Christus resurrexit!

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

I spent my Holy Week spring cleaning like a madwoman. I have to say I felt rather like I was living my own Passiontide, but I persevered with the Palestrina channel on Pandora keeping me company. Easter felt even more beautiful because I was able to look around my home and be happy because it was clean and mostly clutter-free!

One of my favorite things about spring are flowers! I have tulips, Easter lilies, hyacinth, and a daffodil plant making the main floor smell amazing. 

 I used the technique for making a balloon arch (with helium filled balloons) to hang across the kitchen/dining room opening. It looks so festive, and Tony loves to look up at it.

We did Tony's egg hunt before Mass, but also before he had his church clothes on. Oh well. It was so cute to watch him get the eggs. I put a gummy bear in each one and once he discovered that, he would shake them to see if it was worth trying to open. Today he is still playing with the eggs - he has a paper plate and plastic fork that he carries around with a basket of eggs. Kids are so funny.

I...Can...Reach...

 

Choc-late. Said in a grovely baby voice. While I was showering yesterday he swiped MY chocolate eggs. I came to the kitchen to find two foil wrappers on the floor, and him watching Tarzan with a mouth full of chocolate. I guess he knew Mommy had had enough chocolate already...and would have more after dinner.

Never give a small child truffles. They don't understand that truffles must be eaten quickly, or they will melt. Thankfully I had put him in his high chair with it. Otherwise that mess would have been all over my dress.

The truffles. One of our guests is allergic to dairy and eggs, so I tried to find something easy to make that she could enjoy. These truffles are just coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Oh. My. Word. I posted the recipe here.

My first leg of lamb! I left the bone in, and the fell on. On Saturday I inserted garlic slivers, and rubbed it down with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. I added a little red wine to the bottom of the pan, which it soaked up by Sunday. Before roasting I added more wine. It was perfectly pink inside, and absolutely delicious. It will definitely be an Easter tradition from now on!

 My vegetable dyed eggs. The pink one was made from beet juice, and the blue from boiled red cabbage leaves. I did orange, too, from carrot juice, but they were fairly light. I think the beet juice needed a little water or something because, as you can see in the picture, it was kind of sticky and left bubble spots. Next year I'm going to plan ahead a little better and try more colors.

And last, but certainly not least, my 20 week bump. Last week I had that awful burning/stretching sensation around my belly button. I'm feeling the baby move a lot more, though still not enough for Tony or Zach to feel. One of these days. 

I had high hopes of making an Easter dress, and my Mother even went to the trouble of mailing me a curtain that was on clearance at Target to use for it (Target's Shabby Chic line had voile curtains on clearance for $9. I got a whole dress out of one panel!). I cut it out, and thought I would get to it, but cleaning took priority. I wasn't too sad, though, because I love the dress I made for Easter when I was pregnant with Tony. 

Wishes for a joyous Easter week! 

Love,

Jess