Of course, they were so crowded, you couldn't even enjoy it. I find it very frustrating to attend Mass and have to watch it on a TV monitor in the hallway crowded with parishioners shoulder to shoulder or getting there so early, you're bored by the time Mass begins. (I'm so bad.) Obviously, I don't get a whole lot out of a Mass of that sort. So, I am so happy that they finally added one. We only have one priest, so I'm wondering if they will "borrow" one from another parish.

I was busy yesterday and Thursday making my krashanky (hard boiled eggs in onion skins) and tried something a little different this year. I used cabbage to dye some eggs light blue and beets to dye them pink. They turned out pretty. I love the natural marbelizing in all of them (although the cabbage ones do look more uniform in color).

We received a pretty little package from Ann, my sister-in-law, the hub's sister. It's a box of chocolates that I will not open until tomorrow. I can't wait. They are so sweet to think of us. They (her and her hub) know how much we all love chocolate!! How sweet. I love all the suspense of everything revolving around Easter. It's nice to wait for the good stuff. It really does make everything taste so much better. Thank you Ann! I'll share photos tomorrow!!

Today I made my carrot cake for Easter dessert. Yumm. And, as I mentioned, yesterday, Grammy showed me how to make the family Paska. Before eating any other food tomorrow, we have a slice of paska with some farmer's cheese and a slice of kryshanka. These are usually blessed. Hmm, I wonder where I put that Holy Water?? I haven't seen it in a while. Oh well. The paska is not a sweet bread. It is usually eaten with butter or farmer's cheese (cream cheese if you can't find farmer's like me).

And so, without further delay, the family's paska right off Ann's blog: (With my pictures from our masterpiece.)

Here's the family Paska recipe. Keep in mind that it creates something closer to a batter than something that resembles dough.

Grammy's Ukrainian Easter Paska

• 1 package yeast, active dry or compressed
• 1/4 cup warm water (lukewarm for compressed yeast)
• 3/4 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm--add saffron to it
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 4 cups regular all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 pkg saffron

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water, add cooled milk, and stir until blended (if using saffron strands, strain them. If using powdered saffron, you don't have to).

In large bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light; add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the yeast mixture and beat until well blended. Sift flour again with salt into mixing bowl. Beat at medium to low speed until batter is smooth. Stir in raisins.

Butter a large kugelhopf mold (or a 10-cup mold). Turn the batter into the mold and let rise in a warm place until batter comes to within 1/4 inch of the top of the mold. This could take 2 or 3 hours. Before placing in oven, brush batter with a lightly beaten egg yolk.

If using a kugelhopf mold or another 10-cup mold with a tube center, then bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. If you use a 10-cup tubeless mold, bake at 350 degrees. Check at 45 minutes and go from there. Bake until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan; turn out.

We had a lot of fun last night. We stayed up late talking at the kitchen table about Ukrainian foods. I had pulled my Ukrainian cookbooks out to compare notes with some other recipes for paska; and grandpa began telling about how it all brought back memories of when he was growing up. (Note to self: grandpa's name was spelled Prokup.) It's always so fascinating to hear the in-laws' stories of when they were growing up. I find the ethnic traditions of the Ukrainians and the Italians fascinating. On our way to bed, I peeked in the refrigerator (I don't know why) and noticed that we had a lot of skinny kobassa. I mentioned it to Grammy and we got to giggling naming all the things we could cook with skinny kobassa. Our favorite was skinny kobassa quiche (or egg pie as she calls it). For some reason, it cracked us up and we went to bed giggling. We even woke up this morning giggling about it. I think it sounds good. I may end up making that next week if we have as much left over as I think we will! Next weekend is Ukrainian Easter, so we can save some for then. Grammy suggested I try one of the other recipes for paska that calls for kneading for next week's dinner and compare the two breads. I think I may just do that!