Easter Pictures

I hope everyone who celebrated Easter or just celebrated Sunday had a nice day yesterday. It was also our niece's 25th birthday. I always think that the 25th is more important that the 21st.
Twenty-five is a quarter century and usually by then, what you are doing with your life will be what you are destined to do for the next three.

Turned out to be a great day to sit outside on my SIL's new screened in porch. She lost her husband a year ago and it was bittersweet that he never got to use it, being his idea to build it. I wish our front deck was screened in. Too many mosquito's chase us in during the summer when it would be nice to stay out longer, especially on the weekends.
The Nudge and I got there a few hours before his brother & family did, so we had time to get caught up in family gossip.


This was how I served the Hearts of Gold. I would make these again and again. It really wasn't all that hard to cut up the artichokes to expose the heart. You pull off all the outer hard leaves, cut down half of them and peel the stem and base with a regular vegetable peeler.
Then you cut them in half lengthwise and cut out the choke, exposing the heart and the tenderest leaves that surround it. Soak in acidulated water while you do the rest. Then boil them for no more than 15 minutes, remove and cool.
Once cool, standard breading applies. Egg & Panko/dry bread crumbs. I deep fried mine because I had it set up for the fritters but you could shallow fry them like you would chicken breasts.

These are the three sauces I prepared. The cumin creme fraiche went well with the grilled lamb chops and I loved the grapefruit sabayon spooned over the hearts. The lemon aioli was good for the fritters so all the sauces got eaten. YAY for me.

I am seriously thinking of making these again next weekend. I am sure artichokes will still be in season.

I think if I do I will make a light Hollandaise sauce and serve a nice grilled fillet. Sounds like a plan.

My Easter pie was a hit. We also had an ice cream cake. I forgot how much I like those cakes from Carvel.

Here's a picture of my niece after she blew out the candles. She's such a pretty girl and has blossomed as she has matured.

She has become a foodie which surprised the hell out of me and just knocks me over. I think she is the first on The Nudge's side of the family to be overly interested in foods and cultures.

Just proves you can never be too old to enjoy an ice cream cake.
I admit I splurged on the dessert and had a small piece of both, the ricotta and ice cream pie's.
They says it's bad luck to not have a piece of birthday cake and I am sticking to that excuse......