Happy Easter

Tis the season yet again to O.D. on chocolate, wear your Easter bonnet, and decorate numerous locations in various egg-bunny-spring theme. On top of the sweet treats associated with the Easter season I enjoy the religious traditions as well. Being a Vicar's daughter, Easter was spent in a church. Shrove Tuesday kicked things off for Lent which followed, and it all escalated from there: Lenten discussion groups, increased church services, Easter gardens, etc. Until finally we reached Holy Week, the week before Easter. The bells were silent for the whole week, and in England we had a service every day of the week taking us closer to the event of the crucifiction. And finally my favourite service, the First Light which takes place in darkness and light is slowly re-introduced by candle light. Many of us get wrapped up in the bunnies, and eggs and chocolate and often loose sight of why we're marking this day in our calendar. For me, it's new beginnings...that new light. Admitting that you've gone off course and that you're not perfect, but that you want to do better and be better. How many times do we make resolutions at Christmas, and half way through the year realize we kept them for about a week or that you only went to the gym once in the past four months, or you couldn't really stop eating ice cream as you thought. What if you had a second chance? A chance to say "I admit it, I failed" and someone said "no problem, just try again." Easter is our second chance; A time to reassess, and see if you maybe with a second go you can get where you want. Or just choose another goal. Whichever, every time you're unwrapping the pastel-coloured foil on those little milk chocolate eggs think of it as your second chance being hatched, and that you're celebrating your decision with chocolate!

As part of our Easter celebrating, our family makes Easter eggs of our own. Mum taught us to make them our of home made fondant, and Dad taught us how to dip them. These are definitely worth a post of their own.

Happy Easter!

This year's crop of eggs: this year, I made chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch. I would have made pistachio but they didn't have any :(

Clearly, when Dad was teaching us the delicate process of dipping eggs he needed a beer for support!