WEEKLY MENU 04.04.21
Easter starts out the Weekly Menu 04.04.21 with a hop – and we’re eating leftovers, happily.
The Weekly Menu 04.04.21 includes a big holiday. Easter is finally here, right in sync with spring. Both are very welcome after this past winter. Despite the winter being very mild in Erieland, it seemed like it went on forever! According to the Golden Snow Globe, we’re the 7th snowiest city in the US with just over 62 inches of snow. Our average is about 100 inches, so we’re very off. In our defense, though, Buffalo, NY is holding the top spot and only has 72 inches!
Back in the day, each of the boys would have their own Easter basket, full of candy and a chocolate bunny. The squirt gun was a must, as was a Paddle Ball. (Affiliate links follow – see disclaimer page for details.) Easter just isn’t complete without someone losing the ball off the paddle. The baskets would be hidden around the house behind couches and sometimes inside the dryer. We got progressively easier with the hiding spaces so we weren’t late for mass. These days, we have a “Family Basket” with multiple chocolate bunnies and three Yo-Yo’s of varying colors. It will be hidden in very plain sight on the kitchen table.
My favorite toy in the Easter Basket used to be Click-Clacks. They were two glass balls on a strong string that you had to try to knock together. Generally, I hit my wrist way more often than I hit the balls together. I’d have purple welts well before I’d finally give up. For years they were off the market – mostly because of the damage done to tender wrists, but also because the balls occasionally exploded. Little problem. None of those in the basket this year.
Let’s get to the food~
We’re starting the Weekly Menu 04.04.21 with Easter Dinner, naturally. The ham will come back up in a classic casserole later in the week – ham is my all time favorite leftover. It always gets eaten. We’re sliding in a little Asian meal with the Mongolian Meatballs. They go great with Baked Coconut Jasmine Rice , but we’ll probably go with Minute Rice instead. Super easy and fast.
Thursday night means grilled steak salad this week. It will also have fabulous homemade oven fries. After peeling the spuds, I dry them off with a paper towel then cut them into thin-ish fry shaped pieces and toss them with a little canola oil, salt, pepper and paprika. I spread them out on a cooking spray coated sheet pan and bake at 450 degrees until they are crispy and brown. I toss them once during cooking to make sure they don’t stick. They are super delish.
WEEKLY MENU 04.04.21
RECIPE LINKS
EASTER SUNDAY DINNER
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
CARROT CAKE
MONGOLIAN MEATBALLS
BAKED COCONUT JASMINE RICE
SPICY STEAMED BROCCOLI
ZUPPA TOSCANA
CHEESE CRACKERS
The Carrot Cake is from Ina Garten. And the Zuppa Toscana is via The Chunky Chef. The super easy cheese crackers are from Chew Out Loud.
A note about the carrot cake: this is the recipe I’ve been using for years and years (and years), but I’ve never made it into the cupcakes the recipe is about. I spread the batter evenly between three 8″ cake pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cakes are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. I double the frosting, because that’s Bert’s favorite part of carrot cake! And we leave out the raisins but use full walnut halves. It is divine.
