Angelic Cakes and Deviled Eggs

 

Marina's homemade strawberry cheesecake.

Easter Sunday is a holiday our family does not typically celebrate together. We have a couple members of the family who attend church services and then the day is usually spent with their immediate family. The grandkids are all grown and off on their own, leaving out the need for Easter egg hunts or leaving baskets around the home for the kids to receive candy or gifts. 

Now that Jess and Brandon are parents to Zyrah, we have a new reason to gather on this beautiful holiday. Good food, fun, laughter, and the people we love have decided to come together in Andy, Dawn, and Lorenzo's home to celebrate and have fun. Lorenzo is my daughter Dawn's father-in-law. Dawn is Jessee's mom, so the option of hosting a small Easter egg hunt for Zyrah becomes more exciting and joyful. 

Terry and I promised to bring some fruit salad, baked beans, and a veggie tray for the dinner. Dawn and Andy had made some stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and braised carrots for the meal. Brandy and her husband Dan included green bean casserole and zucchini squash casserole. To top it all off, Marina and her husband John were fruitful! They brought a load of food, including two spiral cut hams, homemade au gratin potatoes, stuffed mushroom and a wonderful artichoke spinach dip that was truly amazing. But Marina didn't end it there. On top of the delicious dinner that had us stuffed to our bunny ears, so to speak, Marina also created three great tasting, beautifully crafted desserts. All sugar free and low carb. 

This cheesecake is sugar free and very low carb. A perfect dessert for diabetics and those concerned about their overall health through their diet. 

The carrot cake was also low carb and sugar free. Perfect way to top off a wonderful Easter meal. 

Dawn made the very popular deviled eggs to add to the feast. My family loves deviled eggs and Dawn makes them almost every time we have a large gathering. 

Marina added her tangy lemon cookies to the dessert table, and all was well. These cookies were lemony, tangy, bright options. They had a tart lemon flavor from the frosting, yet a sweeter lemon flavor from the cookie, making the perfect combination. 

We started the meal off with all sorts of appetizers, including these stuffed mushrooms Marina made. Filled with herbs and spices, plus a fantastic cheese mixture, they were a hit!

A dip of artichoke and spinach was consumed quickly as family members began to arrive. The lemon cookies and stuffed mushrooms didn't stand a chance either! 

Family stood around chatting and reminiscing of old times. 

"Gummy Bear" sat on the back of the couch with her mouth agape, taking in all the commotion. Andy refers to her as "Gummy Bear" because her name is Bear, but she is getting older and as most small dogs do, she has lost teeth and gums most of her food. 

Little Bella snoozed through most of the afternoon. She's over it. 

Zyrah sat by me and entertained herself by watching shows on her iPad. 

Grandpa Andy and Zyrah played with toys from the toy box and killed time in any way they could.

Lorenzo sat and read while waiting. The house was filled with the various smells of food cooking in the oven and on the stove top. Heat from cooking appliances lifted the aromas and carried them throughout the home, making our mouths water. Oh, come on dinner! Cook!

Finally. Word came that dinner was ready. We all crowded into the kitchen and around the table. Lorenzo had John read the Easter scripture as we listened in joy and silence. I looked around the room. So very much to be thankful for. My beautiful daughters and their kind, awesome husbands. Oh, those beautiful grandchildren! Zyrah, my beloved great granddaughter. My older brother, Mike had even joined us on this awesome day, and this made us all very happy. Of course, Lorenzo who is a very sweet, kind man who we all respect and love very much. And then the newest addition to the mix, my sweet man, Terry. I squeezed his hand tighter as I adored my wonderful family and considered his presence at the table too. He immediately squeezed my hand back. All the blessings I have in my life is overwhelming at times. 

But enough of the tear-jerking ceremony. Put away the tissues. I am hungry! Let's eat! It was a battle cry, hearing "Dinner is ready!" We each grabbed a plate and lifted our mighty forks, heading in toward the fight. It was on! Yes, we were grateful for the food, but now it was every man for themselves. We slay the ham. The poor braised carrots didn't stand a chance against all of us stabbing and prodding the orange vegetables. Bread was shredded. Mashed potatoes were spooned out, with large globs of the creamy white mixture being brutally attacked and thrown onto plates.  

The house grew quieter, leaving only the sounds of forks and knives clanging against plates. It was as though mighty swords were clanging as the battle continued. The ham was so good. The casseroles left me wanting more. Brandy's green bean casserole, with Marina's au gratin potatoes, and of course Dawn's stuffing and gravy were piled onto my plate. We chatted in between stuffing another bite into our mouths. A few moments later, the dishes strewn about the counters and in the sink were empty. The attack was over.  Everyone assumed their original position of sitting in chairs throughout the house, chatting once again, but this time we were holding our stomachs and complaining of how full we were. We were victorious.

Dishes were everywhere. The kitchen looked like we had gone to battle and there was nothing left but a few surviving pieces of food on the battlefield. The gravy was spattered across the stove. Packages of sweet rolls lay wounded, with the plastic wrap collapsed from a brutal attack, hanging on for dear life. Only a few bites of green bean casserole survived the battle. Tiny bits of green bean lie in the remains of the creamy sauce. It would never be the same again. 

The ham had been pulled apart and was worse for the wear. We had won the battle. The fittest had survived. Our family was now fed. Taking hours to bake, we never really paid homage to the hard work put into the meal. We attacked without a second thought. Now it was time to sit and enjoy each other's company. But our little Zyrah needed eggs hidden so she could find them. Dawn and Jess began the preparations for the big event. 

Terry and I headed out to the back deck to sit, chat, and let our stomachs settle after the massacre we created out of the dinner. Terry lit a cigar and invited others to join him in the "manly hour." A couple of people joined him, and they smoked until their hearts were content. It was an awesome way to relax and enjoy the company of family, plus let our food settle. We finally received word that the egg hunt was ready. 

Many of us headed outside to see Zyrah find the eggs. Jessee and Brandon helped her along of course. 

Zyrah walked into the wet grass and saw the eggs laying around her. The hunt was on. She would pick up one, spot another, and wonder what to do with them all. I had such a great time watching her pick them all up. They were filled with her fruit snacks that are sugar free and healthier than candy. Plus, she had also been finding money in some of them. Little toys were in a few. She had just been to the public Easter egg hunt in town on Saturday and not only grabbed a ton of eggs, but she also won a tricycle!

The finale was when Zyrah found the golden egg, filled with all sorts of fun gifts. 

Suddenly, the attack on desserts was on. Everyone snagged cookies, pieces of cheesecake with mounds of fresh berries on top, and the scrumptious carrot cake with walnuts and cream cheese frosting. Absolute heaven! Great way to complete a big dinner.  

Zyrah finished her egg hunt and was so happy. She had an amazing day. We all did. Shortly after the egg hunt was complete, everyone began hugging each other and saying goodbye. It was a beautiful, amazing day with the family. Terry and I were gorged from eating dinner, but we still had an hour-long ride home. Being the last ones to leave, we said our final goodbyes to Dawn, Lorenzo and Andy, thanking them for hosting us. 

I drove home, feeling very blessed. My family is awesome. I am so happy that Terry has joined our group. As the family was sitting around and joking with each other at dinner, I noticed Terry was bouncing right back with funny comeback comments. It made me smile. I was genuinely happy inside, knowing that he loves my family, and they love him back. I hope you all had an incredible day, whether with family or not. Happy Easter to you all, even to those who do not celebrate the holiday. Every day we are alive, we should be grateful and realized the blessing in that. 

Another fun-filled weekend for Terry and me. I want to say that we appreciate everyone who reads this blog. We genuinely love to write it. Using it as a memory catch-all, we feel it's worth it, even though others may not find it valuable. Hugs to all! Be kind to one another. See you next weekend!