Easter Party

We were blessed to have my parents (Tom & Dory),

good friends of theirs (Den & Bonnie), and my dear friend Cindy

and her man, Bill, over for an Easter celebration!

Since Sundays are VERY full for me and since Easter is always on a Sunday,

I chose a menu that could be mostly made in advance.

I started with the DOUGHNUTS!

Because they're the most fun and they're the prettiest.

Tasty desserts are even better if they're pretty, too.

First I made maple glazed doughnuts.

Then I made carrot ginger doughnuts (yes,

I topped them with crystallized ginger and coconut shreds!)

Then I made peanut butter doughnuts with chocolate glaze.

These were buckeye doughnuts - in the style of buckeye desert balls,

which are peanut butter on the inside, chocolate on the outside.

They were all beautiful! 

In the leftover melted chocolate,

I put coconut shreds, crystallized ginger, and walnuts.

I dropped it in blobs onto waxed paper and froze it.

It made freezer cookies!

I created little gift bags (8 for $1 from the Dollar Store!)

I filled them with these delicious candy bars

and a tag that read, "You're sweet!  Happy Easter!"

I like to give gifts.

Gift-giving is probably my top love language.

I also had special additional gifts for my Dad, my Mom, and Cindy.

I just can't resist buying special things for the people I love most.

Even if it doesn't mean much to them, it means a lot to me

to be able to spoil them a little.

 I saw a pretty table on Pinterest

that was decorated with lace and succulents,

and I LOVED IT!

I moved most of the doilies I have in my house

(from my sweet Grandma) onto the kitchen table and overlapped them.

Thankfully, my Grandma liked blue, too!

Then I started putting out the yummies.

I like to label things for my guests.

I assembled the shepherd's pie on Saturday so that all I had to do Sunday was

bake it for about an hour.  It turned out really well.

I decided to also make a wild-rice noodle casserole on Sunday because

it sounded good to me and because I wanted to make sure to have enough food

(we invited two guests sort of at the last minute).

This recipe got lots of Christie "doctoring" to make it what I wanted it to be,

and I think I did well.  I will be making it again!

My parents thoughtfully brought us some beautiful yellow tulips

and Bonnie & Den brought a lovely candle - I got spoiled, too!

After eating, we chatted for a nice while.

Bonnie & my Mom browsed through some photo books I had

made of some special trips our family has taken.

I was happy that we have such a nice patio and comfy furniture out there,

because we spend a good amount of time in the nice fresh air.

Eventually, I had to pull out my parents' wedding photos.

They're adorable.

You also might notice the tin-foil packets - some doughnuts went home with our guests!

My parents also brought us a lovely Easter gift of this adorable driftwood hedgehog!

I LOVE hedgehogs 

(disclaimer: I do not love hedgehogs as much as I love cats 

and I do not want to live with a hedgehog, but they sure are funny and cute!)

We've named her Hyacinth.

I hope your Resurrection Sunday was beautiful and blessed!