Easter holds a few other traditions

An egg hunt:  This year only two little boys and 115 eggs.  Uncle D gets the job of hiding them in the yard. Almost every year there is one or two that show up in the garden during the summer.

Not to happen this year. The weatherman was right.  Rain.  So, inside was the hiding place.  Sure enough, after the boys went home, there was still one egg that showed up. 

•  A Carrot Cake:  During the early years, Mimi would create orange carrots and little green stems on the cake.
•  Now it is usually sprinkles. 
•  And now, she is in Minnesota.  We often check in on Saturday to see how "we" are getting along.

A typical piece of our favorite carrot cake 

This year, Mimi was working all day and was not sure she would be able to make it happen.
Mine was frosted and on the cake pedestal early evening. 

 Just to keep it fresh and cool I put the domed stand in the back room closet.
Easter morning. 
About noon when Uncle D arrived I had him help  lift the cake into the dining room.

"Mom, the cake is covered with ants"

We call them sugar ants and there they were,  so busy destroying the sparkles.  I thought I could just sweep them off, but no, they were under, all over  and probably inside. 
Out in the garage it went
Uncle D  offered to run to Safeway for a cake, but since he still had 115 eggs to hide, hubby got his keys and started out.

About now, our neighbors Tyler, Heidi and little Eleanor were coming down the path.
Wait!  What was Heidi carrying?    I quickly ran to the front door and I hope I said hello before I said
" What is that you are holding?"    It was a lemon cake.  
Shouted to Uncle D ... run after Dad and tell him we have a cake !

And he did.. And we did. 

Pretty soon Tiffany arrived with deviled eggs, asparagus,  cookies and some sparkling beverage

Mari and Lucas arrived with the most beautiful fruit salad

Ham and herb bread...and all 12 of us begin the feast 

While still around the table we pass the

             "Resurrection Eggs" 
Starting with Jesus loves the world and ending with an empty tomb 

  

Looks like we are ready for dessert 

Story not over yet.

When Tiffany went out to the garage she saw the cake,

she said " Mom that was thoughtful of you to hide the carrot cake when Heidi came with her cake"

When the truth came out, Tiffany and Mari got hysterical and I finally had to laugh about it.

I live an exciting life 

.

Nope.   

A funny thing happened on the way to
                           Oven Repair....

The repair man came

 He was a nice enough guy.  Must have had a nice grandma because somehow he got to the subject of carrot cake. He has the best recipe, from his grandma.

He also told me that my oven was accurate at 300° but not at 350 °.     200, 400 300 fine.

 But not 350 °

His grandma made the best scones. OH, I said I might like the recipe. Sorry, Grandma is gone – no offer for the recipe.

While standing in my very happy kitchen with red this and that, he said his wife liked red, but he did not like red. It is too bright.
Why did I tell him I have a red car?  So he could tell me that while he was a policeman in California, red cars got more tickets.

He  called a couple places to find parts and the grand total $ 545. Plus tax. I don’t know if that included installation.  I do know, I can live with an oven that is slightly off in the 350 ° zone. 

 At least for a while.  

Of course, his grandma told him that he should always bake chicken at 300 ° because it will be more moist.   And he also told me a few tips on baking carrot cake. 

 He did NOT know that I, Kathy, have the best recipe for carrot cake  from my friend Jeannette Adamson.   I also have several friends who bake great scones.

So, I have an oven that is a little off ( like me ) and here I am in my studio thinking I should have a little more red in this bright, happy, pink and green room. 

For some reason I am hungry.  Think I will have myself a slice of carrot cake ( just happen to know which shelf it is on in the freezer )

Plenty to share, come on over