S is for a Simple Setting

Nice idea from Storage | Glee for a kitchen supper.

C is for Carrot Craft

I finally decided to tackle one of Martha Stewart's creations for April's Easter holiday. Here's how mine looked:

I didn't think they were that bad since I hadn't touched crepe paper for over 30 years. One thing I would change to the instructions is to make a cone out of (greaseproof) paper first, fill with sweets and fasten at the top. Then weave the paper around that. It was a lot easier than trying to wangle in sweets and weave the paper streamers around them to form the carrot especially since my hot hands would melt the sweets.

R is for Rabbit

I know it's over a month to go before Easter, but I've already got my thinking cap on.  Matthew Mead published this idea on Miss Mustard Seed's blog a couple of years ago and I think it's a bit different.

Download the template from Pinterest, insert in a word document and then create text boxes to write over your menu.

I'm using light beige card (so they stand out from my white plates) and a matching pompom instead of a flower so I can make them up ahead of time.  But here's how my template looked pre-printing:

Now...the pompom...I used to make loads (35 years ago!).

S is for Spring

This year's been unseasonably mild and already the garden's almost a month ahead of what's usual.

As a result, many of the flowers that are usually out for Easter are already out and will have wilted by the time the long weekend comes around next month.

But since I've got people coming for food this weekend, I'm cutting some of them now and digging out the spring details...just ditching the bunnies.

© My Hand's Made It

So I'm printing off some doilies for the menu.  I tend to print off circles of coloured paper and cut them out to cover the centre circle, rather than try to put the lacy paper through the printer as it gets stuck.

I've got out my lovely tulip tea light holders.

© Edith Juhasz Ceramics

And on the day, I'll put some lovely spring flowers on the table.  I'm keeping it simple though by dotting bud vases around the tea light holders

For the menu, I'm rustling up:

• Pea & mint soup, served with parmesan tuiles
• Spring pork stew, served on rice
• Raspberry & rhubarb meringues*

* I'm replacing the blueberries with rhubarb.  To do so, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, arrange over a single layer of 2"/5cm lengths of the rhubarb and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Roast in an oven for 200℃ for 15-20 mins.  Set aside to cool.  I also replace the cream with (shop bought) rhubarb fool.  Assemble as per the pavlova recipe, but make sure that the pink skin of the rhubarb is kept upwards.