Easter feasts and other festivities

Sibi ... off the chain

Last Saturday, Erica, Audrey, Dagny, and I assembled at Casa Porter for a festive Easter brunch to which the lady of the house had invited us earlier in the week.

We would also be together the next day for a more elaborate Easter feast at my house -- and I'll tell you all about that too -- but this was a casual event.

In a year where we didn't get to shop for Easter dresses or bonnets or other seasonal adornments, it seemed to Mrs. Porter -- now working from home, as is Mr. Porter -- that some orchestrated gaiety was in order.

We saved the date

(We Weber women like our finery. It sticks in the craw that we haven't been able to doll up for church in what seems like a month of Sundays. I mean, we could -- but what would be the point?)

Naturally Sibi was at the party too, to lend the sweetly silly atmosphere that only the presence of a hyper-energetic puppy equipped with weaponized cuteness can produce.

(That's if you don't count Dagny, who spent the night with Erica and Chad the night before, and so contributed to preparations for the party -- most notably, she helped to set the table and hand-lettered the place cards.)

Miss Priss

I arrived at twelve thirty, having driven the twenty-five minutes or so from my house to Erica's, alone.

That doesn't mean I didn't talk to anyone. I passed under an amber-lit sign that stretches importantly over both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-26, ordering:

G O   H O M E

S T A Y   H O M E

Oh shut up, I said, out loud. I'm going to my daughter's house and I'll stay there as long as I please, and I'll go home when I'm ready and stay there only until I decide to go out again.

Hop on over

You should try it! It helps to verbalize your intentions. Say aloud what you intend to do. And NOT do.

All of that being said, I haven't gone out much since March fifteenth. In fact, as I've told you before, I have only left my house to shop for groceries, three times. There's nowhere else to go.

My fourth supermarket run since lockdown would take place that very day, when Audrey, Erica, and I went grocery shopping after the party.

We had an accord

I was in pursuit of supplies for our Easter dinner, and there were blanks to fill in regarding Dagny's Easter basket, and we all needed birthday cards.

(Tax-Day-Baby Allissa's twelfth birthday was yesterday. I have her gift but I'm saving it for when I see her in person, which we all hope will be in a few weeks. But I needed a card to send her, that she would have on the day.)

(Also I have a dear friend whose birthday is on the seventeenth, and our Joel will celebrate his birthday on May first, and I had to pick out cards for them too.)

Extra y, we know not why

But I digress.

Upon arriving at the Porters' abode I was greeted by Erica, Dagny, and Sibi simultaneously. Erica was busy preparing fresh berries; Dagny immediately began pointing out what she'd done to the Easter table. 

Sibi ran around underfoot when she wasn't jumping up towards my knees, wanting to be picked up so that she could alternately chew on my ears and ride on my shoulders.

High there

Audrey wasn't on the premises quite yet. Chad had gone with Jonah (his personal dog), to spend the afternoon with his parents.

There were two quiches baking scrumptiously in the oven. To go with them Erica had diced baby potatoes and squash chunks which were seasoned and waiting on a pan, to be roasted.

The strawberry/blueberry/raspberry combination would add color and a fresh burst of flavor.

Easter joy

Our hostess had bought Canada Dry Blackberry Ginger Ale to serve with the meal, as well as a "hot" ginger ale by the same maker.

(I love hot ginger ale -- spicy hot, that is -- but having years ago tasted Blenheim, for me at least, no other brand will do. Nothing -- not even Vernor's -- comes close to being as hot as Blenheim and since that's the whole point, I'll pass on pretenders.)

I'd told you before about Erica's seasonal tree, which sits beside the hutch in her dining room. It wasn't lit up when I arrived so I said Alexa, light the tree, and she did.

Spring has sprung

So charming.

Erica had raided the dollar aisle at Target and come away with some adorable decorations. She had festooned her yellow hutch with an Easter Brunch banner and some other things which were so cute.

(She's talked of sending her hutch out to be milk- or chalk-painted a creamy white and distressed á la shabby chic, but she hasn't done it yet. Vote here if you think she should pull the trigger on that.)

Two-pronged attack

Her centerpiece was a three-tiered galvanized metal stand which was, naturally, laden with flowers and Easter treats.

Of course the bowl of classic Brach's Jelly Bird Eggs had to be situated at eleven o'clock at my place setting. Its volume was reduced by at least thirty jelly beans by the time I left.

(I do not contend that I ate them all; why would you think that of me?)

I answer to Mom, Mamaw, and jelly beans

(Don't answer that.)

Mrs. Prdr had baked a drool-inducing vanilla confection with matching vanilla glaze, and it rested in her heavy glass cake stand with matching dome, that she acquired in exchange for one dollar at a yard sale shortly after her marriage.

The cake stand is so heavy, I can't even. I love that thing. In fact I told my daughters that if they needed Mother's Day gift ideas, I would be much obliged if they went in together to get me one of those.

That's Mrs. Prdr to you

Never mind that they can be expensive. Very expensive.

(I have a beautiful cake stand but no dome. I want a dome. I am domeless and that needs to change.)

(You know how I am about glass. Give me more glass. Keep it glassy is basically my motto.)

She was so well behaved at that elevation

At mealtime, our hostess said grace and we tucked into the luscious quiche with roasted vegetables and berries.

There were two kinds but I chose the spinach-feta quiche. Spinach and feta combined with eggs is one of my favorite things in the whole world.

In fact, for dinner tonight TG and I are having spinach and feta omelets, with Canadian bacon and breakfast sausage.

Peace out, homie

(We've gone low carb but we refuse to sacrifice either fat or flavor.)

(i must confess that for a few weeks we were in the habit of having ice cream sundaes at night, as we watched TV. Do not judge. It was the early days of the "crisis." We don't do it anymore. It's been at least three days.)

After brunch, Erica made coffee and, since Sibi was pronounced ready for a nap (her mommy can tell by looking at her eyes that Sibi is finally tired), I went to sit in the recliner and hold the baby.

It could have held thousands of jelly beans

She flaked out on me and Erica brought me my coffee.

Sitting in Erica's front room, beside her picture window, with a cup of delicious coffee, is so enjoyable. I don't get to do that often enough so I was ultra-content.

In time a wedge of cake was brought to me too, and I don't have to tell you how I felt about that. 

I like that you can see through it

As I sat with the snoozing puppy on my lap I was thinking about the Easter dinner I had planned for the next day.

I might as well tell you: it ended up being rather splendid.

We had baked ham (I need to tell you too, soon, how I made that ham and, more importantly, the story behind it), potato salad, creamed corn (my homemade crock pot creamed corn, simple but spectacular, that is), honey-cinnamon glazed carrots, a salad of cucumber, grape tomatoes, and onion in homemade balsamic vinaigrette, and fluffy croissants. 

Home is where the hutch is

For dessert, I made pinapple upside-down cake and served it with hot, fresh, strong, half-caff coffee. With heavy cream, if you wanted it. The coffee, that is.

There was Reddi-wip for the top of your cake if you wanted it too, but as it turned out, no one did. The cake was rather sweet, what with having been baked on a layer of brown sugar, butter, pineapple, and maraschino cherries.

(I had also kicked my boxed yellow cake mix up a notch by using butter instead of oil, putting in one extra egg, substituting buttermilk for water, and adding a packet of cheesecake-flavored instant pudding.)

Name recognition

When TG and I finished off most of the cake the next day, we did add Reddi-wip and for my money, it was not overkill in the sweet department. Not in the least.

But then, you're not likely to find me objecting to the enhancement of a slice of cake, least of all with whipped cream.

It was a pleasant day, our Resurrection Sunday. Our church had devised special email forms that we could distribute to friends far and wide, inviting them to join us online for Easter Sunday service.

Eventually Sibi succumbed to sleep

TG sent several of those. Two out-of-town friends took him up on it, later letting him know that they'd logged on and enjoyed the service with us.

Along with that came the heartbreaking reports that in some states, police were issuing tickets to folks who wanted to sit in their cars and enjoy an outdoor service at their churches.

(There will be a reckoning for this insane fearmongering, leading to unlawful suspension of our God-given and Constitutionally guaranteed rights, in the near future. Or at least there should be.)

Birthday Girl Allissa with Shiloh ... several weeks ago

After watching and listening to our pastor's message, we ate our dinner. The rain rolled in; Chad and Erica eventually left to have a late-day dinner with his parents.

Later that night -- towards dawn, actually -- thunderstorms ravaged South Carolina and nine folks were killed as a result -- by falling trees and related disasters.

TG and I were awakened by our power going out at around five thirty on Monday morning (my ceiling fan stopped, waking me, but then there was a lot of noisy, gusty wind and thunder too), and was not restored until shortly after Noon.

My stained-glass pineapple upside down cake

I was thankful that, at least, we were able to have a pleasant and peaceful Easter Sunday together.

Our state mourns for those who lost their lives in the storm, as well as from the seasonal flu (although we never talk about those), and of course from COVID-19.

We are keeping well and we hope that you are too.

Let not your heart be troubled

May God be with President Trump as he navigates the shark-infested waters of this election year.

God bless the United States of America and preserve her from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Especially domestic.

Meanwhile it has been so nice chatting with you.

And that is all for now.

=0=0=0=

Happy Thursday

Comments

[Mari]

I feel as if I joined you at the brunch and I greatly enjoyed it all. The names tags, inscribed by Dagny are just the sweetest things! And speaking of Dagny - she needs to stop growing! But she is a beautiful young lady. As is Alissa - another one growing up too fast.
I'm with you on that cake stand. Mrs. Porter did well. I want one too. I want a slice of your cake as well.
I echo your sentiments for our president and our country.

[Jennifer]

@Mari ... oh how I wish you could have been there! xoxo

[Jane]

I enjoy living vicariously through your posts. I think Dagny grows a bit more every time you post, she and Alissa are beautiful young ladies and the grandpup isabsolutely adorable.

[Jennifer]

@Jane ... I hope your Easter was as special as could be under the circumstances. Those girls really are growing up so quickly; it makes me sad. xoxo

[Liberty Belle]

Nice photos. Those cakes look delicious! If you happen to find out who ate so many of those Brach's jelly beans, please let me know. You see, the same thing seems to always happen at my house!

[Jennifer]

@LibertyBelle ... the cakes were very good and so were the jelly beans ... what a coincidence that they disappear at your house too! Hahahaha xoxo

[sally]

So, three days without ice cream at this posting. Pray tell, have you & TG had any since then? Inquiring minds (well mine) want to know.

Dagny did a super job on the place cards. And, wow is she growing up fast! Both of your granddaughter's are precious. :)

My prayers for our President and our country. My family and I have not been together. Patti is with Britt and her family, but I'm missing them terribly. My stint in that nursing home sent me home sick, so I'm not comfortable being around my family & obviously they're not either. It's ok as long as I hear from them. I steal photo's of the greats when Britt shared on FB. Easter was silent as far as us getting together. I'm glad y'all were able to gather at Erica's and your home.

xoxo

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... I'm sorry to hear that you're alone. That cannot be easy. I promise to pray for you, my friend. No, we've laid off the ice cream because while it's fun, it's not feasible. I did finish off what was left in the bottom of a half-gallon carton of chocolate chip while unable to sleep one night a week or so ago. I was up until dawn. I'd like to be dramatic about it and say it was anxiety that kept me awake but in fact it was coffee. The kids had come over and I made half-caff but it was too late in the day for such nonsense and I paid the price. But that bowl of ice cream while sitting up in bed watching an old movie was actually fun. Good thing it's all gone; obviously I cannot be trusted around ice cream OR jelly beans. Haaahaaha xoxo

[Barb]

Sibi is adorable. I think I could train her (or tire her out) in a week at my house which is always at elevation! The girls are growing so fast. Happy Birthday to Allissa. Your celebrations brought happiness to my heart. I'm glad you could be together with your family to celebrate Easter. Bob and I are still being careful about public places. We talk to family often but have discouraged visits. Bob may need some further cancer treatments so our top priority is staying well until then. Hugs from Colorado.

[Jennifer]

@Barb ... I have been thinking about you so much lately. Despite the strange conditions I hope Bob and you had a happy Easter. I will tell you this about Sibi: She NEEDS some training! Hahahaha she is a rambunctious puppy in every way. But as you observed: SO cute! We have a lot of fun with her. Dagny is like a whole different person now that she can read and write. I know you must seeing all of your loved ones -- especially the grands. xoxo