I've chosen this month's recipe from Martha Mason Campbell's "The New England Butt'ry Cookbook" This is a companion book to the Almanac which Tasha Tudor also illustrated. Mrs. Campbell writes, "Many years ago, the Easter cake was a graduated four-layer one made just for us by the German baker in town....There were tiny frosting chickens and ducks and lambs, birds and butterflies, an angel or two, and many delicately wrought frosting flowers and vines. On the very top was a little cottage of cake and frosting with a fence and roses climbing over the door. The top three layers were carefully removed at the dinner table and put back into the paper cake box. On the morrow, in turns each year, the children took it to school to share with their classmates. The family ate the festooned bottom layer. The baker has long gone and our cake today is not the glorious creation he would have made of it, but we still yellow-frost our lemon sponge Easter Cake and do our best with the decorations.
Tasha Tudor's memories for Easter include hot cross buns and decorated eggs they'd hang from a tree branch and set on their dining table (click on photos to enlarge). . . .
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| "A Time to Keep" |
April was also the time of year that the new crop of baby animals were out romping about the farm yard. . . .
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| "A Time to Keep" |
April was when the birds would return and the showers would give hope to the May flowers that would soon appear. . . .
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| "Around the Year" |
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| "Around the Year" |
Two years ago Easter our first grandchild was just 11 days old. Both sets of grandparents and our son's siblings all gathered at our youngest son's apartment to celebrate Easter and the newest member to our family. I baked this cake using Susan Branch's recipe. . . .
Then last year both families got together to celebrate her first birthday four days early on Easter with an egg hunt. . . .
This year Olivia didn't need any help looking for eggs. . . .
When I was little I loved hunting for eggs on Mamaw and Papaw's farm. I was 2½ in this photo with my daddy . . .
When our two oldest boys were 2 and 5 there was one Easter morning I remember vividly. We were all at the breakfast table in front of the window that overlooked the porch. Our eyes were closed to say grace. When the boys opened their eyes they saw two candy-filled baskets on the porch that hadn't been there before. I'd opened my eyes early, just in time to catch a surprised glimpse of my neighbor slinking away. I do believe they believed in the Easter Bunny THAT year.
Do you have special memories of Easter? Did you prepare a special cake this past Easter?
Take Joy!
Gosh, it's so hard to believe that Olivia's TWO already - seems like she was just born and getting her picture taken on the hay bale - so cute! I can't imagine how surprised you must be about it! And more babies are on the way now too - more excitement for all! Since we lost our parents my sibs and I have mostly just done an Easter brunch or breakfast, especially since even the kids in our family are grown-ups now too. A fact we are not entirely-thrilled about - LOL. This year my youngest brother and his wife had a brunch. Bacon, sausage, potatoes, sweet rolls, toast, muffins and my nephew's nearly-perfect coffee. At every family event, we wonder how a 20-year old kid became so proficient at coffee, since they only make it at his house for parties etc. He and his sister drink it, but they usually visit Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts to get theirs. Oh and my youngest sister cooked my Dad's famous holiday ham and eggs [something served at every New Year, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving breakfast since my parents were married - and at all our First Communions too]. Carolyn learned the secret from Dad directly. She had moved back in with my parents to save $$ for a house, which was also about the time that Dad's health was preventing him from doing his outdoor chores around the house, so Carolyn took on all the lawn-mowing, snow removal etc. A huge help to my parents, and of course she was lucky enough to get personal ham-and-eggs instruction. And there was no one better at breakfast than my Dad. Whenever he was in charge of feeding us - which was not too often - he made us breakfast. And we loved it. Partly I think because we liked the "oddity" of having breakfast for supper, but mostly because Dad was so good at it. Well, a very very Happy Second Birthday to Olivia, who will be able to celebrate her THIRD birthday next year with a baby brother AND a cousin - and won't those be cute photos! 🎂
ReplyDeleteI love hearing your stories. Families are so important. We must take special care of them.
DeleteSuch a sweet post, Cathy. I commented yesterday and then poof it went away. I'm back. Your photo of you as a child with your father is so nice. I'm sure you have many memories but it's so nice to have photos to reinforce those memories.
ReplyDeleteThis Easter I have been recalling a memory of my church that I grew up in. All of my cousins, aunts, and uncles attended this church as well. Sundays were so special for me. My Mama grew up in this church so it has a long family history. I remember one Easter our family all sitting together and my Uncle singing with the congregation, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" with such gusto and conviction that my heart still stirs at this thought. ♥
It's so nice that you have such sweet memories and family history in the church you grew up in.
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