Our Top 10 Easter Memories of 2015

I like a good countdown, because I like a good list, and that's exactly what a countdown is--a dramatized, thrilling, fun, and appealing list.  So without further adieu, our Top 10 Easter Memories...not necessarily in the order in which they happened that day. 

10. Easter basket and egg hunt

This year the Easter bunny hid not just plastic jelly bean-filled eggs, but the girls' Easter baskets too.  Our 5 year old found both her basket and eggs with little trouble, but the 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old needed some helpful hints to find their baskets.  Arm flapping, squeals of delight, and general excited pandemonium may have occurred during this particular segment of the day especially.  

 

 

9. Papas Chocolate Eggs - A Cincinnati specialty

The Easter bunny won not only the hearts of the children, but also those of the parents when he dropped off a bowlful of Papas chocolate eggs.   The Bunny seems to know we have a Cincinnati native in our household.

8. Easter phone calls 

Both the hubby and I come from large families, so holiday phone calls can potentially take hours.  Easter is THE time of year when you can just about guarantee that most of the hubby's family will all be together for at least a few hours because they all meet up for a grand brunch at his great Aunt Winnie's house after Mass.  So one phone call and we can spread a quick, love-filled HAPPY EASTER to all that side of the family plus even a few of his great aunt's kindly neighbors.  Though I made a few calls, I only talked to my parents and one of my brothers.  BUT it's a win in my book because tracking down my brothers for a phone call is quite difficult these days.  

This is a picture of two of the girls hanging out with Aunt Winnie this summer.  

7. Easter Food

There will never truly be a brunch like Aunt Winnie's (unless, of course, you are at Aunt Winnie's), but we turned our lunch and dinner into an homage of sorts to Aunt Winnie's brunch.  For lunch we had a big batch of crepes with blueberry sauce and whipped cream. And for dinner we have fruit, quiche, and a nice ham.  

6.  Easter naps

Some days the girls all nap.  Some days they even all nap at the same time.  Easter was one of those days.  ALLELUIA!!  Let's keep being 'Easter people' in this sense for sure, kids!

5. Real (nursing) Mom Easter Style

After looking through my closet for a cute dress to wear for Easter, I realized that I have almost no nursing-friendly dresses and definitely none that looked spring-like in any way.  So I looked for a skirt and top ensemble instead.  Here's what I came up with (pardon the poor quality, rather dark pictures)

 

Every outfit I wear these days has at least two layers on top for the least exposure while nursing.

Pink and lacy top: Ross

Black pencil skirt: Ross

Lacy cami: Target

White sandals: Ross

Pearls: gift

Angel earrings: made by my aunt

Join the link-up and share your Easter style over at finelinenandpurple.com

4. Easter 'bonnets'

I am the 5th of 7.  My oldest brother was the first to get married and start a family.  While in college, I spent many breaks and several summer vacations with his family (at that time they only had 2 little girls).  My sister-in-law always dressed the girls up in the most darling dresses and on Easter they always had hats.  So then I got married and we had our first girl, then our second, then a third, and now a fourth.  Suffice it to say, there will be Easter 'bonnets' worn around these parts for as many years as I can convince these girls that it is the fashionable and proper Easter dress code.  

As you might imagine, we heard an awful lot of oohs and ahhs from folks as the girls entered church in their Easter finery.  Four girls blows some people's minds, but four girls in fancy, fluffy, PINK dresses and hats is simply too much cuteness for most people to handle. 

3. Family picture fails

It's Easter.  The kids are all dressed up.  The hubby is in a sharp suit.   It's the perfect time to snap a family picture.  Would you like to see how that went for our family this year?

 

Ok, everyone will fit in the shot               Oops, nope I forgot to set
                                                                   the self-timer and
                                                                      now I bumped it

I got it set again, turned on the self-timer, and realized there is no way I'm going to be able to jump up to my spot over the 3 girls in the front in my pencil skirt.  Oops again. 

  

So I set the timer                  Got smarter and had our daughter
and try anyway.                          stand so that I could get up
Fail.                                              and then she could sit down.
                                                          Nope, not quite.

Hey look, we did it!

but it's blurry....... 

Fail. 

We just gave up. 

2. Baby Poop

Before Mass, the hubby informed me that he should probably not hold the baby at Mass because she often spits up and his suit is dry-clean only.  Well, I was willing to take the baby for Mass, but unfortunately our 2-year-old wasn't so willing to let that happen.  So, the baby got passed to Daddy so that Mommy could take care of the 2 year old.  And.....that sweet baby pooped that wonderfully, liquid-y, yellow-y baby poopy all over her daddy's suit.  Also all over the church carpet.  Perhaps the most humorous part of it all was that aside from a little bit that got on her silky pink bloomers, she got NONE of the poop on her pretty Easter dress.  Now that is some kind of talent.  

1. Easter Mass to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection from the Dead

Mass was beautiful.  The music was lovely and filled with ALLELUIAS.  The Easter lilies covering surrounding the altar were lovely.  The priest's homily was engaging.  And the Eucharist was (as it always is) truly AWEsome.  

I love, love, love Saint John Paul II's quote, "We are an Easter people, and hallelujah is our song!" (yes, you've heard me quote it before and you'll hear it again!).  There is nothing quite like celebrating Christ's victory over death and sin.  

And look, we got a decent picture overlooking the ocean after Mass.  

Happy Easter, friends and family!

Christ is truly risen.  Alleluia!!

Pinterest Project - 2nd Edition

Back again with a few recipes and other fun ideas and inspiration I found on Pinterest!

1. Oat and Strawberry bars

Kayla and Elise both helped me measure out ingredients and slice up strawberries (they used plastic butter knives).  And, of course, the whole fam helped eat it.

picture from italianchips.com

2. Pesto Crepes

The pinner suggests roasted garlic and tomatoes with pesto, but we chose a slightly different variation.  We used pesto, added a little mozzarella cheese, and some chicken seasoned with a bit of garlic and lemon pepper.  Delish.

picture by 3liz4 on Flickr

3. Reese Witherspoon hair

I want to cut my hair like this.  But every time I attempt something like this, my hair never actually looks like the picture.  I think I can safely say that I am not blessed in the area of hair styling.  When I try to do my daughter's hair, we have about 3 options: ponytail, two braids, or pigtails.  And it's harder for me to style my own hair.  I pretty much do: messy bun or straighten it and wear it long.  Someone needs to help me with hair styles.

4.   Carrie's leg workout

I just recently began doing this leg workout daily.  It's only three moves, but it is definitely a good workout.  I am also trying this 30 day plank challenge .  Anyone want to try with me?

hahaha!
work out to feel great, not to lose weight.  It's more fulfilling. 

5. And because I did a nice workout, I felt no regrets making these delicious Chocolate Creme Crepes for date night .  I just used straight chocolate pudding for the filling.  Add a little whipped cream and chocolate sauce to the top with raspberries and blueberries.  And I had no idea you could buy pre-made crepes, but that will never happen in this house. Not with a French last name like we've got.  

5.  I love this.

Here's a short list of my own:

baby giggles

the spoon scraping up the last bit of ice cream from the bowl

guitar strings being plucked

pebbles and twigs being crunched underfoot 

a bubbling brook

Crepe Recipe and Variations

I use the Betty Crocker recipe for Crepes.  The key to any good crepe recipe is vanilla.  If the recipe doesn't call for a little vanilla, add some.  It makes a difference.

Crepes
1 1/2 cups  flour
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 T butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

1. Mix first 4 ingredients.  Stir in milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat with hand/electric beater until smooth.
2. Lightly butter skillet.  Heat over medium heat until bubbly.
3. For each crepe, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter into skillet.  Rotate skillet until thin layer of batter covers bottom.  Cook until golden, turn over and cook the other side. 

4. Stack crepes, placing wax paper between each; keep covered.  Use crepes for various recipes; breakfast, desserts, and main dishes.


My Strawberry, Cranberry, Orange Crepes filling

I used this Spiced Apple Cranberry filling recipe as a base 

6 cups chopped, peeled strawberries
1 cup fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/4 cup butter

1. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add strawberries and cranberries and cook for several minutes.

As they fruit begins to soften, add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange peel and cook until the fruit is tender.

My Orange Sauce

1 orange, squeezed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 T butter
1/2 - 1 tsp. flour to thicken

Combine first 4 ingredients in skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.  Pour over top of rolled crepes

For the crepe below I used the strawberry/cranberry filling with a bit of Greek yogurt.

 Roll it up and drizzle with orange sauce, a few pieces of fresh orange, and a few dollops of whipped cream.  Delicious.