Easter tiptoed into our lives this year. So much going on. At least I remembered to put out our Easter decorations (on Saturday). Many of these decorations sat in a box for three years. It is heartwarming to see them again, for many of them bring back memories of my children's younger years, as well as my own childhood.
I grew up with these little chicks and bunnies. My grandmother displayed them on a special table. I remember peering at these figurines longingly. Sometimes I touched them, but mostly I struggled to control the desire to hold and play with them---a big no no. One of the little bunnies still suffers from a fractured ear, haphazardly glued back on after my brother and I got too carried away.
So much has changed while these decorations were stored away. I'm happy to share the charm of them again. But my kids are growing up. Easter is one of those bittersweet holidays----a reminder of how old my kids have grown. There weren't any Easter egg hunts this year, for instance. In fact, they spent most of Easter with their Dad.
With the abundance of sugar and candy in all of our lives, I resolved to give my kids something more practical and healthy in their baskets. "Pants" made an excellent suggestion: how about giving them baskets full of fruits----- novelty fruits that we don't usually buy, such as coconuts. Cracking a coconut is always fun!
As for Easter egg dyeing, we enjoyed 'naturally' dyed eggs from our chickens. Those Araucana eggs are such a beautiful blue color.
Easter would not be Easter for us without plenty of yummy food. I believe I found my favorite lemon bar recipe in The Grand Central Baking Book. I'm still enjoying this cookbook immensely.
So, Easter is still Easter---good food, family, traditions---but it also reflects the years that have passed and the changes within those years.
*** What to do with that fresh coconut? It is an excellent addition to smoothies. We might make this fresh coconut cake from Cooking Light. YUM!
