Could Easter get any cuter?
Combine baby animals + springtime colors and flowers + little kids.
I love Easter. It is the perfect combo, falling squarely between Thanksgiving ‘relax, it’s all about the food’ and Christmas ‘experience kids’ high-octane delight’. Throw in “Heaven is now open” in the mix for those who celebrate that little tidbit, and there are so many reasons to party, i.e. drink Mimosas.
For the last few years, I have been trying to make something for holiday brunch the day before so I can really enjoy the morning excitement. Quiche and some pastry has been my usual duo, with some fresh fruit and ‘shrubs’, which is a drink my mom made for holiday brunch. It is seltzer + juice with a scoop of sherbet and it really tastes like a holiday to me now.
The quiche I made this year was so good, and I used just what I had on hand, though the asparagus fresh and in season really led the inspiration. It is so easy, just use:
plus the stars of the show, a store cooked pie crust (pre-cooked for 8-10 min, this one has some sauteed onions in it) and Swiss cheese:
Asparagus, Tomato, and Feta Quiche (printer version here.)
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onions
8 asparagus spears, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cherry tomatoes, halved
5 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (Jarlsburg or Gruyere)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 9-inch pie crust
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie dough and cook for 8-10 min. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and asparagus spears for a few minutes until soft. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir in the feta, Swiss, and mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place asparagus pieces and onions on the bottom of the crust. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the vegetables and into the crust. Bake the quiche for 45 minutes or until quiche is set and slightly golden brown. Let quiche stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Ina Garten’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake. (Find the printer version here.)
This cake was soooo good, and it was so much fun to make with my little Lucy, she loves baking anything, and she was actually a big help! (Sophie sprayed and floured the pan for me, then went out to play with her friend. RJ was skiing.) I have bought her box mix of this cake before, but I felt like making it from scratch equaled the same amount of work (in case you are likewise tempted to shortcut with her $10 box mix).
My kitchen after cooking with kids (it is so worth it, and I made sure I had lots of time so I would stay patient):
The only ingredient that I had to track down was cake flour, but it gives it a bakery quality.
I may or may not have eaten this cake for breakfast every day this week.
The Egg Hunt with the cousins was so much fun!
Our annual Easter photo – it might be the only one we get each year when we are all cleaned up. And yes I am almost 36 weeks pregnant in this photo. Happy Spring!!!!!!
(Also, check out what to do with your leftover ham bone here.)
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