Easter
On the table in the foyer, an understated Easter display welcomed family and friends this Easter. There is just something so sweet about that little bunny!
This was definitely an unconventional Easter at our home. The weather was beautiful and we wanted to enjoy the day outside. We opted to have Dave grill the best burgers ever and make a vegetable tray. I roasted baby potatoes and made the Ranch dip. Tiffany brought the 'Shrimp Scampi Dip' she has been bragging about for awhile now. (She brought tortilla chips for the dip. Aidan and I agreed we should have made homemade tortilla chips! ) She made a double batch and yes, folks, she was right. It is addictive and the dish was pretty much licked clean.
I didn't snap a picture of it, but will do that because we will be making this again very soon!
Savory and delicious, these little cheesy carrot bites were a perfect appetizer for Easter. Shredded carrots and cheddar cheese combined with cream cheese to create a pale orange-colored mixture. The cheese mixture piped onto Town House Crackers to look like carrots and topped with a sprig of parsley look adorable.
Aidan made the cheese mixture for these on Saturday with me.
Then we refrigerated it overnight. It needed to be taken from the fridge and allowed to come up to room temperature before piping.
Sophia, Aidan, and I taste tested the cheese mixture and Aidan said that this recipe was perfect. Apparently, he was right. As soon as the little carrots were piped onto the crackers, the parsley was added, and the platter was passed around, they were gone.
The red pepper gives them a little heat and the Town House crackers were the perfect addition. The kids asked if they were supposed to eat the parsley. I told them to eat the parsley end first. They were surprised how good they tasted.
Cheesy Carrot Spread
2/3 cup shredded carrots
8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
1 cup of shredded Mild Cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp. sliced green onions
1 Tblsp. chopped celery
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Place carrots, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, onion, celery, Worcestershire, garlic powder, paprika, and ground red pepper into a food processor. Process until the ingredients are well blended together.
Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.
Pipe the mixture to resemble carrots, onto Town House crackers. On the large end of the piped carrot, place a sprig of Italian flat-leaf parsley.
After the past couple of weeks and the chaos of the window installation, I decided to roast potatoes instead of making potato salad. Glad that decision was made. The baby roasted potatoes went over really well. These were prepared a little early and 45 minutes before the burgers were ready, they were placed in the hot oven.
We made five pounds of these and there were just a few left.
You can find the recipe for those here ►Roasted Baby Potatoes.
Of course, we had desserts, too. The white velvet cake was frosted with white chocolate frosting. When it was cut and served, the raspberry puree between the layers was revealed. Fresh red raspberries garnished the slices.
Fudge brownies were served, too.
When everyone had arrived, the Easter egg hunt began. Afterward, everyone played card games or corn hole in the front yard. Hillbilly golf was setup in the back yard. Yes, this year was a pretty unconventional Easter.
