Easter Dinner: Hosted by The Perfect Housewife

hostess with the mostess

   It's no secret to my family and friends, that I love holidays! What's there not to love about holidays? Cooking, baking, eating, entertaining, decorating.... I could go on, and on. I'm actually slightly obsessed with holidays, I even start thinking about them and planning for them weeks and weeks before they actually take place. And although Easter is not considered by some to be as major of a holiday as say Christmas or Thanksgiving, to me it's equally as important and exciting.
  Growing up, my parents always made a big deal out of Easter. Maybe that's where I get it from? So this Easter I decided well in advance, that I wanted to host my first big family dinner. And when I say big, I am talking about inviting 20+ people for a formal sit down dinner in my tiny little house. My husband (Jake) gets anxiety when I talk about having only 10 people over, so I decided to start planning things early and let Jake in on my plans a bit closer to the day of the dinner.
  There is a lot to consider when you are hosting a formal dinner party. First off, where will everyone sit? Most people (myself included) can not fit 20 people into their dining room. This is when it comes in handy to have an open concept space in your home, where you can set up a few long folding tables. I am lucky enough to have an open concept kitchen/living room, but an open concept kitchen/living room/dining room would be even better if you have it! Maybe one day... I hope. Next up, you need to plan what you are going to serve for dinner. I decided on turkey, and not so much because I like turkey (because really it's not my all time fave), but because Jake got one for free from his employer at Christmas time (and I needed to use it up). My Oma offered to make a ham, and I took her up on it. Oma makes the best ham. Actually, Oma makes the best everything! I also decided to take my guests up on their offers to bring something. Cooking for 20 people is a lot of work, not to mention can get quite costly. So I say if people want to help make your life easier and contribute to the meal, then let them. I decided to make one veggie dish, the stuffing, and a salad myself. The rest of the sides I delegated for my guests to bring. As for dessert, I planned on making some Easter themed sugar cookies and a new creation of my own, lemon merainge pie cupcakes. Jake's Nana makes the best cream pies, so I asked her to bring a couple of them as well. Things were starting to shape up nicely. I had a menu set, a seating plan in motion, and guests invited. There was still lots to do though...

my spring/Easter themed planter
in front of my house

  I began envisioning how I wanted the dinner table to look. I fancied the idea of a green, yellow and pink colour scheme (very Easterish). So when I saw a beautiful green linen table cloth embroidered with white tulips, I knew I had to buy it for Easter dinner. In fact I had to buy two, because one wouldn't be long enough for a table set for 20! Once I found my table cloth, I began keeping my eye out for matching paper napkins. Normally I prefer cloth napkins, but after already purchasing the table cloth I decided paper napkins would be a bit more cost effective. I was able to find some beautiful pink, yellow and green plaid paper napkins along with some very cute lily shaped tea light candles in the same colours. Now I had a start on my centre pieces as well. I bought three of the same small glass vases for flowers, to use as part of my centre pieces. Now for dishes and cutlery. Luckily between my good cutlery and my everyday cutlery, I determined that I had enough for 20 people. But I did not have 20 dishes all in the same colour. I have two sets of dishes, a white set and a red set. Since red is more of a fall/winter colour, white was clearly the best option. So I had to buy more white dishes. Buying more dishes is yet another thing I decided to not let my husband in on. Since he thinks we have too many dishes already as it is. Men... they just don't have an appreciation for a beautifully set colour coordinated table! If it was up to him, we would serve our guests Easter dinner on paper plates. And probably mismatched ugly ones at that!
  Once my guests began to RSVP, I discovered that there would only be 15 people actually attending. That seemed much more reasonable. Although my husband still had his doubts that we could comfortably fit everyone in our small open concept kitchen/living room. I was confident that it would all work out just fine. The week prior to Easter, I added a few Easter decorations to the front of my house. I hate it when people over decorate for any holiday. All you need is a few tasteful and festive pieces to really brighten up your house and make it look appropriate for the approaching holiday.

sugar cookies all decorated

rolling out the sugar cookie dough

  On Good Friday I planned to make my sugar cookies. I'll let you in on a little secret. Pillsbury makes awesome sugar cookie dough! But they only sell it in the stores at Christmas time, So every December I stock up, and freeze the dough. Then I have enough to last me through out the entire year. Sugar cookies are such a colourful and delicious way to jazz up any holiday dessert table. Not to mention, they're super fun to make and decorate. I was about halfway finished making my cookies, when the phone rang. We were told some devastating news. Jake's cousin had been killed in a motorcycle accident. After the news sunk in (it took a minute or so), I questioned whether or not to cancel Easter dinner. After Jake and I talked it over, we decided that as long as the funeral was not on that day (which it wasn't) we would move forward with it. The turkey had already been taken out of the freezer, and we figured that being around the Schmidt side of the family (who would be in positive and upbeat moods) would be a ray of sunshine for us and my in law's during what would be a very sad and devastating few days ahead. Of course Jake's grandparents would not be attending (understandably so). Which brought our dinner table down to "dinner for 13".

cupcakes ready to be frosted

lemon merainge pie cupcakes
(with peeps on top, for an Easter feel)

    On Saturday, I also came to the realisation that I would now have to not only make cupcakes, but I also had to now come up with 2 pies (since Jake's Nana wasn't coming). Most people would have just bought the pies. I off course chose to be difficult and add making two pies to my already jam packed to do list. Luckily for me, Dr. Oetker makes delicious coconut and banana cream pie filling mix. Sometimes even the perfect housewife has to cheat a little. So not only did I have to do all of my running around for dinner on Saturday, but I also had to work on Saturday night. When I returned home from work at 2am, I immediately started baking cupcakes and making the pies. My stepson (Owen) couldn't help but comment, as I pulled out my stand mixer and began cracking eggs "I love how you just come home from work at 2am and just start baking! That's awesome." It's true, I just may be the only crazy person I know who would do such a thing. What can I say? I was born to bake!

the spread

my colour coordinated table

   On Sunday morning I got up early (after only 4 hrs of sleep), to put the turkey in the oven. Then I  began frosting cupcakes, setting up tables, ironing table cloths etc. I sent Jake down the street (where there was a guy selling Easter flowers on the corner) to buy some pink and yellow tulips. He came home with yellow daises and purple hydrangeas. He said that was all that was left. I worked my magic, and the flowers looked great on the dinner table. By this time it was 5 minutes before people were set to arrive, and I was still in my pyjamas, rocking last night's make up and major bed head. Sweet, no time for a shower or to wash my hair. Somehow I managed to pull myself together before my guests arrived, and I think I looked half decent at least.

the perfect housewife
and her husband

Easter themed dessert

    The family arrived and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon, full of food, drinks, and lots of love and laughter. I think I did a pretty good job for my first big family dinner. If there is one thing that I learnt from that weekend, it is that life is beyond precious. We all take everything and everyone for granted much too often. The truth is, that anyone you love can be here one day and gone the next. It's really that simple. So things like family dinners over holidays might seem like too much work for some people, so much so that people just decide to not have a family dinner at all. Because it's "too much work", or "I just don't have the time". Hey, if I can come home from work at 2am and bake desserts, run on 4hrs of sleep and still make a dinner special... then so can anyone else.

nothing says "I love you" like a housewife's homemade lunch



a beautiful table set for 2



  Sometimes it is the most simple and inexpensive things in life that really show the people you love how much you care about them! A handmade card, a home cooked meal or some freshly baked/made treats can really impress your loved one and make them feel special. Anyone can go out and buy a gift, but spending your time to make something for someone is a rarity these days.

  This month I had two loved ones to make feel special. The first was my Oma (whose birthday was on February 10th), the second was Jake (my husband),who I not only celebrate Valentine's day with, but on February 12th it was the 10th anniversary of our first date. Since I missed my Oma's birthday party (due to work), I was excited to invite her over for a home cooked meal chez moi. And although Jake enjoys my home cooking almost everyday of life, it's not all that often that I make his favourite dishes.

a restaurant quality meal





tortilla crusted halibut





banana bread pudding a la mode



gourmet blend of mushrooms



adding some Shiraz to the broth



My Oma has cooked for our family for the past 50 years, so I was delighted to finally return the favour  and cook a special meal just for her. I decided to make cream of mushroom soup as a starter, followed by tortilla crusted baked halibut accompanied by a spinach blend salad with a honey sesame vinaigrette, and to top it all off banana bread pudding for dessert. It sounds like a meal you would get served in a fancy restaurant, only it cost a bit less and was made with a lot more love! I found an amazing recipe for the cream of mushroom soup from celebrity chef Michael Smith on the foddnetwork.ca's website. I altered the recipe a bit, adding my homemade beef broth instead of chicken broth and using a gourmet blend of cramini, shitaki, and oyster mushrooms instead of just button mushrooms. All in all, the soup was beyond delicious. For the halibut I crushed some tortilla chips in my food processor and set up a flour, egg, and crushed tortilla chip assembly line for the fish and into the oven they went for about 25mins. The spinach salad blend was simple to make as well. I washed and cut up some boston lettuce and baby spinach and then tossed it in the honey sesame vinaigrette that I made. The banana bread pudding was a bit more work. I had to make the banana bread the night before, and then cube it and toast it in the oven. Then I placed it in a baking pan and poured the custard mixture over it. When it was finished cooking, I topped it off with some vanilla frozen yogurt and served it up with a fresh cup of coffee (brewed in my Keurig coffee maker of course). The whole lunch was beyond delicious, and most importantly enjoyed and appreciated by the birthday girl! The soup especially was rich and decadent. The blend of mushrooms really added a meaty texture to the rich and creamy broth.















a homemade lunch for my valentine



white chocolate covered strawberries



 The very next day was Valentines day! In 2002 I had my 2nd date with Jake on this romantic holiday, and I cooked for him for the very first time. What did I make you ask? Spaghetti and meatballs with ceaser salad. I was only 20 years old at the time, and hadn't really developed cooking as a passion just yet. Jake brought dessert, whipped cream (from a can) and strawberries. They say that the key to a man's heart is through his stomach... well I guess it only took two dates for me to get the key! The strawberries for dessert has become a tradition for us, and now every Valentine's day I make chocolate covered strawberries. This year on Valentine's day, both Jake and I had to work (and opposite shifts at that). That meant that we really didn't have much time to spend together. I decided that a homemade lunch was the perfect way to spend the measly one hour of time that we had together. I started by making one of our favourite soup's, roasted red pepper. We love that kind of soup so much, that we even had the chef's at the banquet hall that hosted our wedding reception make it to serve at our wedding dinner. Believe it or not, it's actually a fairly simple soup to make. In the winter months, I use a jar of already roasted red peppers instead of roasting them myself on the BBQ. To accompany the soup, I made oven roasted chicken breast on a toasted baguette. And then, let's not forget the chocolate covered strawberries for dessert! Jake was pleasantly surprised to arrive home from a long day at work, to find a romantic table for two with some of his favourite foods on it.

  The older I get, the more and more I appreciate having someone else cook for me. Even though I love to cook myself. There's just something really nice about sitting back and relaxing, while someone else waits on you, serves you a meal, and then cleans up after you as well. To me, nothing says "I love you" like a homemade lunch. Food is love, and sharing what you love is one of the greatest gifts of all!





Cream of Mushroom Soup :                    2 lbs of gourmet mushrooms

                                                                  1/2 c of butter

                                                                  3 onions chopped



                                                                  1/2 of a bottle of Shiraz

                                                                  4 c of beef broth

                                                                  1 c of whipping cream

                                                                  1 tbsp of fresh thyme

                                                                  3 tbsp of corn starch

                                                                  1/2 c of water

                                                                  salt and pepper to taste



sauteing the butter, mushrooms and onions



   In a large sauce pot cook mushrooms, onions, and butter on meduim heat until mushrooms turn brown. Add wine and simmer, reducing by 50%. Add broth and whipping cream, bring to a boil. Add thyme and simmer for a few more minutes. In a small cup, combine corn starch and water making a pasty like liquid. Add corn starch liquid to soup slowly and stir. Let soup simmer to desired thickness.

Tortilla Crusted Halibut:

                                                                    2 fillets of halibut

                                                                    1 c of crushed tortilla chips

                                                                    1 egg beaten

                                                                    1/2 c of flour

                                                                    1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese

                                                                    1 tbsp of thyme

                                                                    dash of salt and pepper



assembly line for the halibut





crushing the tortilla chips



   Crush tortilla chips using a food processor. Combine crushed tortilla chips, Parmesan cheese, thyme, and salt and pepper. Place mixture on dinner plate. Place flour and beaten egg on separate dinner plates. Using a fork dip halibut fillet first in flour (coating both sides of fillet), then in egg mixture (again coating both sides of fillet), and then in tortilla mixture (once again coating both sides of fillet). Repeat with second halibut fillet. Place coated fillets in a greased baking dish, and bake for 20-25 mins at 350 F. Turning fillets over at the half way point. Serve with tarter sauce.

Mixed Spinach Salad with Honey-Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing:                     

                                                            2 c of washed and dried baby spinach

                                                            1 c of washed and dried boston lettuce

                                                            2 tbsp of goat cheese (optional)

                                                            2 tbsp of mixed dried fruit (optional)

                                                            2 tbsp of sunflower seeds (optional)

                                                            4 tbsp of cider vinegar

                                                            3 tbsp of olive oil

                                                            1 tbsp of honey

                                                            1 tsp of sesame seeds

                                                            1 tbsp of water

                                                            dash of salt and pepper

  



tossing the salad



   In a small bowl, whisk cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, sesame seeds, water and salt and pepper. Toss spinach and lettuce in dressing. Place salad on serving plate, and top with optional ingredients. 

Banana Bread Pudding:

                                                    3/4 of a loaf of banana bread (with crusts removed and cut into cubes)

                                                    1 1/2 c of water

                                                    1 c of sugar

                                                    1/2 c of butter



banana bread



                                                    2 c of whip cream

                                                    2 c of milk

                                                    4 eggs (beaten)

                                                    1 tsp of nutmeg

                                                    1 tsp of vanilla



banana bread pudding



  Preheat oven to 350 F. Cubes of banana bread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 mins. In a sauce pot combine water and sugar. Beat on high heat until syrup is golden brown. Add butter and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Add vanilla, milk, nutmeg and eggs (tempering the egg mixture) whisk until combined. Stir in cubes of banana bread. Allow mixture to absorb into bread. Pour into a baking dish, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 45mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

                                                                     1 pint of strawberries (long stemmed ones are desirable)

                                                                     1 pkg of chocolate chips (white chocolate chips optional)

                                                                     3 tbsp of cream

                                                                     2 tbsp of butter



white chocolate chips ready to be melted



strawberries ready for dipping



  Wash and dry strawberries. Using a double broiler on the stove, melt chocolate chips. Stir in cream and butter, creating a smooth chocolate mixture. Remove from heat, and dip strawberries in mixture. Place strawberries on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.     

melted white chocolate mixture























chicken soup for the housewife's soul

 There are a few things that I pride myself in, one of them is that I rarely get sick. The reason for this is likely because I take pretty good care of myself. I eat well, get lots of sleep and I am not (that's right, I said I am NOT) a compulsive hand washer. Therefor I do not kill the good bacteria that is on my hands, which helps my body build an immunity to sick germs. In fact just last week I was discussing this with another co-worker of mine, bragging about how I never get sick. Just my luck, I forgot to touch wood and on Friday morning I woke up with that dry/scratchy feeling in the back of my throat. Yep, I was (and still am) sick!   I think there is one thing that never changes for me when I get sick. I always just want to be taken care of. My husband does a pretty good job, but it never compares to the way my mom or my stepmom used to take care of me when I was sick. My mom used to make me up a bed on the couch and bring me my favourite foods in order to get me to eat. My stepmom used to run me an Epsom salt bath and make me drink pots of herbal tea. Somethings haven't changed, I still drink lots of herbal tea when I'm sick and I still make myself a bed on the couch.

hot tea (from my keurig) and organic honey



   My friends will tell you how I am one of the biggest fans of the Keurig coffee maker. It was my favourite wedding shower gift, and my most treasured small kitchen appliance. If there was ever a fire in my house, and I could only grab one thing to save (animals and people aside) I would grab my Keurig in a heartbeat! One of the great things about this machine is that it not only makes great coffee, but it also makes great tea! This comes in real handy when you're sick. I just leave my machine on all day, and whenever my mug is empty I can have hot freshly brewed tea in seconds! Not to mention the varieties of herbal tea you can purchase at ECS in Burlington. Herbal tea paired with some organic honey (from my Opa Echlbeck's bee's) is by far one of my favourite home remedies for a cold or sinus infection.

homemade chicken soup

  Another great home remedy for a cold is homemade chicken noddle soup. I know what you're thinking, who has the energy to make chicken soup when you're sick? That's why you make it when you're not sick, and stick it in the freezer to just take out and heat up when you are sick. All you need is a leftover chicken carcass and some carrots, celery and onion. Chop up the veggies, and throw everything into a stock pot with some water, a couple of bouillon cubes and some desired spices, then simmer on low for about an hour. Remove the chicken carcass and scrap any leftover meat off of it to throw back in the soup. Add some pasta, rice or potatoes bring the soup back to a boil for about 15mins. And there you have it. Homemade chicken soup. I always set some aside and keep it in the freezer, for a quick weekday meal or for times like now (when I'm sick!). You can also strain out the vegetables from the soup, and use the broth for other recipes. It's a great base for other kinds of soup, or even in substitution for water in rice.

raspberry-mango smoothie

  Soup and tea are great liquids for your body when you are sick, but they don't supply you with much vitamin c. Everyone knows that vitamin c is important when you are fighting a cold. I love to make smoothies, which not only supply you with lots of vitamin c... but they sure soothe a sore throat as well! When I was in college, I worked for a popular juice bar. While working there, I learnt how to make all of their juices and smoothies. It's pretty simple, all you need is some oj, 2-3 frozen fruits of your choice, frozen yogurt, crushed ice, and plain yogurt. Throw everything in a blender and in less than 5mins you have yourself a delicious and nutritious drink. If you want (considering it's winter, and you might not feel like a frozen beverage) you can omit the ice, and it will make more of a juice than a frozen smoothie.



gazing out the back door at the snow,
 wishing I could be outside enjoying it



my dog Oreo (trying to keep warm)



  One of the things I have struggled with in the past day and a half, is watching the beautiful snow fall outside and not being able to go out and enjoy it. Winter is my favourite season and let's face it, this winter has been a pretty crappy one. I feel like I've seen more snow in my freezer, then I have outside this year! Watching the snow fall outside my window, makes me long for my snowboard or my Kaboom tube and the nearest giant snow covered hill. Guess I'll just have to settle for a stroll in the park across the street with my dog Oreo. I need to save my energy for the work week ahead and for my trip to ECS tonight with my bff Emma. I inspired this non coffee drinker but major tea drinker to purchase a Keurig of her own! Plus, all of my sick tea drinking has caused me to run out of tea for my own Keurig. So a trip to ECS is muchly needed. Let's hope this snow sticks around for a bit. Although I have my doubts, it's suppose to be +6 on Wednesday :(



my cat Milo (better than a heating pad)



my cat Piper (keeping my bored sick self company)

  As for my sinus infection... the home remedies have been helping, but I think I just need to let it take it's course. Even though I hate anything (especially a cold) that slows me down and keeps me away  from my busy life, I have been enjoying spending some time curled up on my couch with my dog and my cats. Maybe rest and cuddles are the best home remedies of all! 



blending the smoothie



ingredients for the smoothie



Mango-Raspberry Smoothie

1 c of oj

1/3 of a banana

1/4 c of frozen raspberries

1/4 c of frozen mango

1 1/2 scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 c of crushed ice

2 tsp of plain yogurt