this & that
As you'll notice from the links below, we're kind of obsessive about holiday baking. The list of links for this week could easily have been solely food interests. And even still, we really had to hold ourselves back!
For us, holidays revolve around food. It's not a celebration unless the feast is decadent. In some ways, this attitude can pose a problem, like when we overstretch ourselves, or when we are consumed with food preparation and forget to enjoy the company of our family and friends. But in so many more ways, the centrality of food in celebration is a good thing, a great thing. It creates a sense of history and tradition (especially when you begin to associate certain foods with certain celebrations--Sophie has some great thoughts on this subject). It can be a way to connect with your cultural heritage.
Sharing food, delicious food, prepared with intention and love, is one of the central ways we come into community as humans. The profound power of a meal shared is beautifully captured in the film Babette's Feast. If you haven't seen it before, the week before Easter is a perfect time to watch it!
On that note, here are some things we've been looking at for our meal plans in the coming week, plus a few tid bits extra...
Eyes on Easter Bakes
I only bake this one a year, on Holy Thursday. #worththewait
Maria's kids look forward to Good Friday all year just for these. They're not a bad way to fast.
Another traditional (and delish) fare for Friday. I love this recipe because it skips the boiling!
If you're crazy like we are... homemade Easter candy! This is a pretty comprehensive list. Sophie and Maria have been making most of their Easter candy from scratch, so look out for tips & stories from them this week!
This looks delicious, but six sticks of butter?!
A possible contender for Easter dessert
We love this fresh & light cake for Easter, and this one too.
YUM.
food for thought
Maria got to watch a segment of this movie on a recent field trip to NASA Space Center Houston. "I cried multiple times and had a crush on all the engineers they interview. It's so fascinating and admirable!"
Love the idea of incorporating these videos into homeschooling
Although this article on Facebook's "hellish" history took me three days to get through (hello, parenting) it is a riveting read. Definitely made me ponder my facebook usage and its influence!