Looks fabulous, and thanks! Any meat specialties? with favorite veggies?

I don't eat meat so I can't help you there, but I have a few vegetable dishes that are really nice. I think scalloped potatoes are usually popular for Easter, especially with ham. Roasted asparagus is nice in the springtime, and I'm linking some carrots that my guests go crazy for.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
Oven Roasted Asparagus

Oh, yeah! This bread is delicious. Slightly sweet and so soft. I make them ahead and freeze for Thanksgiving. Just take out in the morning and reheat before dinner.

Honey Yeast Rolls

Oh, that's the recipe I tried last week. I didn't have instant yeast, so I let them rise for 30 minutes then put in the oven. I have a quick bread recipe that calls for doing that (Tami_Ohio's recipe), and it turns out.

The rolls didn't get up as much as they should have, but everyone still liked them, but I didn't so much.

Oh, whoops, I used Fleischmann's Active Dry yeast and it worked just fine! I didn't even notice it called for instant. The instant just rises a little faster I think.

Also when I made them ahead, I fully baked them, cooled and then froze. They defrosted and reheated very well.

Oh, MY mistake, Chi. I read the recipe too fast. This is NOT the quick making recipe that I thought it was. In that case, I'll be trying your recipe! I did see the quick one that I made here I think, last week. Raven posted the link, One-Hour Dinner Rolls.

Let me know if you like these ones. :) I think they are really good. I was worried the honey would make them too sweet but it really doesn't.

I will be babysitting the grandsons for a long weekend while their parents and other grandparents go on to Napa to celebrate son-in-law's birthday. They will return to pick up the boys in the afternoon on Sunday and head home to get everyone settled for school the next day...but son#1 and his wife will arrive in the afternoon and stay for dinner.

I am thinking the old stand bys--ham, au gratin potatoes, asparagus, lime jello-pineapple-sour cream mold because it looks so Eastery, and banana cream pie because my son just discovered he does like bananas after all when they are in pie. (We love banana cream pie but never made it because he hated bananas since he was a baby.)

Then I can send son home with left overs and still have a ham bone to make pea soup.

DS and soon to be DIL are in Viet Nam, won't be back for Easter, and DD and SIL live to far away to make it home, so it will just be DH and I. We will be calving by then so we won't be straying too far from home.

I will probably do our standard Easter meal, ham, scalloped potatoes, sweet potato, peas and carrots, green salad, fresh rolls and cherry pie for dessert.

I usually do a ham but for something different how about a pork roast with sweet potatoes and broccoli salad. Rolls, maybe another green vegetable. For dessert a lemon meringue pie.

I don't know yet. My daughters told me they will be here for Easter dinner and THEY will be doing the cooking. I will make a plate of devilled eggs.

I have not thought much about Easter but we do plan to have a cookout at Amber's. So anything goes I guess, including deviled eggs.

Sue

Don't know yet whether I'll be doing all the cooking or going to a sister's place, but our standard family Easter meal is a baked spiral-cut ham, kielbasa, homemade pierogies (always cabbage and potato or potato/cheese), homemade babka (Polish sweet egg bread w/ golden raisins), and typically au gratin potatoes, orange fruited jello (I'm always asked to make it!), and various side vegetables... depends on what looks/sounds good. Desserts vary, but there are always multiple choices -- I'll probably make something with my frozen blackberries. :)

And decorated hard-boiled eggs, of course!!!

For thanksgiving a sister-in-law made a baked ham with some sort of cherry-based sauce that I can really, really NOT recommend. The ham itself was flabby and flavorless -- the sauce made it worse.

I do have a favorite pork tenderloin recipe with an apricot/apple based sauce that is really good, I'll find the recipe if you are interested.

Yes, bob, I would love to see your pork tenderloin recipe Plus what did you serve with it?

When we have ham, once a year because I'm really the only one who likes it, I make a tomatilla-papaya (or mango) salsa to go with. It's light and goes super well with ham.

sjern, please share your salsa recipe!

I often do an oven roasted brisket that is just wonderful with a nice brown onion gravy it makes and serve it with rice for the gravy or mashed potatoes. It is super easy to make and everyone loves it. Beef brisket has gone up in price recently so it is no longer a cheap cut of meat. You can get them all trimmed up or you can get the big packer briskets with the big sections of fat on them. I usually do the packer type and trim it up myself leaving some of the fat on for added flavor. Once it is cooked the fat can be easily removed and discarded. Here is my recipe. This is for using one of the really big packer briskets so adjust time for a small one and also adjust amount of Stubbs for spicy flavor. My test for done is to stick a large fork in the middle and twist if it wants to come apart easily it is done if it does not move much keep cooking. One of the smaller pre trimmed briskets cook more like 3-4 hrs.

Ravens easy brisket:

1large beef brisket (no need to trim
all the fat it will come off easily once cooked)

1 Bottle Stubb's beef marinade (shake
well)

3-4 Tbs frenches mustard

1 chopped onion - optional(this is not optional to me I want it for the gravy)

1/2 cup wine (white or blush)

1/2 cup water

Place brisket fat side down in a very
large covered oven roasting pan after you

Coat both sides of brisket with
mustard (just brush it on). Pour in 1/2 cup wine and 1/2 cup water. Pour in 1/2 (or so)
bottle of Stubbs over the brisket (it will be more spicy if you use
it all) Put chopped onion in and spread it around. No need for added
seasoning!! Place covered roaster in oven at 350 for 5to6 hrs (check
for fork tender) Check it occasionally while cooking to make sure
there is liquid- if needed add a little water. Ladle the juices over
the meat a couple times during cooking.

When done remove brisket to platter to
cool.

GRAVY: Pour juice liquid into a
saucepan; pour off most of the melted fat. In a separate bowl or cup
mix 1 1/2 Tbs of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water mix very well. Put
gravy saucepan on stove and bring to a light boil, slowly stir in the
cornstarch mixture, continue stirring and heat for about 2 mins.

Serve the gravy over hot cooked rice or
mashed potatoes.

Slice brisket across grain.

*If you want a bbq flavor cook in oven
as above for 3 hrs then remove brisket and put on grill cook for
final 3 hrs.

It is amazingly good especially with the rice and gravy.

I do roasted veggies with it, like carrots, parsnips, turnips I never peel the carrots and parsnips just use a good vegetable scrubber and scrub the heck out of them then cut in big chunks, peel the turnips and chunk them up, sprinkle a little sea salt on them put in an oven dish add some olive oil to coat generously stir and put in the oven with the brisket for about 45 mins. I use the really big dark orange carrots for much more flavor. You can do some asparagus the same way. If there is fresh corn available that is good I usually roast some of that too. leave in husks wrap in foil and stick in the oven along with the rest for 30 mins or so.

I am cooking a ham in the crockpot. Here are the other dishes. I will be glad to post recipes if anyone wants.

Potato Gratin

Greeked and Wined Tomatoes

Asparagus Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinegar

Homemade Hot Rolls

Frozen Fruit Salad

Pan-Seared Roast Pork Tenderloin
Serves eight to ten
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins
1 jar Polaner All-Fruit Apricot preserves
4 oz apple sauce
1/2 cup medium-dry Madeira
1 medium onion chopped
2 tbsp butter
Coarse grained salt

First cut off the silvery membrane from the outside of the tenderloins, pat them dry with paper towels and sprinkle them with the coarse grained salt.
Next sear the tenderloins in a large pan over high heat until the outside is a golden-brown.
Place the seared tenderloins on a baking pan, and roast for about 15 minutes in a 425 deg F oven, until the internal temperature is 135 to 140 deg F. Then remove tenderloins from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes, during which time the temperature should rise to 145 to 150 deg F.
While they are cooking, pour the Madeira into the hot pan to deglaze it. Next add the butter and the onions, and cook them until they are translucent.
Next stir the apricot preserves and the apple sauce into the pan and heat it until it is thoroughly bubbling. Pour any meat juice from the resting tenderloins into the sauce.
Slice the tenderloin and serve with the sauce on the side.


More recently I've done the above but used either "Creole Seasoning" or a custom spice blend instead of the coarse salt.

Sides I've made with the tenderloins are broccoli/cauliflower au gratin or mashed potatoes.

Thanks for the recipes :o)

One more question. I think I have zeroed in on my menu. crusted ham, pistachio green beans and a sweet potato casserole with a toasted pecan and scallion topping.

QUESTION: do you think the crust on this recipe would fall off the meat when slicing?

Cheese crusted ham

• 1 (5-pound) fully cooked ham
• 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a
   roasting pan with cooking spray; place ham in pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Using your hands,
   form a crust by patting pineapple mixture over ham, completely
   covering top and sides, except for cut side.

3. Bake 1 to 1-1/4
   hours, or until ham is heated through and crust is golden. Slice and serve.

4. 

Glenda, I seem to have lost the original recipe but here's what I put in the salsa:

tomatillos
papaya
red pepper
red or green onion
a green chili for spice (optional, of course)
cilantro (could add parsley instead, if don't care for)
lemon or lime juice
olive oil
salt and pepper

All are chopped rather finely; 1/4--1/2 inch?
My sister adds tomatoes and cucumbers, so you can play around with the ingredients.

I'm sorry to be vague, Glenda, but I know you could whip up your version without knowing any proportions and it would be great! I like to let it sit and meld for awhile before serving, in the fridge or on the counter.

Thanks sjern!

sjerin, is that a completely fresh salsa? e.g., do you roast the tomatillos?

Glenda, the photo looks to me as if the ham was sliced thickly to help the topping stay attached. The cheese should make it stick some, but if you want to slice thinly it might not work as well. Just guessing, of course.

Not sure if you want a salad with your menu, or if you'd be interested in this particular one, but it's a real eye-popper and everyone loves it. It's made with spring greens, mandarin oranges, red onion, and a really nice dressing of balsamic & orange juice.

Yes, Party, all the vegetables and fruit are fresh, including the tomatillos.

sjern, a must try salsa, thanks!

Party_music - that salad sounds delicious! Please post the recipe. Thank you!

stacey_mb, I got the recipe from my sister so will include her notes in parentheses. I forgot that the recipe calls for mint too... I've made it without mint and have also added sweet red peppers and omitted the nuts, when appropriate. It's all good. :)

Refreshing Minty-Orange Salad
1 lg. can mandarin oranges (10 oz can)
3 cups chopped spring mix (1 bag)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or favorite nut)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
3-4 tbs. chopped mint

Dressing
3-4 tbs. [extra virgin] olive oil
4 tbs. balsamic vinegar
4 tbs. orange juice
1 clove crushed/minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
Mix & chill dressing. Pour over salad just before serving.

The orange salad sounds awesome!

Being as I love spinach, I think I'd like to use baby spinach instead of the spring mix. That's me :o)

Glenda, I'm pretty sure it's good w/ baby spinach too.

Lightly toast the almonds for a great flavor boost!

My only Easter tradition is pickled hardboiled eggs and beets. Why don't I make them more often? I just don't think about it except at Easter, which is when mother used to make them.

I always toast my nuts!