Here's what will happen at our house, if it does :) We're going to abstain from all sugar (and caffeine and alcohol) to get ready for the Easter feast (which hopefully will have plenty of all three). I'm going to clean out my freezer of frozen casseroles, soups, meats so I don't have to focus too much on meals during the early part of the week.
M: Grocery/activity supply/ last minute Easter dress/Easter basket gifts shopping
T: Make hot cross buns for Friday (freeze).
W: Preparations for the weekend, Vespers.
TH: Lentils for dinner; read the Lord's Supper part of the Small Catechism; Maundy Divine Service
F: Hot cross buns for breakfast
Cover all the crosses and icons in the house
Color stations of the cross coloring pages (HT, Aubri)
Sing "Lamb of God, Pure and Holy" after reading the Good Friday account
Make an Easter garden (this one is really fancy, this one more simple)
Simple pasta, olive oil and grated parmesan meal + veggies for dinner
Tenebrae Service at church
(Start Paskha recipe)
Quiet evening and bed early
S: Rest, try to play quietly, family activities, read Easter picture books, have kids make their own Easter baskets
Preparation for Easter: baths, lay out clothes, decorate the house after the kids are asleep, breakfast prep., fill Easter baskets
Easter decoration ideas: An Alleluia banner (perhaps one you "buried" back in February), lots of cut flowers from your garden (if you live in the warmer parts of the country :), an Easter scene (Hobby Lobby had them last year), set table with fine china for tomorrow's meal, uncover covered crosses. Balloons, streamers, white "Christmas lights" (ok, maybe not this year, but it would be really cool for my kids to come downstairs and be as excited by the decorations as they are at Christmas).
Resurrection Sunday: Rejoice! Eat! Receive God's gifts! (And sing all those alleluias we've been saving). After church we'll have dinner at my parents; then we'll have dessert at my in-laws'. There will be lots of candy, Easter egg hunting, cracking, outside games, and singing (we try to sing lots of Easter songs on Easter). In the evening my husband and I will have a little "dip dinner" of paskha, salsa, and spinach spread/dips with dipping materials; sliced sausage; fresh fruit and fruit dips; and champagne. We might play one of our favorite games (Bohnanza, Scrabble, Agricola, Ticket to Ride, Backgammon), or we might go to bed.
I'm still thinking of and researching Easter Season Activities (50 days!!). I know we will learn Christ Is Arisen, the first hymn my husband and I learned together after we were married.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3
16 April 2011
15 April 2011
Easter cards
My mom likes to do a small craft each week with my older two. Last week they made Easter cards.
They just did some water painting, "interpreting" (my kids still have to tell us what their paintings are), and stuck felt Easter stickers from a craft store on the cards. I added some Spring poems (many from this site), and appropriate Resurrection verses inside. We will send them today to just a few relatives and close friends.
Also, I have a Forsythia shrub flowering now, whose cuttings, with some $3 baby's breath from the grocery store, made a beautiful and easy arrangement. Cut flowers are one of my favorite things in life, and I'm so glad it's spring! (Incidentally, my son methodically pulled apart every single daffodil yesterday--even the unopened buds.)
They just did some water painting, "interpreting" (my kids still have to tell us what their paintings are), and stuck felt Easter stickers from a craft store on the cards. I added some Spring poems (many from this site), and appropriate Resurrection verses inside. We will send them today to just a few relatives and close friends.
Also, I have a Forsythia shrub flowering now, whose cuttings, with some $3 baby's breath from the grocery store, made a beautiful and easy arrangement. Cut flowers are one of my favorite things in life, and I'm so glad it's spring! (Incidentally, my son methodically pulled apart every single daffodil yesterday--even the unopened buds.)
Sometime this weekend I'll post an outline of our plans for Holy Week, day by day, and then I probably won't post until after Easter. Note the following feast and commemorations, which I will "make-up" (post about) after Easter:
20 Johannes Bugenhagen, Pastor 21 Anselm of Canterbury, Theologian 24 Johann Walter, Kantor 25 St. Mark, Evangelist
13 April 2011
Greek Easter Dinner
Disclaimer: I have never hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. Our home, my parents' home, and my husband's parents' home form an equilateral triangle whose sides are ten miles. I have never made a meal (besides breakfast) for those holidays. So, no, I have not made the following menu, although I have made the individual dishes separately. (And they are all yummy; my 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and picky husband have not complained.)
To expand this disclaimer, I probably actually do ( and/or complete) only 20% of the activities I suggest on this blog (if you already haven't figured this out from the lack of photos I post). So hopefully a poor reader out there isn't feeling guilty because she isn't coloring every single coloring page with her kids. I'm blogging because I want to start compiling a curricula now, while my kids are very small, and because I want to hear what you all do! Hopefully, by the time my older children are 6 or 7, I'll have all the Church Year activities anyone could hope for on this blog (or maybe even in organized print!).
This menu is taken from A Return to Sunday Dinner by Russell Cronkhite. Although some of the author's essays are corny, I highly recommend this cookbook. It offers 15 or so regional/ethnic Sunday dinner plans and recipes, with tips for how to have it ready to serve by mid-afternoon, with minimum morning prep. (Key: LOTS of prep on Friday and Saturday).
Salad of Spinach, Cucumber and Radish with Lemon Yogurt Dressing
2 8-ounce bags baby spinach leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
8 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Thoroughly rinse the spinach leaves in cold water to refresh them and discard any tough stems or wilted leaves. Shake the spinach dry in a colander covered with a clean tea towel or in a salad spinner. Toss with the sliced cucumbers, radishes and green onions. Refrigerate in a salad bowl covered with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap.
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t. coarse salt
1 t. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. fresh chopped dill
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
Combine the garlic cloves in a small mixing bowl with the salt and sugar; use a fork to mash them into a paste. Whisk in the lemon juice and the yogurt; then slowly whisk in the olive oil until blended.
Just before serving, add the fresh chopped dill and parsley to the salad and lightly toss together with the dressing.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes
[note: most of my Church Year recipe books note that a variety of Easter bread, NOT potatoes, is traditional. Everyone was tired of eating potatoes all winter/Lent.]
Have your butcher bone out the leg of lamb keeping the shank attached and trimming away any excess fat, and then butterfly it for easy preparation.
1 lb. leg of lamb, butterflied
6 whole cloves of garlic
Pinch of coarse salt
2 T. fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves
2 T. cracked peppercorns
2 lemons, halves, seeds removed
1/4 c. olive oil
Coarse salt to season
1. Place the lamb cut side up on a clean work surface. Sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the garlic to a paste; spread the mashed garlic evenly over the inside of the lamb and sprinkle with half of the chopped rosemary. Lay the basil and mint leaves over the rosemary, then roll the lamb leg back into its natural shape.
2. Tie the lamb securely with kitchen twine, knotting it every two inches, then tie lengthwise. Rub the remaining rosemary and the cracked peppercorns into the exterior surface of the lamb. Squeezed the halved lemons over the lamb and drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours.
3. Adjust the lower rack near the bottom of the oven, leaving enough room on the top rack for the veggie casserole. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator. Sprinkle it with coarse salt and allow it to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. (Note: now is a good time to grill the vegetables for the casserole.)
4. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan and transfer to a 450F oven. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F and cook for 1 hour longer. The roast will be rare at this point.
Potatoes
2 lbs. small red-skinned potatoes
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T. fresh chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
.
1. Cut the potatoes in half and toss them with the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary in a mixing bowl. After the lamb has roasted for 1 hour, scatter the potatoes around the roasting pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue baking with the roast until the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb reaches 140F (about 20-25 minutes). Remove the lamb from the pan and place it on a clean cutting board. Allow it to rest 15 minutes before slicing.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 400F and spread the potatoes evenly in the bottom of the roasting pan. Return the potatoes to the oven and let them continue baking until they are fully cooked and nicely browned, 15-20 minutes.
Carefully cut away the kitchen twine. Hold the lamb at the shank end and evenly slice the meat witha sharp carving knife. Transfer the shank to a warm platter and fan the slices out from the shank across the middle of the platter. Scatter the potatoes around the meat; if desired, garnish the platter with fresh herbs. Pour the juices from the pan and the cutting board over the meat and potatoes.
Grilled Zucchini with Eggplant, Feta and Tomatoes
[I've never made this dish in April (or March, for that matter); who in the Midwest has eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes at Easter?! Who in the entire United States? If I use this menu in the future, I will probably substitute an asparagus dish. But here it is. I have made versions of this many times in August, and it is really yummy.]
4 medium zucchini
2 medium onions
2 medium eggplants
1/4 c. olive oil
Coarse salt
1. Trim the zucchini ends and cut lengthwise into 1/3" thick slices. Peel the onions and cut into 1/3" thick slices. Hold at room temperature while you prepare the eggplant.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem and ends off each eggplant; then peel and cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with coarse salt and place in a colander for 30 minutes to drain the bitter juices; then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the slices of zucchini, onion and eggplant with olive oil and season with salt.
3. Grill the vegetables directly over high heat, turning them once: 6-8 minutes for the eggplant, 4-5 minutes for the onion, and 2-3 minutes for the zucchini; or lay the vegetables on lightly oiled baking sheets, turn your oven heat to high and broil.
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. diced onion
4 c. peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
2 t. fresh chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. crumbled feta cheese
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and simmer until the liquid is reduced, 4-5 minutes. Add in the chopped mint leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Arrange the grilled eggplant on the bottom of a lightly oiled 13x9-inch casserole, followed by the onion and then the zucchini. Cover with 1 1/3 cups of the crumbled feta and lace the dish with the tomato topping. Place the casserole in the oven at the same time that you add the potatoes to the lamb roast; bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400F, sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 2/3 c. feta and continue baking 10-15 minutes.
Rustic Village Bread
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 T. honey
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 c. water, room temperature
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 t. coarse salt
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand 1 minute. Then stir with a wooden spoon until it is dissolved.
Whisk the honey, olive oil and yogurt together in a mixing bowl until blended; whisk in the additional 1 cup of water and the dissolved yeast. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the whole wheat flour and 1/2 c. of the bread flour; continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and elastic, about 200 strokes. The dough will now have the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover with a clean towel and set until the dough is bubbly and has doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Whisk the remaining bread flour together with the wheat germ and salt in a separate bowl. Use an electric mixture fitted with a dough hook to slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the bubbly dough, adding in extra flour as needed, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball. Knead on low speed for about 8 minutes--the dough should be densely textured and stiff enough to hold its shape. [I just knead this bread as I do other yeast breads; I don't use a mixture. This recipe also does well in a bread maker.]
4. Let rise again in an oiled bowl, about an hour.
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 1 minute. Shape into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball into a 7-inch round loaf and score a 1/4" deep cross on the top. Brush with a little water. Cover the loaf with a clean towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Transfer the loaf to a pizza stone or a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and bake for 30-35 minutes. When it is done, the bread will have a dark brown crust and sound hollow when tapped at the bottom.
Orange-Soaked Honey Walnut Cake
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. fresh white bread crumbs
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. honey
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 c. fresh orange juice
1 c. finely ground walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine flour and bread crumbs with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl; whisk together thoroughly.
Combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a separate bowl. Beat the whites using an electric mixer and clean, dry beaters until they hold their peaks and are stiff, but not dry.
Combine the oil, sugar and honey in an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whisk; blend on medium speed until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Then blend in the egg yolks. Fit the electric mixer with a paddle attachments and slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternately with the orange juice, mixing just enough after each addition to blend the ingredients. Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the beaten egg whites, followed by the ground walnuts.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Turn out on a cooling rack and let it cool 20-30 minutes.
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
2 T. honey
3/4 c. fresh orange juice
Zest of one orange
Mix the sugar into the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cinnamon stick, honey, orange juice and zest. Turn the heat down and simmer until the liquid reduces to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Brush the warm cake with the syrup until all is absorbed.
"Time-saving" schedule
Saturday: bake the cake and soak with syrup. Marinate the lamb. Bake the bread. Prepare the salad dressing and refrigerate. Prepare and grill the vegetables for the casserole (refrigerate in well-sealed containers). Because what else do you have to do on Holy Saturday?
Sunday morning: Prepare the salad vegetables and refrigerate. Assemble the veggie casserole.
Right when you get home from church: cook the casserole, lamb, and potatoes. Toss the salad.
To expand this disclaimer, I probably actually do ( and/or complete) only 20% of the activities I suggest on this blog (if you already haven't figured this out from the lack of photos I post). So hopefully a poor reader out there isn't feeling guilty because she isn't coloring every single coloring page with her kids. I'm blogging because I want to start compiling a curricula now, while my kids are very small, and because I want to hear what you all do! Hopefully, by the time my older children are 6 or 7, I'll have all the Church Year activities anyone could hope for on this blog (or maybe even in organized print!).
This menu is taken from A Return to Sunday Dinner by Russell Cronkhite. Although some of the author's essays are corny, I highly recommend this cookbook. It offers 15 or so regional/ethnic Sunday dinner plans and recipes, with tips for how to have it ready to serve by mid-afternoon, with minimum morning prep. (Key: LOTS of prep on Friday and Saturday).
Salad of Spinach, Cucumber and Radish with Lemon Yogurt Dressing
2 8-ounce bags baby spinach leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
8 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Thoroughly rinse the spinach leaves in cold water to refresh them and discard any tough stems or wilted leaves. Shake the spinach dry in a colander covered with a clean tea towel or in a salad spinner. Toss with the sliced cucumbers, radishes and green onions. Refrigerate in a salad bowl covered with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap.
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t. coarse salt
1 t. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. fresh chopped dill
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
Combine the garlic cloves in a small mixing bowl with the salt and sugar; use a fork to mash them into a paste. Whisk in the lemon juice and the yogurt; then slowly whisk in the olive oil until blended.
Just before serving, add the fresh chopped dill and parsley to the salad and lightly toss together with the dressing.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes
[note: most of my Church Year recipe books note that a variety of Easter bread, NOT potatoes, is traditional. Everyone was tired of eating potatoes all winter/Lent.]
Have your butcher bone out the leg of lamb keeping the shank attached and trimming away any excess fat, and then butterfly it for easy preparation.
1 lb. leg of lamb, butterflied
6 whole cloves of garlic
Pinch of coarse salt
2 T. fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves
2 T. cracked peppercorns
2 lemons, halves, seeds removed
1/4 c. olive oil
Coarse salt to season
1. Place the lamb cut side up on a clean work surface. Sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the garlic to a paste; spread the mashed garlic evenly over the inside of the lamb and sprinkle with half of the chopped rosemary. Lay the basil and mint leaves over the rosemary, then roll the lamb leg back into its natural shape.
2. Tie the lamb securely with kitchen twine, knotting it every two inches, then tie lengthwise. Rub the remaining rosemary and the cracked peppercorns into the exterior surface of the lamb. Squeezed the halved lemons over the lamb and drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours.
3. Adjust the lower rack near the bottom of the oven, leaving enough room on the top rack for the veggie casserole. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator. Sprinkle it with coarse salt and allow it to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. (Note: now is a good time to grill the vegetables for the casserole.)
4. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan and transfer to a 450F oven. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F and cook for 1 hour longer. The roast will be rare at this point.
Potatoes
2 lbs. small red-skinned potatoes
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T. fresh chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
.
1. Cut the potatoes in half and toss them with the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary in a mixing bowl. After the lamb has roasted for 1 hour, scatter the potatoes around the roasting pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue baking with the roast until the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb reaches 140F (about 20-25 minutes). Remove the lamb from the pan and place it on a clean cutting board. Allow it to rest 15 minutes before slicing.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 400F and spread the potatoes evenly in the bottom of the roasting pan. Return the potatoes to the oven and let them continue baking until they are fully cooked and nicely browned, 15-20 minutes.
Carefully cut away the kitchen twine. Hold the lamb at the shank end and evenly slice the meat witha sharp carving knife. Transfer the shank to a warm platter and fan the slices out from the shank across the middle of the platter. Scatter the potatoes around the meat; if desired, garnish the platter with fresh herbs. Pour the juices from the pan and the cutting board over the meat and potatoes.
Grilled Zucchini with Eggplant, Feta and Tomatoes
[I've never made this dish in April (or March, for that matter); who in the Midwest has eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes at Easter?! Who in the entire United States? If I use this menu in the future, I will probably substitute an asparagus dish. But here it is. I have made versions of this many times in August, and it is really yummy.]
4 medium zucchini
2 medium onions
2 medium eggplants
1/4 c. olive oil
Coarse salt
1. Trim the zucchini ends and cut lengthwise into 1/3" thick slices. Peel the onions and cut into 1/3" thick slices. Hold at room temperature while you prepare the eggplant.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem and ends off each eggplant; then peel and cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with coarse salt and place in a colander for 30 minutes to drain the bitter juices; then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the slices of zucchini, onion and eggplant with olive oil and season with salt.
3. Grill the vegetables directly over high heat, turning them once: 6-8 minutes for the eggplant, 4-5 minutes for the onion, and 2-3 minutes for the zucchini; or lay the vegetables on lightly oiled baking sheets, turn your oven heat to high and broil.
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. diced onion
4 c. peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
2 t. fresh chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. crumbled feta cheese
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and simmer until the liquid is reduced, 4-5 minutes. Add in the chopped mint leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Arrange the grilled eggplant on the bottom of a lightly oiled 13x9-inch casserole, followed by the onion and then the zucchini. Cover with 1 1/3 cups of the crumbled feta and lace the dish with the tomato topping. Place the casserole in the oven at the same time that you add the potatoes to the lamb roast; bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400F, sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 2/3 c. feta and continue baking 10-15 minutes.
Rustic Village Bread
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 T. honey
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 c. water, room temperature
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 t. coarse salt
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand 1 minute. Then stir with a wooden spoon until it is dissolved.
Whisk the honey, olive oil and yogurt together in a mixing bowl until blended; whisk in the additional 1 cup of water and the dissolved yeast. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the whole wheat flour and 1/2 c. of the bread flour; continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and elastic, about 200 strokes. The dough will now have the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover with a clean towel and set until the dough is bubbly and has doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Whisk the remaining bread flour together with the wheat germ and salt in a separate bowl. Use an electric mixture fitted with a dough hook to slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the bubbly dough, adding in extra flour as needed, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball. Knead on low speed for about 8 minutes--the dough should be densely textured and stiff enough to hold its shape. [I just knead this bread as I do other yeast breads; I don't use a mixture. This recipe also does well in a bread maker.]
4. Let rise again in an oiled bowl, about an hour.
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 1 minute. Shape into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball into a 7-inch round loaf and score a 1/4" deep cross on the top. Brush with a little water. Cover the loaf with a clean towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Transfer the loaf to a pizza stone or a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and bake for 30-35 minutes. When it is done, the bread will have a dark brown crust and sound hollow when tapped at the bottom.
Orange-Soaked Honey Walnut Cake
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. fresh white bread crumbs
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. honey
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 c. fresh orange juice
1 c. finely ground walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine flour and bread crumbs with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl; whisk together thoroughly.
Combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a separate bowl. Beat the whites using an electric mixer and clean, dry beaters until they hold their peaks and are stiff, but not dry.
Combine the oil, sugar and honey in an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whisk; blend on medium speed until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Then blend in the egg yolks. Fit the electric mixer with a paddle attachments and slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternately with the orange juice, mixing just enough after each addition to blend the ingredients. Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the beaten egg whites, followed by the ground walnuts.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Turn out on a cooling rack and let it cool 20-30 minutes.
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
2 T. honey
3/4 c. fresh orange juice
Zest of one orange
Mix the sugar into the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cinnamon stick, honey, orange juice and zest. Turn the heat down and simmer until the liquid reduces to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Brush the warm cake with the syrup until all is absorbed.
"Time-saving" schedule
Saturday: bake the cake and soak with syrup. Marinate the lamb. Bake the bread. Prepare the salad dressing and refrigerate. Prepare and grill the vegetables for the casserole (refrigerate in well-sealed containers). Because what else do you have to do on Holy Saturday?
Sunday morning: Prepare the salad vegetables and refrigerate. Assemble the veggie casserole.
Right when you get home from church: cook the casserole, lamb, and potatoes. Toss the salad.
12 April 2011
Successful Buns
I made Hot Cross Buns II this week and froze the dough after the first rising, per Kira's suggestion. They turned out great when I thawed and let them rise a second time. I tried recipe II first because I liked all the spices in it.
11 April 2011
Easter Eggs
We do the usual pastel Easter egg hunt at our house. When I married a half-Greek, however, I learned about another Easter egg custom: dyeing them red and bashing them together after Easter dinner. These eggs are called κόκκινα αυγά, or KOH-kee-nah ahv-GAH.
The bright red dye represents Christ's blood, and the eggs are traditionally prepared on Thursday. Here is a recipe for the dye; perhaps beets might work, too. Some people "polish" dyed eggs with a drop of olive oil.
My mother-in-law uses a bowl of them as her center piece on Sunday. After the Easter feast, everyone grabs an egg and, round to pointed-side, bangs their egg against their neighbor's egg. Whoever's egg cracks first loses and is out of the game. The winners go against each other until all are eliminated but one. This game is called τσούγκρισμα, pronounced TSOO-grees-mah, "clinking together."
Do you have any unusual or ethnic Easter egg traditions?
Easter Meal. etc.
The Thinking Housewife posted an Easter menu here. I'm going to post a Greek menu tomorrow.
*Send me your favorite Easter dish and I'll post it (before we all go do our mad Easter grocery shopping).
* Any one have Maundy (or Holy) Thursday meals you prepare? I'm going to make lentils (soaked and boiled in salt and bay leaves; red wine vinegar added right before served).
* Any favorite "Easter wines"/spirits?
* Any favorite Easter breakfasts? (Maybe leftover hot-cross rolls....)
*Send me your favorite Easter dish and I'll post it (before we all go do our mad Easter grocery shopping).
* Any one have Maundy (or Holy) Thursday meals you prepare? I'm going to make lentils (soaked and boiled in salt and bay leaves; red wine vinegar added right before served).
* Any favorite "Easter wines"/spirits?
* Any favorite Easter breakfasts? (Maybe leftover hot-cross rolls....)
08 April 2011
Stations of the Cross
Anyone out there use the stations while meditating on Christ's suffering and death? Here's a Lutheran pastor's suggestions for how to evangelically approach a practice strongly associated with Roman Catholic piety:
Ask the Pastor: Stations of the Cross
We will be attending the Tenebrae evening service, but not our church's 1pm "Service of Readings." I think it would be really cool to place these around our living room and have the kids identify the appropriate station as Dad reads the Good Friday account that afternoon.
Ask the Pastor: Stations of the Cross
We will be attending the Tenebrae evening service, but not our church's 1pm "Service of Readings." I think it would be really cool to place these around our living room and have the kids identify the appropriate station as Dad reads the Good Friday account that afternoon.
06 April 2011
Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Dürer (April 6)
| Lucas Cranach | ||||||||
 |
| Cranach self-portrait |
Biography of Lucas Cranach taken from Art and the Bible:
Lucas Cranach was the eldest of nine children. His father, Hans Maler, a painter himself, must have given him his first lessons. Lucas adopted the name Cranach when he was already over 30. It refers to his place of birth, the current town Kronach. He moved to Vienna in 1501, and to Wittenberg in 1505, after he had been appointed to the court of Frederic III, elector of Saxony. Experts often see a breach of styles after the move to Wittenberg. His Vienna works were full of expression and very dynamic. After the move, his style became more static.You can view more of Cranach's works at The Athenaeum.
In Wittenberg Cranach met the reformer Martin Luther, whom he portrayed many times. Besides being a painter Cranach also sold medicines and paper, ran a wine pub and printed books. In 1522 he printed the first editions of Luther's German translation of the New Testament. In 1524 Cranach met Albrecht Dürer, the other great German renaissance artist. Dürer made a portrait of Cranach at that occasion.
Lucas Cranach was a member of the Wittenberg city council and was elected as mayor three times. Perhaps it was a talent for politics that enabled him to work for Catholic as well as Protestant clients.
Cranach and his wife Barbara had five children. Together with his sons, Hans and Lucas, Cranach ran a thriving workshop, that produced several thousand paintings, engravings and prints. Often it is not clear exactly who created what. The workshop and his other occupations provided steady revenues to Cranach, making him the wealthiest civilian of Wittenberg.
Cranach remained in the service of Saxonian electors throughout his life. In the service of John Frederic I he moved to Weimar, where he died in 1553.
Albrect Dürer
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| Christ as the Man of Sorrows. 1493. |
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| Durer Self-portrait |
Biography of Albrecht Dürer from www.Artrepublic.com:
Albrecht Durer worked in many different media including dry point and printmaking. He was an expert in matters of proportion even writing four books on the subject. Despite his scholarly approach to his work he remained a deeply instinctive artist and is regarded as one of the first great draughtsmen of Germany.
(for a more detailed biography and to view all his paintings and sketches, go to http://www.albrecht-durer.org/)
He was born in Nuremberg in 1471. At the age of 15 he was apprenticed to Michael Wolgemut, the book illustrator and painter. He then travelled to Italy where he produced his first notable painting in 1500, a self-portrait. As well as producing woodcuts and engraving she was concerned with tackling many of the key Renaissance questions such as perspective and proportion. In 1505 he moved to Venice where he remained for two years experimenting with technique and produced 'The Feast of the Rose-Garlands'. He specialised in line engravings, which involved cutting into the surface of metal, frequently copper, with a burin, resulting in images very rich in texture. Works such as 'St. Jerome in his Study' (1514) and 'Agony in the Garden'(1515) were produced in this way. He died in 1528.
"What shall I say of the firmness and accuracy of his hand? You could have sworn that what he drew without other means than the brush, pencil, or pen, to the immense astonishment of his beholders, had been drawn with rule and compass. What shall I say of the sympathy which reigned between his hand and his ideas so that often on the spur of the moment he dashed off, or, as painters say, composed sketches of every kind of thing with pencil or pen?" Camerarius, 1528 as quoted by Christopher White in Durer (Phaidon).
Is there documentation that Dürer converted? After reading numerous online biographies, there isn't a clear consensus. Have any of you read a detailed biography (i.e. a book) on him?
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Blogger isn't working out so well today; I had trouble formatting all the paintings and engravings I wanted to include. Here are some ideas for activities:
*Have grade-school through high school students "copy" their favorite Cranach or Dürer; concentrate on whatever art skills they are working on (so a middle schooler might practice perspective or proportion, a younger child mixing colors, the very talented high schooler using the same media as the artists (this may be a week-long activity)
* Read a biography
Artist of the Reformation: The Story of Albrecht Dürer by Joyce McPhersonAlbrecht Dürer (Art for Children series) by Ernest Lloyd Raboff
* Analyze one painting for its theological content.
*Go to a museum that has a Cranach or Dürer piece (The Chicago Art Institute has many Dürer etchings and Cranach paintings; The Saint Louis Art Museum has two Cranach's and a handful of Durer etchings).
*Talk about the artist's vocation and the modern (romantic) notion of the artist following his genius (in the pagan Roman sense; following his inner deity or "angel"). Cranach and Dürer did not share our romantic ideas of activism, artistic expression as self-expression. What do you think about Cranach painting for Roman Catholics, or Dürer's more humanistic themes? Were they "selling out"?
05 April 2011
Hot Cross Bun Recipes
Hot cross buns, traditionally only eaten on Good Friday, supposedly originated in a monastery where Father Rocliff (resident cook) served to the poor spiced buns marked with a cross along with the usual bowl of soup. Old-fashioned hot cross buns have the cross cut into the dough before baking, but you can form the cross out of frosting, if you prefer.
I have also included three other traditional Good Friday recipes: Spätzle, the traditional German dish served at dinner to break an all-day fast; Panini di Ramerino, our Hot Cross Bun's Italian cousin; and Saffron Buns, the Cornish version.
From Katherine Burton's Feast Day Cookbook
Hot Cross Buns I
1 yeast cake* 1 egg
1/4 c. lukewarm water 1/4 c. shredded citron*
1 c. milk 1/4 c. seedless raisins
1/2 c. sugar 3 c. flour
1/2 c. shortening 1/2 t. salt
Soften yeast in water. Scald milk, add sugar and shortening, and cool. Add the beaten egg, the yeast, citron, raisins, and flour sifted with salt. Knead and let rise to double its bulk. Shape into buns, place on greased baking sheet, and let rise until light. Brush with a little milk and bake at 375F for about twenty minutes. When done, cover with powdered sugar in the shape of a cross or do the same with a thin icing.
*One cake of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons. You can substitute zest of orange or lemon (fresh or candied) and a bit of ground cardamom for the citron.
From The Festival Breads of Easter via Celebrating the Church Year with Young Children:
Hot Cross Buns II
3 1/2-4 c. flour 1/4 c. melted butter
3/4 c. lukewarm milk 1/4 t. allspice
1/2 c. lukewarm water 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 pkg. active yeast 1/4 t. nutmeg
1 T. sugar 2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. currants
1 t. salt 1/3 c. diced fruit peel egg glaze
Combine 1 cup of flour, the milk, water, yeast and 1 T. sugar. Beat well. Set in a warm place until frothy. Melt butter and cool. To the yeast mix, add remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, and spices. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add 1 cup of flour, and beat 5 minutes with a mixer. Gradually add remaining flour, currants and peel. Turn out and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Turn and knead lightly for 2 minutes. Divide into 24 equal portions and shape into buns. Place well apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (30 minutes).
After cutting a cross into each bun with a sharp knife, brush with egg white beaten with 1 T. of water. Bake 375F for 15-20 minutes or until golden. When cool, you may ice.
Also from Burton's Feast Day Cookbook:
Spätzle
1 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. milk
pinch of salt 1/2 c. water
2 eggs bread crumbs
1/4 lb. butter
Sift flour and salt together. Add eggs, milk and water. With a fork dipped in boiling water, cut the dough in small pieces into boiling water. Boil for a few minutes until they rise to the top. Cover with bread crumbs fried in butter. Serve with warm stewed prunes or other dried fruits.
Both from Vitz's A Continual Feast:
Panini di Ramerino (Rosemary Buns):
1pkg. dry yeast 4-4 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/4 c. warm water 3/4 c. golden raisins
2 t. sugar 3 T. rosemary leaves
1 t. salt
3/4 c. olive oil
Sprinkle yeast into warm water and add sugar. Let sit until frothy. Add the salt and 1/4 c. of oil. Gradually mix in 3 1/2 c. flour. Toss with raisins with 1/2 c. of flour and add them to the dough.
Knead the dough until smooth (about 10 minutes). Add more flour as necessary to make a stiff dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Saute the rosemary leaves in the remaining olive oil until golden brown. Return the risen dough to the lightly floured surface. Make a hole and pour into it the rosemary and oil. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 2 dozen buns and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. With a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of each bun. Cover lightly and let rise until doubled again.
If you want, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking until the buns are golden browns.
Cornish Saffron Buns
1 pkg. dry yeast 4 c. flour
1/4 c. warm water 2 t. nutmeg
1 t. white or light brown sugar 2/3 c. dried currants
1 c. milk 1/4 t. saffron and 1 1/2 t. warm water
1/2 c. sweet butter 1/2 c. mixed candied fruit peel
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
Stir yeast, water, and sugar together. Set until frothy. Scald the milk. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Stir until blended. Cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs until light, and combine with the milk mixture. Add the yeast. Sift the 3 c. of flour with the spices. Steep saffron in warm water for 10 minutes. Make a well in the dough and pour in the yeast and saffron mixtures. Beat for 5 minutes. Toss the currants and fruit peel with the remaining flour and mix into the dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Let rise in a greased bowl until doubled (about 2 hours). Punch the dough down. Shape into 2 dozen buns. Place them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on a well-greased cookie sheet or in muffin pans. Allow to rise again until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
I have also included three other traditional Good Friday recipes: Spätzle, the traditional German dish served at dinner to break an all-day fast; Panini di Ramerino, our Hot Cross Bun's Italian cousin; and Saffron Buns, the Cornish version.
From Katherine Burton's Feast Day Cookbook
Hot Cross Buns I
1 yeast cake* 1 egg
1/4 c. lukewarm water 1/4 c. shredded citron*
1 c. milk 1/4 c. seedless raisins
1/2 c. sugar 3 c. flour
1/2 c. shortening 1/2 t. salt
Soften yeast in water. Scald milk, add sugar and shortening, and cool. Add the beaten egg, the yeast, citron, raisins, and flour sifted with salt. Knead and let rise to double its bulk. Shape into buns, place on greased baking sheet, and let rise until light. Brush with a little milk and bake at 375F for about twenty minutes. When done, cover with powdered sugar in the shape of a cross or do the same with a thin icing.
*One cake of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons. You can substitute zest of orange or lemon (fresh or candied) and a bit of ground cardamom for the citron.
From The Festival Breads of Easter via Celebrating the Church Year with Young Children:
Hot Cross Buns II
3 1/2-4 c. flour 1/4 c. melted butter
3/4 c. lukewarm milk 1/4 t. allspice
1/2 c. lukewarm water 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 pkg. active yeast 1/4 t. nutmeg
1 T. sugar 2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. currants
1 t. salt 1/3 c. diced fruit peel egg glaze
Combine 1 cup of flour, the milk, water, yeast and 1 T. sugar. Beat well. Set in a warm place until frothy. Melt butter and cool. To the yeast mix, add remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, and spices. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add 1 cup of flour, and beat 5 minutes with a mixer. Gradually add remaining flour, currants and peel. Turn out and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Turn and knead lightly for 2 minutes. Divide into 24 equal portions and shape into buns. Place well apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (30 minutes).
After cutting a cross into each bun with a sharp knife, brush with egg white beaten with 1 T. of water. Bake 375F for 15-20 minutes or until golden. When cool, you may ice.
Also from Burton's Feast Day Cookbook:
Spätzle
1 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. milk
pinch of salt 1/2 c. water
2 eggs bread crumbs
1/4 lb. butter
Sift flour and salt together. Add eggs, milk and water. With a fork dipped in boiling water, cut the dough in small pieces into boiling water. Boil for a few minutes until they rise to the top. Cover with bread crumbs fried in butter. Serve with warm stewed prunes or other dried fruits.
Both from Vitz's A Continual Feast:
Panini di Ramerino (Rosemary Buns):
1pkg. dry yeast 4-4 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/4 c. warm water 3/4 c. golden raisins
2 t. sugar 3 T. rosemary leaves
1 t. salt
3/4 c. olive oil
Sprinkle yeast into warm water and add sugar. Let sit until frothy. Add the salt and 1/4 c. of oil. Gradually mix in 3 1/2 c. flour. Toss with raisins with 1/2 c. of flour and add them to the dough.
Knead the dough until smooth (about 10 minutes). Add more flour as necessary to make a stiff dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Saute the rosemary leaves in the remaining olive oil until golden brown. Return the risen dough to the lightly floured surface. Make a hole and pour into it the rosemary and oil. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 2 dozen buns and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. With a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of each bun. Cover lightly and let rise until doubled again.
If you want, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking until the buns are golden browns.
Cornish Saffron Buns
1 pkg. dry yeast 4 c. flour
1/4 c. warm water 2 t. nutmeg
1 t. white or light brown sugar 2/3 c. dried currants
1 c. milk 1/4 t. saffron and 1 1/2 t. warm water
1/2 c. sweet butter 1/2 c. mixed candied fruit peel
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
Stir yeast, water, and sugar together. Set until frothy. Scald the milk. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Stir until blended. Cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs until light, and combine with the milk mixture. Add the yeast. Sift the 3 c. of flour with the spices. Steep saffron in warm water for 10 minutes. Make a well in the dough and pour in the yeast and saffron mixtures. Beat for 5 minutes. Toss the currants and fruit peel with the remaining flour and mix into the dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Let rise in a greased bowl until doubled (about 2 hours). Punch the dough down. Shape into 2 dozen buns. Place them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on a well-greased cookie sheet or in muffin pans. Allow to rise again until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
