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Easter Sunday 2010

By on April 5, 2010 in Feast Days, Holidays, Kids

Today was another wonderful holiday with my family.  I stayed up until 2:30 AM making a bunch of stuff for the kids outfits and getting goodies and baskets ready for the morning.

This years theme was black and white with a tiny touch of baby pink. Tomorrow I will post all the refashion and craft projects I did this week to get ready for today.

                     

After a glorious Easter Mass we came home and got to cookin.  We made a ham with pineapple, Poppa’s awesome mashed potatoes and roasted balsamic vinegar and garlic green beans and almonds.  We had some pretty good whole wheat artisan bread covered in oat groats made by a friend with some organic butter and it just does not get much better than this for me.

After lunch we had our egg hunt and the kids stayed inside while Poppa and I hid all the eggs.  This was Livie’s first egg hunt and she had so much fun.

Looking among the banana tree pups
and down by the pond

                     and in one of the coops, sorry guys, we did not hide any in there.

                     No Livie, jelly beans do not come from chickens

                                    and a rare shot of the authoress
Some unmentioned notables were a delicious ambrosia salad, Nick and the kids annual Easter soccer game outside with Poppa (while I was taking a much needed nap) and some of my delicious habichuelas con dulce (see yesterdays post)  Happy Easter to everyone.

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Habichuelas Con Dulce, a Holy Week tradition

By on April 4, 2010 in Holidays, Recipes, Traditions

What does that say?  If you don’t speak spanish, I will translate.  Habichuelas con dulce means sweet beans.  I know it sounds weird but it is so good that as a kid I would sneak more than my mom would let me have an end up visiting the bathroom more than usual.

Where my mother comes from (Dominican Republic), habichuelas con dulce are made only during holy week.  You have to wait all year to have this delicious dessert so you really don’t want to miss it when its time to go to your grandmothers, godmother or aunts house to get some.  My mom does not make this but many of my aunts, grandmother and my godmother did and still do so I learned to make it because I did not want this tradition to disappear.  My kids LOVE it as much as I do so I think for now the tradition is safe.

Here is the recipe:  Note*  this is how I make it,  everyone has their own way and most people add a white sweet potato but my kids don’t like it so I don’t add it.  Also, put the beans through the blender with some of the water from boiling it before starting.  I also put it through a strainer to keep the bean skins out.

  • 1 lb of boiled red kidney beans
  • 1 can of sweetened coconut milk
  • 2 can of evaporated milk (Carnation)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 8 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 cloves
  • half cup of raisins
  • * 1 lb sweet potatoes boiled and diced

  • In a blender, mix the beans and a cup of the water from cooking. In a soup pot add the two types of milk and bring the mix to a boil, add the sugar and the spices and let it cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes (if you use them) and the raisins. Let it cook until desired thickness.  Do not walk away from your pot,  you have to stir every few minutes or it will stick to the bottom and burn.  Serve cold.
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