A Few Thoughts On Making Easter Easy!

Many of us are getting ready to celebrate a little Holiday we call Easter. It just so happens to be a season of rebirth for the whole world, well those of us in the Northern hemisphere anyway. It’s a time of year I really enjoy. I personally prefer to make it easy and interesting for myself each year- despite having a relatively large family.

Food

I personally have always enjoyed a large roast of some sort whenever we celebrate most big holidays. They feed a large crowd, and in my opinion, are actually pretty simple. For Easter that usually means a ham.

I actually enjoy cooking, and have been the primary cook anywhere I’ve lived since I was about 11. For many holidays though, my husband has actually taken this off my plate. His work schedule has always been odd, and leads to timing for getting together with family being a bit challenging. Sometimes I prep it for him, sometimes he does it. He is far more likely to happen to be awake at 4 am than I though, and doesn’t mind moving a 10+ pound roast in and out of the oven.

Easter sides don’t need to be complicated- Stick to your Favorites

This year Middle girl will probably make a couple sides. She really enjoys cooking. This development did not happen overnight. I spent years prioritizing letting each of my daughters work and play in the kitchen. I have always encouraged creativity. Sometimes letting them take the wheel in the kitchen was NOT easy, but has led to an easier life in general, not to mention knowing that they’ll all be able to feed themselves more than sufficiently.

We’ll have Mashed potatoes- despite my husband’s recent disdain for their high sugar and lack of nutrition. I’ll admit they do make a good holiday treat! Sweet potatoes will also be on the menu. Despite the name they are a bit healthier than your average white potato. She’ll season and cook a vegetable we’ll all enjoy- not broccoli since that’s one we eat almost too often! Maybe carrots, or peas.

It can’t be a holiday without gravy

Of course there will be gravy! You can just use the jarred stuff, or you can make it from scratch. Gravy to go with pretty much any meat can be made from the juices of the dish by mixing butter and flour in a pan to make a roux. Then add the liquid to the roux while stirring, and season. Let that simmer for about 5 minutes. To thicken more add some more roux and let simmer, or just let it cook down. To thin it out add more liquid. My husband likes to use a brown gravy packet but substitute juices from the roast for the water.

Easy instructions for Easter ham

A ham is about as simple as it gets. You could buy a cooked one that really just needs to be heated up. I’ve spent many a holiday with a difficult budget though, and usually buy the cheapest one I can find. That gets thrown in the oven seasoned and a bit of h2o in the bottom of the pan at 350⁰-375⁰F (like most of my roasts) for the amount of time suggested on the package. It will be a time per pound. You multiply that by how many pounds your ham is. You want the meat to reach approximately 160⁰. The time per pound changes with the size of the ham and whether or not it is bone in or not. Read the package it will tell you.

This year will be a bit different for our family- We are splurging on a smoked ham from a local BBQ place who has been doing a lot to help the community. My husband has been labeled an essential employee in both of his jobs, which adds stress in general, but allows a bit more to the budget. In that at least we are very lucky!

Activities and gifts

Be creative

I have been pretty creative with our yearly Easter traditions through the years. Honestly it’s a mixture of a desire to limit the candy my daughters receive for yet, another holiday that’s based in candy as gifts, and trying to save a bit of money.

Most years since fairly early on they’ve received an assortment of garden stuff. I often use a planter rather than a basket. Yes, they have even received soil for seedlings in one such “basket”. One year each of them got all their goodies in a fancy hat. I was hoping for some nice portraits that year! I never got them, but remember the year fondly. This year- because they happen to be a bit older now- I actually asked them what they hope to receive for Easter. I have requests for Jelly Belly jellybeans, but also pickled sausage, Arizona iced Tea, and paint. Oh, one kid even asked for pet food- smart girl since they’re generally responsible for earning cash for that by doing something extra around the house.

Enlist help

 Middle girl has always had an affinity for Easter, and the Easter bunny. From very early on she has enjoyed helping all of the mystical creatures like the Easer Bunny, and Santa. Some of my fondest memories of holidays while she was really young include her telling me about how she met with them herself, and she would be helping in some way. For Easter that was always at least setting up an Easter egg hunt. (I still think she should do more with her storytelling, but I digress…) At their ages now I may not bother with the Easter egg hunt, but it has been pretty priceless in the past to watch my elder two make magic happen for their younger sister and cousins.

Don’t be afraid to enlist helpers. They might not be as forthright as my Middle girl, and they are likely somewhat open about knowing the “truth” about these things, but I’ve found they often don’t really want the magic to end. It’s beyond amazing to watch, and lends itself to a far less stressful holiday!

Don’t stress- enjoy your Easter!

Enjoy your easier Easter holiday. Don’t make it difficult. Choose what pieces are important for your family, make some traditions, and don’t stress about the things that don’t matter. If someone (especially a child) is willing (or even excited) to help, either let them, or teach them how. Teaching them now may seem like a hassle, but it will ultimately at least make their life easier later. It may not make this Easter easier, but it will add joy to the holiday, and likely make your future ones easier too! You might even get some time to do something special you wouldn’t have thought of! Be creative!