Our first Easter at the Farmhouse was everything we could have imagined and more. Holidays and farmhouses just go together, I think. Donovan spent the week stressing about whether or not the Easter Bunny would use all 16 acres to hide eggs. Even asking kids in class their egg-speriences (heh). Not sure who gave him the idea that he’d be searching the full acreage (it was me) but it had him worried.
Saturday night, we dyed eggs. I ordered 3 different egg dye sets online that came with all sorts of decorations. None of which actually worked like they looked on the box. But that’s the fun of it, right? And we made them our own with paints, and glue.
As night approached, Tyler and I came across a dilemma. See, around here, the Easter bunny hides all our decorated eggs along with 56 plastic eggs full of candy before the kids wake up. Donovan is still holding onto his beliefs of holiday magic (or pretending for our sakes) except, the Easter Bunny would have to pass by his room in the early hours on a rather creaky old floor. This would for sure wake him up and the bunny would be caught redhanded. So the Easter Bunny spent the night downstairs on the luv sack. (which isn’t a bad sleep)
5 am in the morning came and the bunny prepared to go hide eggs.
And stopped.
And stared at how dark it was out there, knowing there were all sorts of wildlife wandering around in the dark.
And then the bunny took one look at the candy filled eggs and the hardboiled eggs and realized that by hiding them all over our yard, he was creating a giant calling card to all the bears, inviting them our all-you-can-eat candy and egg Easter Buffet. During peak hungry bear season.
So, at 5am in the morning, the Easter Bunny was pulling all the candy out of the eggs and switching it with quarters. By some Easter miracle, we had enough. Probably thanks to the hotel laundromat. And the hard boiled eggs went back into the fridge. And my kids thought they’d hit the Easter Jackpot
The full 16 acres was not covered, but the main areas all had eggs. Which probably spanned about 5 acres. It gave them a challenge, but we weren’t out all day.
Easter baskets were discovered, candy was eaten way too early in the day and the boys had a good time looking for eggs in new places with lots of space. I made fresh Strawberry Shortcake for breakfast with buttermilk biscuits and home made whipped cream. Which made me feel like the farmhousiest of farmhouse wives, especially when donned with a ruffled apron. I had to play the part and all.
Later that day we started cooking our Easter dinner. I had found a delicious Maple glazed ham recipe (#becausevermont) and bought a ham that was entirely too big for our family of 4. We remembered too late that Tyler had broken my big roasting dish some time back, but the dish comes in 3 sizes so we did what we could with the size down. Regrets occurred.
We glazed the ham, squeezed orange juice all over it, and shoved the oranges into the remaining spaces around the ham. As long as everything fit inside, it was good, right?
Yeah, wrong.
With every 30 minutes, I was glazing this ham. Juices had falling around the savory beast , filling the dish and splashing down into the oven and over the door, pouring out onto the floor. But it smelled so good and the ham seemed to baking well, so we continued on.
Soon, smoke was billowing out of the oven. We checked, and although there was a burning mass of charcoal on the bottom of the oven, nothing was actually on fire and man it smelled good. So still we proceeded. Fire alarms went off, we proceeded. Windows and doors had to be opened, and yet we proceeded. We were determined to have this ham.
And in the end, 2.5 hours later, it turned out to be the best ham I have ever cooked. In fact, the entire dinner was the best I had ever made. We ate until we were ill, surrounded by a cloud of smoke like a densely packed smoking room of an airport. And the hour of oven cleaning I did the next day was sooo worth it. Because not only was there good food, there was leftover good food too! Granted, Easter food is my very favorite holiday food. But seriously, Ham sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, ham in everything we eat for the next week. Soooooo good.
Here is my easter menu if anyone is interested.
note: the Joanna Gaines recipes were all from her first Magnolia cookbook
Grandma’s Potato Salad
This is my grandma’s recipe witch I have learned simply by dumping to taste. It’s an easter staple. But essentially, it’s potatoes boiled and chopped, hard boiled eggs chopped, mayo, a small bit of mustard, salt and pepper. mix it all together until delicious. She always added dill pickles chopped and pickle juice but my family doesn’t like pickles, so I omit.
Joanna Gaines Buttermilk Biscuits (leftover from breakfast)
Baked Beans
Another dump recipe which I believe is also my grandma’s but I have doctored a bit. Can of baked beans (favorite flavor but I like maple or brown sugar), ground beef, a dash of bbq sauce, more brown sugar, and this time I added some brown sugar bacon from the deviled eggs which turned out amazing.
In other news, we have our first Spring Bloom! Although for some reason it popped up in the middle of the yard. All it’s other buddies are hanging out over in the flower beds, not even close to blooming. But this little rebel without a cause left them all behind. Guess that proves that when you go against the norm, you blossom! I built a fairy ring around it so the Spring fairies to take a rest around my little Crocus umbrella.
And now I’m going to eat some more leftovers. Because Easter food! Mmmmmmm!
