Seasonal Sundays (Week 16)

Happy Easter, All ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

So hello ... and Happy Easter for those who mark the Christian celebration.

I'm feeling nostalgic for the big Easter egg hunts we once hosted, dozens of families, so many kids streaming into the field across the way carrying baskets, a parent close behind the littlest Littles. Today the weather is stormy, we'd be moving to Plan B, hiding the eggs inside.

And that's the thing, right? One of the Things among So Many Things right now, that is.

What will life look like a year from now? Heavens, how will our lives look a week from now?

Will the "weather" still be stormy? Or will the world be full of "sunshine" and small girls in Easter dresses and small boys with Easter shirts untucked?

Or will we still be making do, finding ways to adjust – and celebrate – with Plan B? Or perhaps Plans C, D, E or F?

When do we accept that This Moment, even with so much upset and uncertainty and so many unknowns, it's still life, just not the lives we imagined a few short weeks ago.

If ever there's a reminder that learning to adjust – flexing, stretching, retrenching – is a life skill.

Be Well. Be Strong. Be Safe. Be You.

PS This sounds special, I've set a reminder, Andrea Bocelli Live from the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, 1pm eastern time, noon central time, 10am pacific time today, Easter Sunday.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: Like school children everywhere, the twin grandsons (age 11) are in remote learning mode including occasional art lessons with their grandpa. When the photo of the younger twin's sidewalk chalk art arrived, Grandpa just shook his head with a smile. "Maybe I should be the one taking lessons."

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

Did you manage an Easter ham? Don't toss that bone, it's the basis for tomorrow's dinner! Or maybe you have a ham hock or two in the freezer? This is such comfort food, something I make all year round, a big pot every couple of months. It's a good night, Ham & Beans night.

• THE RECIPE Ham & Beans How to make Ham & Beans with a leftover ham bone.

Leftover Ham?

Here's the thing. Ham doesn't freeze well. I'm not sure why but it really loses something.

That said, guess who keeps freezing ham, just so it doesn't go to waste. So imagine my surprise to figure out that ham salad made from frozen ham is wonderful!

• THE RECIPE Easy Ham Salad Use up leftover ham, just baked or from the freezer.
• FOR BREAKFAST TOO Ham & Eggs with Leftover Ham

Something for the Soup Pot

Looking for hearty but light, both at once in the same bowl?

• THE RECIPE Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach Turkey & vegetables in a lemony broth

Working On That Stash of Beans

Let's not forget, dried beans don't keep forever. In fact, "fresh" dried beans cook better, see Why Dried Beans Won't Cook. My own tack is that when I'm able to buy a new bag or two of beans, it's time to cook one too.

• THE RECIPE Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki) Cooked til creamy in the oven.

Strawberry Season Begins ...

Less activity. More cooking. More stress eating. People are starting to ruefully admit, Covid19 may predict weight gain of 19 pounds.

We're doling out the sweets here, 100-calorie

But on Saturdays? S-W-E-E-T Time! This pie won't put you over the edge though, a slice is only 200 calories.

The cookie crust is fabulous but nobody's gonna complain about a graham cracker crust, I promise. Mine is lower in butter and sugar than most, My Favorite Graham Cracker Crust, it's crisp and sturdy, not too sweet, not too buttery.

• THE RECIPE Fresh Strawberry Pie Fresh glazed berries in a homemade chocolate-cookie crust, a real crowd pleaser.

Peace and Quiet in the North Woods

I've been fascinated by Minnesota photographer Jim Brandenburg's work for many years. His book Chased by the Light is at my dad's, I pour through it every time I visit.

Chased by the Light is fascinating. It's a collection of photographs – just one shot, one actual click of the shutter button – for each of 90 days.

In today's digital world, where thousands of bad photos stack up on our phones, his work is truly something. Imagine waiting – waiting! – to find just the right shot and then getting it just right in a single shot.

It turns out that with little fanfare, for almost ten years Brandenburg was also collecting video and in 2020, it's being presented, one day at a time, at Nature365.tv. He writes: "Nature has blessed me with its gifts of subtle but powerful teaching. One might even describe these moments I give back as a form of a small prayer; a mindful effort to pay homage to a wild and natural living land."

For me, it's become a daily devotional, a moment to remember and rejoice in the wildness of the world.

• THE BOOK Chased by the Light by Jim Brandenburg
• THE DAILY VIDEO Nature365
• THE PHOTOGRAPHER JimBrandenburg.com & blog

Something to Read

I'm taking a deep dive into John Irving, attacking a stack of $1 books from Goodwill awhile back.

The writing, oh, the writing. The fulsome detail, without seeming like a writer's assistant's checklist.

The World According to Garp started off strong but is wearing on me 41% in. Tell me, does it pick up again?

Widow for One Year, in contrast, remains compelling a third of the way in. I so feel for Ruthie ...

• THE BOOKS by John Irving (affiliate links)
• The World According to Garp
• A Widow for One Year

What's New?!

An Old-Fashioned Finnish Cake

It's r-a-r-e for me to bake one day and share the recipe the next. But I've made many tiger cakes, even if the last time was decades ago. This one's not to miss ... especially since it's a mini cake, a nice size for the small households many of us are in.

• THE RECIPE Finnish Tiger Cake

Don't Skip the Olives!

Just chop up all your green vegetables, then add olives and toasted almonds. A real hit ...

• THE RECIPE Big Cajun Chopped Salad

Just Updated!

Keep Supper Simple

• THE RECIPE One-Skillet Braised Chicken with Shallots

Make a Meal Out of Butternut Squash

• THE RECIPE Butternut Squash Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel & Roasted Butternut Squash

Some for Lunch, Some for the Freezer

• THE RECIPE Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup

Easter Is a Season, Not a Single Day

• THE RECIPE Armenian Easter Bread The buttery sweet bread called choereg or choreg.

Eating from the Freezer ...

• THE RECIPE Slow Cooker Braised Lamb Shanks or Venison Shanks Fall-off-the-bone meat in a silky-smooth sauce.

Apples Need Attention?

• THE RECIPE Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp My very own "perfect" recipe, barely sweet apples firm and tart, topped with an extra-crispy topping, thanks to a secret ingredient.

More Sweets

• Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake Dark, moist and chocolate-y, even two or three days after baking. Fun sprinkles?!
• How to Make Rhubarb Jam & Rhubarb Jelly Two small batches in under an hour!

Text Me Back!

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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