March 26, 2008
This year, Easter brought a return of Christmas. Not only did it snow 13 inches on good Friday, I was also busy doing the revisions on my Christmas novel, totally out of sync with the season.
So we celebrated at home, instead of traveling. And, as usual, I waited until the last possible moment, to make any plans for dinner.
I’ve never actually done Easter dinner for the kids. And personally, I am not a big fan of ham. But I am a big fan of tradition. So when I asked if there were any requests from the kids, for a perfect Easter feast, I was a little confused when #2 Son asked for chicken Mole.
Ok. Chicken. Chocolate. Is it really any stranger than a chocolate bunny? Chicken Mole it is. With Spanish rice, nopalitos (cactus salad, with queso blanco and jalapenos), a fruit salad, and flan.
But then, I began to feel guilty. There was no jello salad on this menu. And how is it possible, to celebrate the risen Lord without a jello mold?
But if you’re making a jello mold, then might as well make a seven layer salad. And some crescent rolls.
And a ham.
So, I’ll cook twice. And get some Pillsbury sweet rolls for breakfast to go for the kitchen trifecta.
It took about a second to realize that I was not prepared for these menus. Aside from not having any groceries in the house, I also lacked ramekins for the flan,and a jello mold. How could I have been married for 24 years, and never noticed the lack of jello molds?
So, the day before Easter, I went grocery shopping, and then off to the gourmet kitchen thingy store, to get supplies. After listening to all the sugared up, screaming kids in the Walmart grocery dept, I was a little punchy. This is an excellent way to go to a specialty store, since stuff that you wouldn’t have given a second glance to, back when you were still sane, begins to like a real good idea.
Suddenly an ordinary ring pan would not do, for my jello. I found a silicon bundt pan, that looked like a cathedral. I could imagine the crystal tower of wobbly goodness on a glass plate, possibly surrounded by greens.
With bananas in it. Or maybe peaches. But no carrots. Because that is just kind of creepy.
And the little pans for the flan were right above it. So I grabbed a handful. Only to get to the check-out, and see Creme brulee kits. They came with a mix, ramekins,
and a blow torch.
I really need ramekins, and this is a lot like flan.
And there is a blow torch.
When I get to the check-out counter, the perky girl behind it asks, “Can I interest you in our gadget of the week?”
“I am impulse buying a blow torch, the day before Easter. What do you think?”
So now, I am also the proud owner of a palm peeler. You fit it on you hand by slipping your finger through a ring, and you can peel potatoes by stoking them.
I held up my palm to #2 son, and announced “Just like brass knuckles.”
He said, “Not unless the blade is on the back of your hand. And you think you can defend yourself with a potato peeler.”
And then he took it off my hand, and put it back on, correctly. Since, not only was it useless for self defense, I was wearing it the wrong way to peel potatoes, too.
He was definitely more interested in the blow torch.
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