Good Friday

Natalie arriving with lily.

   I feel that we have finally turned the corner and winter is behind us. It has seemed very long in coming. Yesterday the family came over to celebrate Good Friday with a special Easter-themed meal.

    As expected, the children were all about "chocolate", and set off to find any Easter eggs that the Easter Bunny might have dropped off at my house. They found a bunch but were
encouraged to save them for after the meal (that didn't happen).


The Easter Bunny came!

A well-stocked table

   We started off with Spanakopita - little Greek pastries with spinach and cheese filling - and smoked salmon and cream cheese on toasts. This was eaten al fresco which eliminated the need for plates and cutlery, always a consideration when I am feeding a big crowd. Then on to the table for roast lamb and vegetables (Judy brought a green bean and feta casserole which fitted well with the Greek theme), accompanied by mint jelly and my homemade Winter Fruit Chutney (see an earlier post) which Elliot declared "not bad", high praise indeed! This was followed by a choice of (or both) Steve's chocolate  cream pie or trifle, accompanied with extra cream or custard for those of us who still didn't have enough of a sugar fix. I opted for a small helping of each. All accompanied by various wines and/or juice, depending on your age or preference!

    After the meal the children retired to the TV room to digest their meal, and probably nibble on contraband Easter eggs, while the adults relaxed with coffee and some grown-up conversation. Then it was time for baths (kids only) and departures for the journey home in their pyjamas  (kids only again).

   Today I am killing the last bottle of wine and snacking on leftovers. Somehow a bottle of Pinot Grigio got left in the freezer and the cork popped. No point in letting it go to waste, is there? The late afternoon sun is streaming through my windows and a happy glow permeates everything. Spring is finally here!