Not this weekend, but Monday night I'll have 10 adults + 1 baby at my apt. for big brother's b.day dinner/late Easter. I'm going to roast salmon and serve w/ an herbed yogurt sauce and make lemony smashed potatoes (both Martha recipes). I sent out some ideas for the rest of the menu to my sisters, spring-like suggestions, but I have a feeling they aren't going to break out of their comfort zone by far (all the ideas were easy, just "different").

Any suggestions on how to encourage someone else to try a new recipe? I don't have time to do the whole dinner, and welcome any dish they bring, but I thought it would be cool to try some new stuff (i.e. braised radish crostini instead of hummus/chips).

Either way, I'm looking forward to having everyone over and spending some quality time w/ my siblings and parents for sure!

@STLcolleen - Hmmm, good question. You could send along links with something along the lines of "Just saw this online and seems like something you'd really like! I'd love to try it too, maybe this could be your contribution on Monday?"

Tomorrow (Saturday) we're having our big annual Easter bash ... for some reason that's become the big party we have at our house every year. This year we've decided we're not going to do all the cooking, but we're supplying the ham, scalloped potatoes, dessert (lemon roll with berries), and beverages and letting others bring the sides. (Oh, and we're supplying about three dozen hard-boiled eggs for dye-ing ...)

STLcoleen:
Maybe a gazpacho would be appropriate? It's fresh and spring-like. Or you could try a mango salsa. Pico de gallo is even less work. Pick up a bag of corn chips after making it and you're done!

As for me, I'll be making Cantonese food at my dad's house: Pan grilled eel, stir fried flank steak over red onions, stir fried whitefish over yellow chives, garlic Chinese broccoli, steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce and chilies.

I wish I could make this stuff at my apartment... there's no range hood there. Stir frying with no range hood is like trying to bbq indoors. Well, minus the carbon monoxide poisoning thing...

Well, tonight for the last Friday of Lent, we made Julia Child's Provencal Swordfish steaks. Sunday we are having a barbeque for friends and smoking brisket and pork butts!

Pork butts . . . I have to giggle.

Hosting an Easter egg hunt tomorrow morning for 9 toddlers and their families--keeping it simple with just 2 kinds of scones (Cheddar Dill from Barefoot Contessa and Meyer Lemon/Fresh Cranberry scones from Smitten Kitchen) a fruit rainbow like the one I just saw on ohdeedoh, and coffee, seltzer, juice. Each family contributed a dozen plastic eggs stuffed with various treats/toys/stickers/playdough. Should be fun!
I was very happy to get the tip that you can freeze cut out scones on their baking sheets overnight, then just pop them in the oven in the morning. Makes a party like this super easy.

- Lamb Shoulder Arm Chops (marinated in lemon, rosemary, olive oil, garlic)
- Sweet Potato Casserole (sweet potato layered with apple, pineapple, raisins, butter, spices, pecans & sugar)
- Greens cooked with smoked turkey wings
(collard, mustard, turnip, kale, spinach)
- Sliced tomatoes, green onions & vinegar (for greens)
- fresh baked bread (either cornbread or herbed bread)
- dessert (to be determined)

oh ... gasp ... forgot to mention mac & cheese (don't think I can get away without making it) ;-)

Saturday night w/family & friends~bbq burgers & linguica, poblano, corn & cilantro potato salad, grilled pineapple, fresh strawberries w/homemade marshmallow dip & chocolate fondue.
Easter Sunday lunch~Goat Cheese drizzled w/blackberry honey & crostini, peel & eat shrimp, Sriracha deviled eggs, Roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes & gravy, grilled ham, hobo style haricot vert w/shallots, strawberry ribbon jello salad, sweet rolls, triple chocolate cake & lemon meringue pie. OH...and lemon-lavender mimosas!

That sausage and kale pizza that was on the site earlier this week. Hot cross buns. Key lime pie. Maybe some French toast made with some of my anise Easter bread.

Sunday with friends: ribeye steaks with pecan-blue cheese butter on the grill, with a rocket- cannellini bean salad with olive vinaigrette. Chocolate whoopie pies and s'mores for afters.

Today, whatever's left at the store after the crazy crowds!

I'm headed to the farmers market with my fingers crossed for ramps--simple spaghetti with ramps tonight. Easter brunch will be asparagus-goat cheese frittata, home fries, and I may have to try making those fabulous looking lemon rolls featured on this site. If so, I'll have to get them started tonight, which means a geometry challenge clearing fridge space to store the pan overnight. THERE'S a feature I could use: how to wedge everything into your fridge. By week's end it will be nice and clear but right now it's jammed with groceries. A minestrone Genovese will be a nice light Sunday night meal after the rich brunch. The weather is wretched. Soup will feel good.

I'm making the Brie-Style Mac and Cheese for a Mac and Cheese-themed birthday party tonight. Tomorrow, I'm having a quiet Easter and baking a three layer cake. I've never baked a layer cake before, so I'm quite nervous. I'm definitely excited about both projects, though! I love cooking through the weekends; it's my favorite way to unwind.

We're bringing baked bread pineapple to our family dinner on Sunday. And there will be rice pudding in the oven this afternoon!

We had a belated sedar last night. We had matzo ball soup, herb roasted chicken, your roasted orange, carrot, parnip, asparagus with dill, potato kugel, salad with grapefruit, avacado, and candied pistachios, followed by homemade chocolate dipped macaroons, your caramel, chocolate matzo, and lemon parfait with strawberries!
I'm still recovering!

I splurged on edible flowers from the farmers market to add to the Easter brunch, but I'm not sure how to use them. I'm thinking the nasturiums, peas, and pansies go in a light salad, and the arugula flowers can garnish the frittata? They look gorgeous, and I think my child will love how they look. Husband is dubious. No idea if they'll be eaten but worth a shot.

Things are a bit up in the air about Easter here--my mother doesn't want to celebrate it, but my honey and I might do something with my sister. I was going to make the olive oil-chive rolls from here, but we'll see. I'm making the Spring Veg Pasta from Cook's Illustrated tonight, to help use up the several pounds of asparagus we got from the CSA on Tuesday. I also might try using our CSA spinach in the Sausage and Kale Pizza, since I've read you can do the kale chips routine with spinach.

making rye bread to go with tomorrow's leftover ham. carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. macaroni and cheese.

The sticky lemon rolls with cream cheese glaze are rising right now (keeping my fingers crossed); they are for brunch at my mom's house tomorrow morning. Last night was a simple frittata with leftover pasta served with sauteed baby artichokes. Tonight will be bone in pork chops and spinach salad. Tomorrow is zuni chicken with roasted cauliflower and bread salad.

hosting sunday easter brunch with friends. making: roasted potato & leek mini quiches, sausage gravy & biscuits, fruit salad & homemade doughnuts. guests are bringing bloody marys & mimosas !

I'm making a spring carrot/leek/green garlic risotto to take to Easter as a vegetarian dish, taking a potato dish, and I'm baking rolls.

This weekend was homemade pizza time! From-scratch herb crush, olive oil, asparagus, artichoke hearts, broccoli and mozzarella. Simple and delicious.

Monday here, but I baked a neopolitan cake from sweetapolita.com on Friday, ate out on Saturday and cooked up some lamb and ratatouille for Easter dinner. Delicious.

Saturday: Banana Bran Muffins
Sunday: Apple/Maple-Glazed Ham, Herbed Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Coriander-Glazed Carrots. Oh...and Deviled Eggs.

Dinner rolls, hot cross buns, grape salad, deviled eggs....and now a mountain of dishes.

@rosebud ... oh my ... pleeeeease share your recipe for "sticky lemon rolls with cream cheese glaze"! They sound amazing!

I worked this weekend and I just wanted to say how much I enjoy living vicariously through all these breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners.

Thank you for the daydreams!

Saturday I made homemade perogies served with bacon bits, melted butter and kielbassa sausage.
Sunday it was prime rib roast with au jus and gorgeous yorkies, carrots/peas/asparagus, spinach salad and white wine with strawberries and frozen yogourt for dessert. Ate like royalty this weekend :)

chicken braised in riesling, homemade applesauce, potato pancakes, collard greens salad with pecorino and lemon, and strawberry shortcake