I went for my walk today in spite of the fact that it was not even thirty degrees out and the wind was gusting at 30 MPH. Can't say I enjoyed it much, but now I at least have the satisfaction of having gotten some exercise.
In spite of my early training--give up something for Lent, go to church a whole lot, cook a huge feast, visit the relatives, and buy a new bonnet--Easter has never been a very favorite holiday for me. I am not particularly religious so I don't get involved in that aspect any more. I remember the visiting family and the feasting fondly. On the other hand, my mother spent so very much time cooking and baking all kinds of traditional dishes and carrying out other Ukrainian rituals that she was pretty much toast by the actual day. In fact, the whole Easter time was a likely trigger for one of her breakdowns/psychotic episodes. Maybe I am honoring her memory by being cranky and out of sorts.
Or maybe it really is the weather. It is no fun to wear a flowered hat and patent leather shoes when there is snow on the ground. All that hype about spring and it usually isn't near spring in this part of the world. Bunnies and eggs look out of place in people's yards and there are still those who have not gotten around to taking down evergreen wreaths (which are in fact rather sadly brown) and Christmas lights. Bah! Humbug! That's what I'm saying.
We are going to go to Mike's sister's for Easter dinner this year--family and feasting. I did drag out a recipe for babka and I'll take that to contribute.
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| This is a great cookbook that I have used for ages. |
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| Ready to rise. |
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Completed loaf.
My mother's would have had a braided top. |
The babka is beautiful. It's funny but I'd never thought about Easter up north where it might not be warm yet. It's almost always warm (even hot) in the south at Easter. I've often thought it odd that people who live Down Under have Easter as a fall holiday.
ReplyDeleteWell babka was new to me so I looked it up. Sounds really good and certainly looks good.
ReplyDeleteGuess snow does take a bit off of Easter. Sunrise services would be brutal.
I love my Heritage cookbook! I have had it forever. It was one of the few books that came with me when we downsized.
ReplyDeleteYour post has made me hungry. Heading to my daughter's for Easter...but since I am bringing food I am guessing it will have to be something that travels well.
ReplyDeleteThe babka looks wonderful, but not wonderful enough to make me want to make my own.
ReplyDeleteThe babka does look wonderful. You should be proud that you got that done. I'm impressed. I really don't have the patience for yeast breads anymore.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have some warm weather for Easter.
We've been invited to a Greek Easter meal by our local restaurant owner. Can hardly wait!
ReplyDeleteThe babka is perfect, Olga. I wish you sunshine for the weekend (and no wind).
ReplyDeleteOhhh, your walking fortitude, makes me blush. -hangs head in shame-
ReplyDeleteYes, those gotta-do-all-sorts-of-stuff-to-make-a-holiday rituals, probably leave more bad memories, than good ones. Very sad. The poor women were doing what had been drilled into them... That which they HAD to do, if they were to be a *Good Wife and Mother.* With a lot of opposite results.
Thankfully, this did not carry forth, to the next generation. :-)
Wishes for you to enjoy your family/friends this weekend!!!
Gentle hugs,
.♥.
I love that: 'My mother's would have had a braided top.'
ReplyDeleteMy mother was a fab hostess, incredible cook, and I cannot compete, but I am happy to have family to visit. I actually helped out when Jofee had chicken pox!
I'm catching up on blog reading. I see from another post that you did have a pleasant Easter despite the awful weather.
ReplyDeleteIn the Pacific Northwest Easter is always iffy. We usually have an egg hunt between showers, and it's usually not warm enough for pretty spring dresses, but we always wore them anyway. Like you, I don't celebrate the religious aspect any more, but I do love the spring colors and decorations. But unlike your corner of the country, it is spring here, with everything going green and blooming - just cold and wet.
We had some sun on our trip to Colorado and surrounding states, and that was a pleasant change, but we also had some snow. The weather is definitely the topic this spring.