Easter Dinner

I had a fantastic Easter with my family. Around our house, holidays tend to be about food more than anything else.

We have an Easter tradition...The Golden Egg search. Francesca is the only child in the house so we usually let her find it. My mom tells me this is a childhood tradition of her mother, Mary McPhie McCabe of Scotland. I hid the egg this year. When my dad was alive it was always something he did. Francesca found it...and ate it immediately. Dinner was terrific. I made tenderloin of beef in puff pastry with a shallot Madeira sauce for the meat eaters, asparagus with horseradish butter, the infamous vegan feta, popovers that actually popped, potato gratin, artichoke hearts with sherry sauce and creamed spinach. It was a delicious and decadent meal.

I had a fire in the kitchen fireplace going all day and a fire in the oven when the popover grease spilled over. No harm done.

I spent the morning in the garden. I moved the herbs to a new bed and hope they will survive the 25 degree temperatures expected tonight. I planted more carrots, lettuce and radishes.

I missed having my brothers here...and I missed my dad. I always miss my dad. I feel so blessed to have this wonderful family. I wonder if Francesca will one day feel that way.