It’s Easter weekend and it’s going to be just the four of us on Sunday. Time for inviting got away from me not to mention J is playing in 3 services at church. We’ll only go to the last one but I know my introverted son will be d-o-n-e by the time church is over.
Anyway, it’s left me trying to figure out an Easter menu for just the 4 of us. And pondering why was it easier for me to plan a brunch for almost 20 people than to meal plan Easter for 4.
ONE: Easter Brunch Days (from the past)
For so many years, I hosted Easter brunch here. Sadly, the picture above is the only one I can find. Both our families would come over around 10 or 10:30 and linger almost all afternoon. When there were more small kids in the family, we’d have an egg hunt in our backyard as well. I loved planning the menu and preparing all the food.
I always insisted on doing all the food suggesting that if guests wanted to bring something, they could bring me flowers. And I always used our “good” serving dishes or special ones.
However, we did typically eat on decorative paper plates. I’d buy pretty ones and then, my husband would set out the sturdy kind. Ha. We did usually use both in the end.
TWO: Baskets (from the past)
I think these baskets pictured were from the not so distant past. Way back in the days of young children and before there were so many streaming services, the Easter baskets always included a movie for the kids to watch in the early morning. My Easter mornings often started at 4 or 5 AM as I’d get up to make more brunch dishes (or heat up premade ones) and set up the table for our guests.
The baskets for my adult children (if you live here, I don’t care how old you are, Santa visits as does the Easter bunny) are going to look very different tomorrow. Probably pretty sparse. Um, hello, inflation, I need to track down an oompa loompa to make me some chocolate ’cause it’s priced pretty outrageously at the store lately. I clearly should’ve done the Peeps baskets (part of one pictured below) this year instead of last.
THREE: Easter Dinner (now)
I was trying to remember when we stopped with Easter brunch, maybe the year of the dreaded Covid though I think I did a mini one that year for just my nephew, sil, and bil (we did most the Covid holidays with them). So perhaps it was the year after when they moved to a different state.
It probably sounds crazy to say I miss something that took such intense planning, required me to cook all day/night on Saturday and be up at 4 or 5 AM on Easter morning but I do. Mostly, the family coming over. And the food. Brunch food is my favorite. 
(Side note: I dug around for older pictures in this post and I know this one is really old. Can’t remember how long ago the kitchen walls were that color! I did love that color, husband did not.)
Here’s the much easier Easter dinner menu I’ve settled upon for the 4 of us (subject but not likely to change): half ham baked with pineapple slices, cherries, and cloves, asparagus, salad, potatoes of some sort. And for dessert I unearthed an ancient carrot cake recipe. We’ll also have a French silk pie (for my husband, buying that from Sam’s club). And I’m finally making the chocolate covered pretzels I forgot to make at Christmas, and then forgot about again at Valentine’s Day. I’ll make the pretzels tomorrow so they’ll be for the whole weekend not just dessert on Sunday.
FOUR: Church on Easter (now)
We didn’t used to go to church on Easter since we were hosting the big brunch. However, the past few years with J playing in the band for the services we’ve gone. I’m happy to get to go with my little family of four (adults) and attend church on Easter. J has to be there at 7:30 AM on Sunday (and I’ll drive him as he’s decided he doesn’t like to drive despite having his license). Then, we’ll all go to the last service at 11:00, I think, and come home after for our dinner.
FIVE: A Quiet Low-Key Weekend (now)
Our Easter weekends used to be full with soccer games for the kids and lots of cooking for me. Now, it’s just a quiet Friday today and no plans for marathon cooking tomorrow.
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What are your plans for the weekend?
Joining in with Five on Friday hosted by Cathy over at My Creative Life. She’s trying to bring this back so I do hope if you are blogger you’ll join in with it.
Happy Easter Jean, thank you for joining Five on Friday. I’m just back from the bookclub… we decided to still meet despite being Good Friday. We went to the Maundy Thursday service at church yesterday. Missed today’s service but will go on Sunday. We have my eldest son visiting on Bank Holiday Monday, so four of us for dinner.
I enjoyed reading about your Easter celebrations past & present, lovely photos too xx
Thank you! Just realized the entire weekend got away from me in regard to answering blog comments. Hope you have a wonderful Easter and are enjoying your holiday today!
Happy Easter!
Celebrations change as our families grow. It looks like you made the effort to always make the day special for all your visitors. I’m sure they would have appreciated it.
The brunch idea sounds great (and a lot less stressful). I’m thinking of doing something similar for Christmas this year. X
Thank you! Hope you had a Happy Easter as well. I always loved hosting brunch (and sometimes Christmas breakfast), it is a bit less stressful in some ways for sure. Christmas brunch would be so much fun, I think. Hope your week is off to a great start!