I remember my childhood Easter Sundays very well. My sister Margaret and I usually went to church on Easter morning and after dinner went on an Easter egg hunt. Of course our midday meal was called “dinner” back in those days, and is a seldom used word for the midday meal now. I hate to say that we just couldn’t wait to get out of church to eat the wonderful food that waited for us. So, as soon as church was over, we ran home as fast as we could. We must have been a sight from my mother and daddy’s perspective as they watched us coming down the lane with one gloved hand holding a purse and another trying to keep our Easter bonnets from flying off.
We were lucky enough to have Sarah in our lives to cook for us back then, but mother always got involved with the holiday cooking and the two of them made this incredibly delicious Sunday dinner. Mother made these delicious English peas and potatoes with white sauce, and some new food ideas too! Mother cooked more and more over the years, and today she is an excellent cook. Still cooking up the same traditional holiday food our family had way back then. Like any good daughter with her own family, I have developed some food traditions of my own.
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-mustard
My Favorite Ham- I use a boneless ham these days. Make sure that your ham is on a foil lined baking dish. Make scores in the ham’s surface. Mix equal amounts of brown sugar and yellow mustard to make a paste. Using your hands, smear the mustard mixture all over the ham. Bake at 350° until cooked through. Baste during baking. The ham will get very dark, but the flavor will be delicious. Use your imagination! Add some pineapple, or apple cider to the paste.
Occasionally, I will score the ham and let it cook. Then I’ll mix a dark brown sugar with mustard and pineapple preserves and put that on the ham about 2o minutes before it’s done.
So there are two ways to cook it.
Asparagus with Sunshine Sauce
My mother made this recipe for many years.
1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, prepared and cooked
1/4 cup sauterne or other dry white wine
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
In a small saucepan, pour wine over onion. Sir in lemon juice and mayonnaise: heat just to boiling. Gently stir in eggs. Serve hot over spears. 4 servings.
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Photographs courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
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I remember my childhood Easter Sundays very well. My sister Margaret and I usually went to church on Easter morning and after dinner went on an Easter egg hunt. Of course our midday meal was called “dinner” back in those days, and is a seldom used word for the midday meal now. I hate to say that we just couldn’t wait to get out of church to eat the wonderful food that waited for us. So, as soon as church was over, we ran home as fast as we could. We must have been a sight from my mother and daddy’s perspective as they watched us coming down the lane with one gloved hand holding a purse and another trying to keep our Easter bonnets from flying off.
My Favorite Ham- I use a boneless ham these days. Make sure that your ham is on a foil lined baking dish. Make scores in the ham’s surface. Mix equal amounts of brown sugar and yellow mustard to make a paste. Using your hands, smear the mustard mixture all over the ham. Bake at 350° until cooked through. Baste during baking. The ham will get very dark, but the flavor will be delicious. Use your imagination! Add some pineapple, or apple cider to the paste.
