At this moment, the head count for Easter Brunch at our house is 16. A smaller than usual crowd... Everyone brings something, and coordinating that is half the battle. Here's what we have so far (if there's a recipe link I'm making it):

• Pork Roasted with Gravy - the secret to great pork is to marinate it, and never cook it above 145, because pork today is so lean that it dries out quickly.  Yes the USDA says 160, but, well, I don't eat shoes.
• Potato Pierogi - I'll have to make about 100, so I'm recruiting help!
• Fruit Salad
• Danish (Cherry, Blueberry, and Poppyseed) - traditional in my husband's family and a closely guarded recipe.
• Surprise Vegetable - a burgeoning cook in the family promises something healthy and tasty!
• Peach Mimosa - because face it, with 16 people coming I WILL need a drink
• Various appetizers, deviled eggs, and whatever else people bring.

The real trick for the day is the timing.  The boys of course want the annual egg hunt.  Now that they are 10 & 12 it's not just colored eggs hidden around the house.  It is starting to resemble something from the da Vinci Code.  I think we pared it down to 43 clues.  Then there's church, and then the family descends.  Busy, but a good time.

Happy Easter!  Happy Spring!

 I am not Irish, but my husband's grandmother was, and I figure that's a close enough connection to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!  Besides wearing green and using the green napkins, tablecloths, towels, glasses, and dishes (yeah, it's a thing), I also have Irish inspired food planned.  Of course, corned beef is not Irish, but I love it, so I'm making it!  Also on the menu are peas and carrots, a lovely green and orange combination, sauteed cabbage, and of course, mashed potatoes. 

No green beer or green milk here, it just makes a mess, and I'm really not all that comfortable with massive amounts of food coloring, no matter if they're generally recognized as safe....now....

It really seems like a lot of food with Easter just 6 days away, which is why there is no dessert.  However, if you're looking for a dessert, try The Ultimate Irish Dessert Recipe Collection for some fun looking things.

Now that Thanksgiving is done and gone, I can turn my attention to the next major holiday task: Cookies. Sometimes I bake solo, and sometimes with friends and family. My favorite recipes are all safely stored on-line for easy access and sharing. Plus, when it comes time the “big bake” I can put all the cookies on one plan and use it as a check list and to make sure that no one has to run out to the store for some exotic but essential ingredient, because you really can’t make macadamia nut cookies without the macadamia nuts.

I love cookie exchanges. There are some that stand out with exceptional clarity: Like the year a co-worker’s oven broke, and she baked her cookies on her gas grill; I won’t say they were tough, but we gave them out as gag-gifts. One time we included guys, and they brought packages of Oreos and Chips Ahoy as their contribution. There was also the year that when someone went to put the latest batch of cookies on the cooling table there was a suspiciously empty patch and giggles coming from under the table. How can you be mad at chocolate covered kiddies? This year my son’s school has asked us to provide cookies for the Teacher’s Cookie Exchange, simple enough to fold into the planning!

Here are some tips for mass cookie baking:

Some of my favorites:

Pan Sugar Cookies:  Nice as fillers for the cookie platter.

Chocolate Chip Snowballs:  My husband's favorites.  These don't last very long!

 Maple Pecan Cookies:  I was surprised to love these.  Not overly sweet.