When your kids are brand new and tiny, there are all these incredible firsts. Their first time outdoors, first time seeing the sky, first time wearing socks. Even a year or two in you still find yourself in awe over things that would otherwise seem mundane. Their first cucumber, first time riding in a shopping cart, first time touching sand.

I feel like that about my house right now. Easter was gorgeous, fun, beautiful, the best in years. I don’t know if it really was, or if we’re just so excited to be home again that it felt that way.

I think it may have been really good though. Here are some previous Easter posts for comparison.

We started the day with strawberries, cheese, crackers, hot cross buns, mimosas and bloody Marys followed by 11 kids looking for 115 eggs. Our tallying chalkboard got lost during the construction, so we used window markers on the french doors instead.

The Easter lunch tradition around here is savory pies, salads and pork. This year was particularly excellent in the salad department (some recipes below). And rumor has it Shane’s porchetta was fantastical. We also had excellent bread from Clearflour.

Once we were all stuffed the grown ups settled down to do some calming and engrossing Pysanky (wax-resist egg dying).

Also, we celebrated on Sunday this year. Weird!

• Cilantro, Celery & Almond Salad •
from Martha Stewart
super quick and easy

6 small celery stalks, thinly sliced on the bias
2 cups cilantro leaves
2/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and very coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt
Morton Iodized Salt
26 oz
Find at a store

Combine celery, cilantro, raisins, and almonds in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice, and season with salt. Toss to coat.

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• Thai Napa Cabbage Salad •
source unknown (except perhaps by my mom)

Salad
1 napa cabbage, shredded
2 large cucumbers, julienned
20oz edamame
2 large avocados cut and soaked in lime juice for 1 hour
2 cups finely chopped cilantro

Dressing
2 cups olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sugar
juice and rind of 2 lemons
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all salad ingredients together, soak avocados in lime juice for one hour. Add avocados & dressing to salad, toss and serve.