Saturday, April 14, 2012

Easter Weekend: Part III

I want to start this post out with a shout out to Shelby and her incredible efforts in her indoor drum line escapades this winter. Girl decided she wanted to be on the winter drum line (which isn't too far fetched considering that if I decided I was going to be on the drum line, the experience of teaching me would be akin to teaching an elephant to fly) and then taught herself how to play the marimba and off she went to local and state competitions. Talk about raw talent and determination. Overall, the Pride of AHS Indoor Drum Line earned 9th at state, and wracked up a few 1st's throughout their season. Congrats Shelby!



As promised, here is part three to Shelby and my's epic Easter weekend. We spend Sunday with our grandparents, preparing Easter dinner, catching up on school and graduation plans (since Shelby and I both will be walking the big walk this May), and of course surrounded with wonderful, wholesome food. Shelby took all these pictures for me, so feast your eyes and enjoy!

One of our apetizers - along with Spinach Artichoke dip with beer bread (which you can see here) we served artisan crackers with fig jam and assorted cheeses.

Now on to dinner time! We roast a ham for Easter, glazed with brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and orange marmalade. The delicious crust that results is the best part!


We added this side dish to our traditional spread this year. Roasted asparagus with an orange balsamic vinaigrette, topped with toasted pecans. Delish!



Shelby's favorite! Scalloped pineapple - a concoction that  is essentially a pineapple bread pudding.


Parsley mashed potatoes. Every holiday I seem to be made mashed potato queen, so every time I try to mix it up a bit.


Green beans, stewed with lots of ham and onions.


No Easter dinner is complete without deviled eggs! Ours are of a traditional breed, with creamy yellow centers and a tangy vinegar zip.


Seven layer salad - no longer in layers. Salad greens, peas, green onion, mayonnaise, a sprinkling of sugar, Cheddar cheese, and chopped bacon. That's it!


Our whole Easter dinner table, complete with pastel place settings - very Easter-esque indeed.

Our dessert selection. How freaking cute is the cupcake tower complete with chocolate eggs?!




Strawberry Angle Food Cake, one of my mom's favorites, finished with a dollop of additional whipped cream of course!



Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. How adorable is this plating?!








9 comments:

  1. Okay first of all, again, you and your sister look SO alike, it's crazy. Also, I love the colors you're wearing, it makes your eyes pop! Tell your sister congrats, it definitely harkens back to my high school band memories!

    Second of all, YUM!! I can't choose which of those things looks the most delicious, I just want it all! Those mashed potatoes, the pineapple (GENIUS, by the by), the CAKE!! Awesome post, keep up the great work!

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    1. Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments! I was wearing UK blue because this competition was on the same day as the UK Final Four game vs. Louisville, which we won, of course!!! Kentucky has turned blue (not red) since our Championship win.

      All of them are delicious, and we only pull them out for special occasions (especially that cake and scalloped pineapple recipe) so it's always such a great treat when the holidays roll around.

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  2. The roast ham looks delicious. Also, the picture of you and your sister is so beautiful - two breathtaking ladies!!

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    1. Thank you, we try to put our best ham forward. And Shelby and are do look so similar, thank goodness that's a good thing!

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  3. Found your blog through "Musings of an Optimistic Existentialist" :)

    This food looks scrumptious! I really admire you for going after your dreams and being so sure of yourself.

    Best of luck in your future endeavors!

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    1. Thanks for reading! I appreciate your support. I wasn't always as sure as I am now about going into the culinary world - that is an awful large leap into uncertain and sometime troubled waters. But now that I have made it I couldn't be happier. Keep checking back to find out how it is all going!

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  4. O wow, I totally want a seat at your dinner table! how delicious!

    You and your sister remind me of me and my sister! We're close in age (only four years) so we were the best of friends growing up. I actually remember when my sister was still a baby and I would dress her up like one of my dolls and lead her around the house! Do you have any sisterly memories from way back when??

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  5. Of course Shelby and I have special sisterhood memories! One that comes to mind (probably because I have done a lot of dressing up lately) is how we would dress up in the vintage dresses that my grandma had in her upstairs bedroom in her old, country farm house. We had such fun in that huge bin of clothes, piling vintage necklaces, rings, and bracelets, and pretending to put make-up on at the white dressing table she had. What fond memories!

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