Reflections on Easter, Part 1

This Easter had its fair share of successes and failures.

My kitchen successfully churned through 19 pounds of ham, 7 pounds of wine-braised beef, and 48 kolaches. 2 dozen eggs were boiled or blown out to be dyed and painted. 3 dozen Easter pecan cutout cookies were baked and decorated. There was a lot of edible joy in the kitchen this year.

It also produced 2 failed chocolate cakes. It was a new recipe, and I failed miserably, even with two different techniques attempted. Imagine trying to fold egg whites into potter's clay. I baked the second attempt just out of curiosity. Not pretty. Still, tasty. Hey, I like chocolate. And I'm pregnant. Of course I ate it anyway.

Pretty dense stuff.

The "Easter Bunny" successfully filled baskets with much-loved gifts. Princesses are always a safe bet, for both girls. A new flowery flashlight replaced a recently broken one for my 4 year old. The jury's still out on the nylon chef's knife I bought my 3 year old. Yes, I bought my 3 year old a kitchen knife. She always asks to help make dinner. A lot of prep work involves chopping things. This knife will allow her to do it. And likely keep her fingers attached. At least I hope so. Stay tuned to see if this gift was really a success or a massive failure...

Look out, world. MeToo will be armed and dangerous.

The "Easter Bunny" failed at finding a new hiding place for the baskets. Despite the elaborate treasure hunt involving gold eggs and rhymed hints, one particular 4 year old raced to where the baskets were hidden last year and lucked out. Hey, let's cut the "Bunny" some slack. She was up past midnight preparing some of the things mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3. And she's got Prego Brain. And a 4 year old who doesn't forget anything.

The other aspects of Easter were pure successes. The church service was a delight. The brunch afterwards was decadent. The nap after that was absolutely necessary. And the feast hosted by our friends (with a 2 week old baby!) was out-of-this-world, as usual. Even without my chocolate cake. ESPECIALLY without my chocolate cake. I must confess to joining in on some of the wine tasting. It was so, so good. Don't worry, I ate lots of food first and drank tons of water between each taste. Poor third child.

But for a global Easter success, check out this story. Try watching with dry eyes. I can't do it.