Easter Dinner

          After my success of putting on Christmas dinner, I volunteered to cook an Easter meal. Although I spent most of my Sunday cooking, it was definitely worth the time and everything came out delicious. The weekend was beautiful (besides some April showers) and was a big pick-me-up after what has been a dreary month. I browsed through several sites and selected my menu. I've linked the recipes.

Slow Cooker Easter Ham

This was the easiest recipe of all. I just put the few ingredients in the crock pot and forgot about it until dinner. It came out moist and flavorful.

Spinach and Feta Quiche

          I had never made quiche before, so when I saw it on a suggested Easter dinner menu, I was dying to make it. The recipe I found was for a spinach and mushroom quiche, but I in onion (though not as large a quantity) because I don't really like mushrooms. The quiche came out wonderful, and was a favorite among my family. The best part is it's pretty healthy, save for the pie crust which on a lighter night you can leave out.

I made this earliest in the day and left it in the fridge. 15 minutes before dinner, I popped it back in the oven covered. The texture was perfect; I'll definitely make this recipe again.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

         This was one of the more challenging recipes as far as prep. Cutting 5 large potatoes and a strong onion was no simple task, but the end product was worth the work.

Green Bean Casserole 

         I normally hate green beans. The thought of canned vegetables still brings me back to the elementary school cafeteria (shivers). But we don't normally have green bean casserole at our holiday dinners, so I thought I'd add it to the menu. Perhaps adding cheese and butter to anything can make it taste good, but this was truly delectable and a good way to add more greens to the meal.

The Ritz cracker topping was a yummy alternative to traditional crunchy onions.

Glazed Mini Carrots

          Trying to pull all this off in one day, I knew I needed something really easy to add to the menu. These were quick and healthy, and didn't require baking so it freed up space in the oven.

I love how the fresh carrots add a lot of spring color to the table.

         Daffodils from our yard added a spring touch to the table, and my homemade egg nest added a festive touch. I dyed hard boiled eggs pastel colors and put them in a woven basket with paper grass.

          My family all said they enjoyed the meal, and I was happy to make a yummy dinner for everyone...but I may need a week or so off of cooking to recover.

Happy Easter!

Love,
Annie