There are definitely traditions with holiday meals in our family. They mostly revolve around great food.
At Easter, we have lamb and ham. When I was little, my grandma Noecker hosted Easter lunch and she always made lamb. It was the only time we had lamb, so it was a treat, and I learned to really enjoy it.
Deviled Eggs
My grandma always made deviled eggs, and at least half of the plate would be gone before lunch even started.
My sister, Cara, who now lives in my grandmother's house, carries on the tradition of making deviled eggs, and adds her own touches to them.
She says that making deviled eggs is a little-bit-of-this and a little-bit-of-that as opposed to a recipe.
Take already hard boiled eggs, cut in half, cut out the yolk and drop the egg halves in food coloring, hot water and vinegar to color the eggs.
For traditional deviled eggs, mash the yolks with a fork and mix in mayo, brown mustard, and a dash of Pepper Plant hot sauce.
If you want to make BBQ eggs, mix mayo, a dash of mustard, BBQ sauce and garnish with a piece of bacon.
Easter Bunny Cake
The bunny cake is a more recent addition. It is cute, easy to make and feeds a crowd, so it's perfect for our family! My mom started making it a few years ago, now my niece Evelyn is the baker.
We totally cheat with this one. Make 2 box mix cakes (we use white cake) in round springform pans. Follow the box instructions. 2nd cheat: use store-bought icing.
After the cakes have cooled, cover one of the cakes with icing.
For the 2nd cake, cut 2 convex-shaped ears from each side of the cake. Place ears on each side of the head. Use the remaining concave-shaped piece for the bowtie; position it about 1/2 inch below the head.
Decorate with colored icing, M&Ms, licorice, or any other decoration you like!
Happy Easter from our family to yours!